What a mad week it’s been following Stormzy’s momentous album release last Friday. Ed Sheeran’s third album Divide released today and is being called his best album yet. The Suffolk native makes three appearances on this week’s New Music Friday UK playlist alongside entries from J Hus, Preditah & C4, Kojo Funds, Khalid, Skepta and a live session from Emeli Sande as well as a Wild Card feature from the R&B infused up-and-comer Shébani.
Ed Sheeran – “What Do I Know?”
Ed’s first entry in this week’s playlist is a cheerful tune that’s sure to bring some light to this gloomy-looking Friday. Simple and catchy, there isn’t much else to say about “What Do I Know?” except for “It’s a great listen!”.
Ed Sheeran – “New Man”
“New Man” is an immediate switch up to “What Do I Know?”. With greater emphasis on the production, Ed tells a story here about his ex’s new guy. Like most songs on Divide, the chorus on “New Man” is infectious. This is probably the cutest diss track I’ve ever heard; Ed is basically rapping. His style on this song is more akin to some of his older stuff from debut album. The breakdown on this track is nuts, with some cool DJ scratching being worked into the track.
Ed Sheeran – “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here”
“Hearts Don’t Break Around Here” is a new classic in Ed Sheeran’s ever-growing discography. In essence, “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here” is a pop ballad. Soulful and heartwarming, this is definitely one of the standouts from the album. With beautiful melodies and charming acoustic guitars, “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here” is a song for the romantics.
J Hus – “Did You See”
“Did You See” is the highly anticipated new banger from J Hus. With a bouncy beat and a really cool melodic flow, “Did You See” is reminiscent of some of Drake’s recent tracks. Side note; how mad would a collab between Drizzy and Hus be?! J Hus always manages to sound hard on his songs and feature appearances, regardless of the topic. The beat here is tender but he stays on point with clever bars, schemes and melodies.
Preditah & C4 – “Touch Road”
Acclaimed beat-maker and DJ Preditah returns with frequent-collaborator C4 to give us this grimey new banger “Touch Road” from his newly released Blank Canvas EP. The production here is minimal but dirty. C4’s unorthodox flow rides on top of the nasty bass-sub effortlessly. Everything about “Touch Road” is casual and fun. You can picture Preditah and C4 getting gassed hearing this tune back in the studio. Jeez.
Kojo Funds – “Warning”
“Warning” is a breezy afro/bashment inspired banger. The East London artist has a proven track record when it comes to hits and this one looks set to impact the clubs, the streets and the whips all at once. Make sure you watch the official video for “Warning” exclusively on GRM Daily.
Khalid – “8TEEN”
Just like “Warning”, “8TEEN” is a groovy banger. Crooning melodies ease you into this youth-infused song. Khalid’s vocals remind me a bit of Sampha’s, which can only be a good thing. The songwriting on “8TEEN” is mad when you think about it, the verses are excellently composed and the hook catches instantly. “8TEEN” is a track from Khalid’s just-released album American Teen which is already being given high-praises from the artists peers and industry critics.
Skepta – “No Security”
If you haven’t already seen Skepta’s dope visuals for “No Security” – where have you been? What’ve you been doing? Unless you were too busy listening to Stormzy and helping him in his push for a chart-topping album, there’s no excuse. “No Security” is a great example for people who don’t believe that grime is the new punk. Everything about “No Security” is so unfashionably fashionable. From it’s retro visual style and Skepta’s trademark skank, Skeppy’s vocals are harsh and sound like they’re straight from Konnichiwa. HARD.
Emeli Sandé – “Highs & Lows” (Live From Spotify, London)
“Highs & Lows” gets a dope acoustic treatment just for Spotify London. An angelic vocal performance from Emeli here leads the track in a stunning rendition of this brilliantly written song. There’s a certain swag about the award winner on “Highs & Lows” as she delivers her verses; its a cool confidence.
WILD CARD: Shébani – “Figure It Out (Bad Energy)”
Shébani is a UAE-born, London based Songwriter with talent in excess. “Figure It Out (Bad Energy)” is the dopest Wild Card feature we’ve had so far in this New Music Friday feature. With a booming beat and some haunting instrumental melodies, “Figure It Out (Bad Energy)” is dominated by Shébani’s nonchalant lament as she provides some killer melodies of her own. Cleverly written, brilliantly produced and incredibly executed, “Figure It Out (Bad Energy)” is an underground smash that deserves more attention. Oh, and did I mention the visuals for the track are awesome, too?