Photos: Instagram / @sofitukker @miguel @fkatwigs
It never gets easier picking out our favourites from the sea of monthly drops, especially when we’re seeing names like Alicia Keys together with Miguel, and H.E.R alongside YG. But apart from these crazy collaborations, remakes are also having a moment. Chicken noodle soup dance challenge, anyone?
1. 噓(SHH) – Jasmine Sokko
Our enigmatic October cover star never performs without a mask (find out why in this video). That shrouds her in an air of mystery, but the good kind. In this bilingual track co-produced with Felix Snow (who has worked with the likes of Kiiara and Selena Gomez), Jasmine Sokko shows off her Mandarin chops.
2. Finally Feel Good – James Arthur
When I found me, I was smiling / And through the crying, I finally feel good
English singer and songwriter James Arthur rose to fame when he won the ninth season of The X Factor in 2012, and debuted as a solo artist with a cover of Shontelle’s “Impossible”. Since then, Arthur has been rolling out chart-toppers like “Say You Won’t Let Go” and “Falling Like the Stars”. His newest single “Finally Feel Good” is another one that will tug at your heartstrings.
3. Purple Hat – Sofi Tukker
I’ve got purple hat, cheetah print / Dancing on the people / Rolled up at the after joint
Despite starting off with chill lounge vibes, Purple Hat quickly tumbles into an ominous and monotonous reading of cheetah prints and people activities, and then deftly transitions into a whole western mood. Trust us, you have to give this eclectic banger a listen.
American music duo Sofi Tukker is made up of Tucker Halpern and Sophie Hawley-Weld — two starry-eyed musicians who joined forces after meeting at Brown University. And if they’re sounds seems at all familiar, it might be because you’ve heard their track, “Drinkee”, in an Apple Watch advertisement. It was a breakthrough moment for them, as they went on to receive a Grammy nomination for that same song.
4. Me Quedaro Contigo – Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Lenier, El Micha
We never say no to a track from Mr Worldwide, especially when Grammy-winning artiste Ne-Yo has also jumped in on it. Despite the general lukewarm response towards Pitbull’s latest album, Libertad 548, this summery tune still hits all the right spots for a day of sun tanning and sangria.
5. Holy Terrain – FKA twigs, Future
Will you still be there for me / Once I’m yours to obtain? / Once my fruits are for taking / And you flow through my veins?
There’s something about FKA twigs’ airy vocals and Future’s fatalistic rap that creates this air of melancholy and mystery.
This year, FKA twigs has broken her three-year hiatus with “Cellophane” and now, “Holy Terrain”. The English singer-songwriter (real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett) is known for her genre-bending style and her fluid dance moves which she owes to her backup dancer experience.
Hit play, and follow us on Spotify:
ALSO READ: SPOTIFY #3: AUGUST’S HOT DROPS – KHALID, MASEGO, MIKA
6. Chicken noodle soup – J-Hope, Becky G
Let it rain / Now clear it out
13 years since the release of “Chicken Noodle Soup” by Da Drizzle, the air raid siren and accompanying dance has been revived. This time by BTS’ J-Hope and American singer Becky-G. And the best part is that the remake has gotten the stamp of approval from the original makers, like rapper Bianca Bonnie, who posted an Instagram story to thank them. Watch the music video to get in on the latest dance challenge.
7. Compromise – Gallant, Sabrina Claudio
Our love so upfront, you turned your back / Like I analyzed you, you got upset / Heightened defense, mortal combat / Can’t understand how you’d do me like that
Gallant and Sabrina Claudio are the sort of names you want to see together on a track. Their buttery vocals and dancehall beat sit warmly together for this smokey number.
This collaboration comes as a pleasant surprise as Gallant continues to tease us for the launch of his “Sweet Insomnia” album in October. This track is the fourth single to be released in the album, and comes after “Sleep On it”, “Sharpest Edges” and “Crimes”.
8. Show me love – Alicia Keys, Miguel
Show me love like, you see red lights / And you crashed in it like a deer inside of headlights / Yeah, I showed you love like it was passionate / I just wanna bask in it, winnin’ it like a championship
With Raphael Saadiq on guitar, Cara Stricker on video and Michael B. Jordan making an appearance — it raises some serious questions on what we did to deserve a project like that. The gentle stripped-down track is a beautiful manifestation of all their talents — from Keys and Miguel’s smooth vocals to Saadiq’s decades worth of neo-soul experience.
9. Slide – H.E.R, YG
Doin’ our thing, movin’ too fast / Candy paint with the windows all black / Seats crème brûlée, what they gon’ say? / With the top down screamin’, “Money ain’t a thing”
H.E.R has been on a roll with the collabs, working with A-list artistes like Bryson Tiller, YBN Cordae and Ed Sheeran in this year alone. Her latest one with American rapper YG comes shortly after dropping her full length album “I Used to Know Her” last week.
10. In the mix – Mariah Carey
In the mix, we gonna get by / On our own, side by side / Love’s all we need to be free / I got you, you got me
With the upbeat feel-good tune, Mariah Carey is sending an uplifting message with “In the Mix” — the theme song for ABC’s new sitcom Mixed-ish that premiered on Sept 24. The show is a spin-off prequel of Black-ish, an American sitcom which also aired 5 years ago on the same date. Chronicling the growth of Rainbow Johnson in a mixed-race household in the 1980s, it seemed only perfect one of the world’s most famous mixed-race singers was enlisted to pen and perform this track.
Hit play, and follow us on Spotify:
ALSO READ: SPOTIFY PLAYLIST #2: IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT
