This is a new feature piece we’ll be running at GRM where we recap and streamline the best music from the last week, as featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist. This week’s releases feature Tinie Tempah, WSTRN, J.Cole, Loyle Carner, Big Sean and DaVinChe.
Tinie Tempah – “Text From Your Ex (feat. Tinashe)”
Tinie’s back campaigning for the release of his upcoming album “Youth” and features twice on the Spotify New Music playlist. This new song is a vibe and is a perfect blend of Tinie’s current chart-topper vibe and his old Disc-Overy incarnation. Tinashe delivers a thin, catchy hook that’s simply infectious. The general vibe of the song is quite simple, but that’s not always a bad thing. “Text From Your Ex” catches instantly.
Tinie Tempah – “Chasing Flies (feat. Nea)”
The second Tinie Tempah track this week features Nea and also has a nice, simple vibe. As soon as Tinie’s verse kicks in your get some nasty bass that the “Girls Like” rapper flows over very smoothly. The switch up in his delivery between the first and second halves of his verses is definitely impressive. Another catchy banger in the bag for Tinie; two solid releases.
WSTRN – “On The Go”
Haile starts this track off with some trappy adlibs. The bass on the track is really vibey and juxtaposes Haile’s vocals awesomely. A lot dirtier than the trio’s chart-smashing “In2”, “On The Go” adds to a recent number of tracks that are on the more aggressive side. Both rap verses on “On The Go” fit the beat and certainly give off the impression that something’s been triggered in the West London triumvirate.
J.Cole – “High For Hours”
Fresh from the successful release of “4 Your Eyez Only”, Cole comes back with a song that would fit on the album seamlessly. Political, thought-provoking and smooth, “High For Hours” features a crisp bassline that rides through the whole track. Cole retells the story of when he met outgoing President Barack Obama with effortless delivery on the second verse, giving a really interesting take on the race relations that Cole is known to be incredibly passionate about – a topic that featured heavily on his latest full-length.
Loyle Carner – “Mean It In The Morning”
From Loyle’s album release today Spotify have picked out “Mean It In The Morning” to feature on their New Music playlist this week. The highly anticipated spoken-word, jazz-influenced debut album from Loyle Carner also includes features from Tom Misch, Jehst and Rebel Kleff. This track reminds me of Mikill Pane circa “Little Lady” – and that’s a huge compliment. It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Carner and Mike Skinner, but this short track definitely stands in a lane of its own. Definitely worth a listen. The rapper’s down-trodden delivery on this track fits perfectly and takes listeners to a gloomy, rainy day.
Big Sean – “Halfway Off The Balcony”
I, for one, am incredibly excited for Sean’s new album I Decided which releases in a couple months. “Halfway Off The Balcony” is a song with a simple beat and a simple flow from Sean, but I can’t help but think it’s more complex than it seems on the service. Sean’s delivery is melodic and reassuring, but at the same time it’s definitely got a hidden aggression to it. The instrumental is laced with vocal cuts that sit nicely behind Sean’s vocal. We get back to Sean’s normal style of delivery on the second verse. If the rest of the album is like this, Sean can rest assured: people will realise his job is “more than just a salary” as he tells on “Halfway Off The Balcony”. This track is a memoir of sorts, a real standout from this playlist.
Davinche – “Ring Ring (feat. Big Tobz, TE dness, Blittz & Izzie Gibbs)”
From the star-studded “Powers” release, DaVinChe drops “Ring Ring”. With a whole host of rappers on the track, including Big Tobz, TE dness, Blittz and Izzie Gibbs, it’s strange to say no-one slacks on the beat. Although, the line-up would never suggest otherwise, each artist comes through and slays the awesome DaVinChe-produced track. The hook is empowering and brilliantly delivered, a real hood banger.
WILD CARD
Every week we’ll try to introduce you to an artist you may not have heard before and showcase their best new track, hoping to catch onto something that the tastemakers at Spotify might’ve missed! So, without further adue, this week’s Wild Card pick for New Music Friday is Grim.
“Grim – SLW DWN”
R&B artist Grim’s debut release GRIM16 features his best drops from the last year. “SLW DWN” has a Take Care vibe about it, with the beat being lead by an airy-sounding pad that contrasts the booming bass on the hooks. The UK artist is looking to drop an ambitious project later this year and has teased listeners with the vibey release of GRIM16. A great listen, the project is littered with song’s you can just run with, it’s hard to dislike and even harder to find yourself not vibing with each track. Watch out for Grim!