Prior to her new song “Don’t Start Now,” it seemed unclear how Dua Lipa would fit into the ever-growing, increasingly more competitive pop stratosphere. Was she a smoky voiced balladeer? A go-to collaborator for EDM producers? A bubblegum pop princess? She existed in all three worlds on her self-titled debut …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Brytiago Leads Urbano Brat Pack in 'La Mentira (Remix)'
Daddy Yankee protégé Brytiago leads a formidable new wave of urbano stars — a Latin Brat Pack of sorts — in the new remix of his 2018 single, “La Mentira,” which translates to “The Lie.” A work of pure tropical noir, the remix counts a stacked lineup of young talents, …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus, 'Old Town Road (Remix)'
Lil Nas X’s lonesome cowboy trap ballad, “Old Town Road,” is a runaway hit that’s been banished from the Billboard country charts almost as quickly as it broke them. Evidently the song isn’t country enough — which is in and of itself a ridiculous sentiment, given country music’s recent years …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Hand Habits, 'pacify'
The third track on Hand Habits’ great new album, placeholder, comes on like a folk song, with Meg Duffy finger-picking soft solo acoustic patterns. The effect is peaceful, calming, with a hint of something else underneath the surface. Then, about 40 seconds into “pacify,” Duffy begins singing, and the song …
Read More »Song You Need To Know: LCD Soundsystem, '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang'
“History will repeat itself” declared Glenn Gregory — correctly — on the original version of “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” in a voice partway between demented crooner and cyborg newscaster. The song was a minor and fitting hit for his U.K. synth-pop act Heaven 17, who took their …
Read More »Song You Need to Know: Lana Del Rey, 'Mariners Apartment Complex'
Seasoned Lana Del Rey followers remember her cover of Leonard Cohen‘s “Chelsea Hotel No. 2.” It was one of those covers that seemed like it should’ve existed much earlier than we heard it, a perfect match of the old and the new as her treacly, husky voice embodied Cohen’s tale …
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