- Words Notion Staff
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.
‘Not An Angel’ by Tems
Following up ‘Me & U’, released in October, ‘Not An Angel’ is an off-kilter Afrobeats anthem that only Tems could make. The singer-songwriter revamps pop sensibilities around an ethereal melody and her trademark tones.
‘leavemealone’ by Fred again.., Baby Keem
Rounding off what’s been a phenomenal year for Fred again.., ‘leavemealone’ sees the superstar producer DJ collaborating with Compton rapper, Baby Keem. Chopping up vocal samples and seasoning them with a sizzling DnB beat, the tear-jerking club track builds and crescendos into a state of euphoria not once but twice.
‘Stop Giving Me Advice’ by Dave, Jack Harlow
When rumours started circulating that Dave was going to release a collaboration with an American rap heavyweight, few predicted that it’d be Jack Harlow. Cole Bennett, the mastermind behind music video and blog platform Lyrical Lemonade, had other ideas, though. ‘Stop Giving Me Advice’ is a declaration of their lyrical eminence.
‘run for the hills’ by Tate McRae
‘run for the hills’ is our pick from Tate McRae’s highly anticipated sophomore album, THINK LATER. Self-assured and psychedelic, the sultry single shows off her main-pop girl energy and unique vocal cadence.
‘Needle’ by Nicki Minaj, Drake
Today, Nicki Minaj dropped her fifth studio album, titled Pink Friday 2. On her Drake featuring single, the Trinidadian trap-rap Queen is giving someone the ‘Needle’, reminding people she ain’t playing no games with that distinctly Caribbean flow and undisputed wordplay.
‘Astronaut’ by Griff
On ‘Astronaut’, Griff is still in her sad girl era, singing so vulnerably in the company of her trusted piano, played this time by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The songwriter doesn’t want to be left behind and wanders what part of herself wasn’t good enough for an unknown lover, who refuses to come back to earth.
‘Happiness’ by Sarz, Asake, Gunna
Uplifting us all with his new single, ‘Happiness’, Sarz is the Nigerian hitmaker uniting some of the world’s most exciting artists. Asake and Gunna are the latest to feature on his polymathic production, going back-to-back over an Amapiano and Afrobeats blending instrumental.
‘Hizuki’ by Venna
That saxophone you hear on your favourite Knucks track? Yeah, that’s Venna. On 'Hizukiu’, the Grammy-winning instrumentalist blends his smooth sax with laid-back, shuffling production, which comes courtesy of fellow London music whizz Marco Bernardis.
‘Grace’ by IDLES
IDLES trade the cacophonous racket of their past for a comparably dulcet vibe on ‘Grace’. Powered by Joe Talbot’s sweet croons, the track builds steadily and never really crescendos, leaving you wanting more from the post-punk five-piece.
‘Imagining’ by Rina Sawayama, Amaarae
Taken off the bonus edition of Rina Sawayama’s pop-punk pirouetting Hold the Girl, ‘Imagining’ sees the London-based artist team up with Amaarae for a genre-morphing hit. UKG, half-time and trap are just a few sounds you’ll hear beneath their invigorating vocal deliveries.