- Words Darcy Culverhouse
Press play on the latest edition of NOTION NOW, the playlist featuring the freshest tracks you need to hear.
Ghanaian-American powerhouse Amaarae has been the talk of the week with the release of her long-awaited album BLACK STAR: a dizzying pop-R&B-club odyssey aching with desire. Stacked with a superteam of guests, including Naomi Campbell, Bree Runway, and Charlie Wilson, the spotlight lands on her PinkPantheress collab ‘Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2’, where the pair pine over a flipped sample of Sisqó’s ‘Thong Song’.
Elsewhere, North London favourites Wolf Alice get psych-tinged on ‘White Horses’, a hypnotic, acoustic-driven track that feels like a fever dream. Another album drop comes from pop experimentalist Ethel Cain with Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You plunging listeners into visceral heartbreak, with the gut-punch standout ‘Dust Bowl’. Over in the States, lyrical craftsman Gunna delivers a sprawling 25-track project, with ‘forever be mine’ (featuring afropop star Wizkid) floating in on breezy rhythms and effortless chemistry.
Rap holds court this week with INFAMOUSISZAK linking up with UK rap royalty JME for the heavy-hitting ‘KiSSMYTEET’. East Londoner Barney Artist teases his upcoming album with ‘Are You There?’, a stomping, spellbinding cut carried by rolling drums. JID amps the adrenaline on a vengeance-laced, gritty track steeped in conflict, while Kofi Stone slows the tempo with his signature, soul-baring flow, offering intimate self-reflection.
KennyHoopla announces his forthcoming EP with ‘orphan//’, a return to his pop-punk roots infused with ethereal synths as he unpacks grief. Closing the week, Skin On Skin delivers a bouncy, atmospheric, forward-thinking techno track built for long summer nights.
Tap into the full NOTION NOW playlist below: