I'm With Her "Game to Lose"
Let's start with some Americana this week. I strongly recommend you listen to the full debut album by this trio of incredibly talented musicians. Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O'Donovan are more than the perfect harmonies their voices make together: they are songwriters, some of the top musicians in the field on their various instruments, and women with a definitive point of view. Listening to this is a treat, so treat yo self.
Ella Mai "Naked"
It felt like I was inundated with Black girl magic from across the pond this week, so let's start with Ella Mai. Her song and video for "Naked" are a bit of a Lush bath bomb for the soul. It's not everyone who can articulate the way porn and Instagram models have fucked our views about our bodies up and reference resting bitch face in one breath. "Might be a bitch in the morning, so cash me at nighttime" is going to be my new Instagram bio. Honestly, some parts of the video are a bit pedantic, but the song is just so relatable. More of this in pop music, please.
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Khalid and Normani "Love Lies"
Every now and again a song comes along that will make you exclaim to yourself, "Damn, that is a good song!" Ladies and gentleman, "Love Lies" is that song. You already know exactly where Khalid's voice hits you and that he could get your location. But Normani might be a surprise to some of you. If you have a long weekend, put this jam on your Sunday night playlist. It will do right by the mood.
Grace Carter "Silhouette"
While you're waiting for that next Adele album to drop (it may be awhile), fill the hole in your soul with Grace Carter. She may not have the ease of being just yet, but she does have the chops and that moody piano thing that most U.K. producers love for their singers. Honestly, Sam Smith should probably watch his back.
Kamaiyah feat. Bookie T "Hennessy on Ice"
Oh hey, I found your Friday night party jam. I guess you could use it on Saturday, too. You'll probably be seeing her all over NBA All-Star weekend, and her debut album just dropped. It's easy to imagine her becoming ubiquitous with jams like these. Since hip hop is taking over the charts, we've seen a downturn in the number of female artists owning it. I am ready to usher Kamaiyah and so many more through the door so we can even it up.
After my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to matchmake people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book called Record Collecting for Girls and started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I'm listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or leave me a comment below and tell me what you're listening to this week.
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