- Words Liam Cattermole
New Music Friday is here and Notion Now has all the tracks you need to be adding to your playlists over the next seven days.
‘Crowded Roomz’ by Nia Archives
Nia Archives reflects on life as a superstar DJ on her new single, ‘Crowded Roomz’. “I feel so lonely in crowded rooms, no one to talk to they don’t understand my blues,” she sings painstakingly over melancholic jungle breaks, nailing the formula for a cry in the club banger. The one-take music video, featuring cameos from Corbin Shaw, Maverick Sabre and Internet Girl, is well worth viewing too.
‘Never Need Me’ by Rachel Chinouriri
Announced as Radio 1’s Hottest Record this week, ‘Never Need Me’ is a joyous return from alt-indie popper Rachel Chinouriri. The single is our first taste from her debut album, What A Devastating Turn Of Events, which is set for release in May, and reflects on the peaks and pits of her ascendancy to one of Britain’s most compelling and honest rising artists.
‘You Love Who You Love’ by Zara Larsson
Zara Larsson - the 2010s teenage pop prodigy - is releasing her fourth album, Venus next month, and this week dropped one of its featured pop anthems, ‘You Love Who You Love’. Along with its daring cover art, the track reveals that the 26-year-old has been rather experimental since producing her 2021 album. It’s a mid-week club track: fun, slightly camp and, whether you like it or not, undeniably 2010s.
‘Moonlight’ by Sammy Virji
After a massive year, of selling out EartH in 24 hours and being one of the most vociferously shared DJs on the festival circuit, Sammy Virji is back and picking up where he left off in 2023. ‘Moonlight’ is another wonky UKG roller, brimming with bass and the frolicsome dance music formula that’s garnered him so much attention recently.
‘Tiny Moves’ by Bleachers
Staccato synths and stabbed guitar riffs are all the rave on Bleachers latest single, ‘Tiny Moves’. Jack Antonoff’s band, who’ve developed a cult following since their debut album, reach for an uplifting vibe, enchanting us with their vivid high-school-like soundscapes. They’ll also be hitting the road this year, kicking off at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town before making their way back to the states.
'Solo' by Myles Smith
After a huge year for the London-based folk artist, Myles Smith, he is taking his upward trajectory to greater heights with latest track, 'Solo'. Finding his feet somewhere in between pop's upbeat rhythms and folk's offbeat, 'Solo' unravels the universally resonant theme of craving closure amidst heartbreak. Fan of his vivid yet punchy soundscapes? Catch him touring around the UK and the US later this month.
‘flight fm’ by Joy Orbison
Finally, after months of teasing across festivals last summer, Joy Orbison has dropped the eagerly anticipated, ‘flight fm’. His first release since the collaborative track ‘Freedom 2’, alongside Overmono and Kwengface, the brain-rattling and bone-shaking UK club heater will warm a few bodies on the dancefloor this winter.
‘We Make Hits’ by Yard Act
Yard Act’s sophomore record, My Utopia?, is fast approaching and to honour what will be a monumental moment for the Leeds band, they’ve released another single, titled ‘We Make Hits’. Recorded in bassist Ryan Needham’s bedroom, the track reflects on how their success, being nominated for the Mercury Prize and landing a top 10 debut album, has ultimately done nothing to change who they are as people. Making hits, ambling around awards shows and storming the charts is all in a days work.
‘tell me’ by Shygirl, Boys Noize
Unwilling to rest on her laurels, Shygirl took this week to deliver another veritable club banger. ‘tell me’, featuring production from German techno DJ Boys Noize, is one of six impending tracks that make up Club Shy, a forthcoming EP made with producers like SG Lewis, Karma Kid, and her partner in crime, Sega Bodega.
‘alright’ by EKKSTACY, The Kid LAROI
EKKSTACY isn’t here to cure your January blues, if anything, he wants to enhance them. Don’t let that put you off his new self-titled album, which features some of the most contagious indie riffage we’ve heard in a while. The 21-year-old Canadian takes his cues from emo rap and slacker punk, gravitating towards a sadboy aesthetic shared by collaborators like The Kid LAROI, who adds his Aussie tones to the captivating, ‘alright’.
‘Canarsie’ by Russ Millions, Fivio Foreign
When these two link up, the drill scene takes notice. Having already released chart-topping collaborations like ‘Body (Remix)’ and featured on JNR CHOI’s viral ‘TO THE MOON’, Russ Millions and Fivio Foreign’s frequent transatlantic crossovers are always a hit. ‘Canarsie’ is no different as the wordsmiths go back-to-back over a baille-infused swinging drill beat.
