Pigeons & Planes' Best Songs of the Week

With so much good music steadily coming through, it's easy to miss some of the best. To help prevent this, we've rounded up the best songs from the past week. Here are the songs you can't afford to skip, in no particular order.

Brockhampton's videos are getting more and more inventive, with "Gummy" being their creative peak so far. The track is equally as ridiculous, matching the absurdity of the visuals with reckless abandon. These kids are determined to best themselves, and if "Gummy" is any indication, the forthcoming sequel to Saturation will be even better than the first.

As to be expected, everyone brings their A-game, offering a distinct flair that sets each member apart while showing once again what makes them work so well as a whole. "Gummy" has us feverishly awaiting Saturation II, wondering if Brockhampton are capable of not just having one of the best albums of the year, but two.—Joe Price

Reo Cragun's new Growing Pains mixtape is packed with booming production, soaring choruses, and irresistibly catchy hooks, but "On My Way" is the song I can't stop playing right now. It doesn't hurt that it has one of the most epic music videos of the year. Mountains, waterfalls, and horses all add a dramatic flair to an already great song, and if you need some motivation just listen to this track and you'll feel like a fucking hero.—Jacob Moore

Kelela is back! She broke out in 2013 with the fantastic Cut 4 Me mixtape, pushing R&B forward by working with the experimental electronic producers of Fade To Mind and its London-based sister label Night Slugs. On “LMK,” from her upcoming album Take Me Apart, Kelela keeps pushing her sound forward with confidence and poise, but it’s also one of her most accessible tracks to date.

On the new album, Kelela states: ”Despite it being a personal record, the politics of my identity informs how it sounds and how I choose to articulate my vulnerability and strength. I am a black woman, a second-generation Ethiopian-American, who grew up in the 'burbs listening to R&B, Jazz and Björk. All of it comes out in one way or another."

Take Me Apart is out October 6.—Alex Gardner

At this point, it’s a pretty safe bet that something special will happen whenever Swae Lee, Slim Jxmmi, and Mike Will Made It get together. Sure, it’s tempting to get lost imagining what Swae Lee could do as a solo artist, but then they drop something like this and remind us how important chemistry can be. After repeated listens, I have no idea how this works as well as it does. The beat has an eerie nature to it that you wouldn’t expect from a summer single and the whole thing is held together by an unusual hook that references a mythical creature and whatever the hell a caterpillar whip is. But, somehow, together, they make it work. This feels like another sneaky hit that we’ll be playing the rest of the summer.—Eric Skelton

London MC AJ Tracey comes with crazy energy on every track, but give him a beat like this, and you know he's going to go crazy. "Blacked Out" is produced by grime legend Sir Spyro and AJ more than does it justice, while the video is immediately striking too. The best moment, though, might be this bar: "Wearing tracksuits listening to 'That's Not Me,' but we all know that's not you."

"Blacked Out" comes from AJ Tracey's Secure The Bag! EP, out October 6.—Alex Gardner

Bladee and Yung Lean have always made a fantastic team. "Gotham City" is another brilliant example of what these two can pull off together, playing with their approaches to the colorful production. It must be said that few rappers are as good at melodies as Bladee and Yung Lean, and they deserve props for continuing to improve track by track. Maybe one day we'll get a full-length project frome these two together, but who knows if the world is even ready yet.—Joe Price

This song actually came out nearly a month ago on Jelani Aryeh's ​Suburban Destinesia EP, which we only recently discovered from a random email submission. And we're so happy we opened that email. Jelani is a 17-year-old from suburban San Diego, inspired by artists like Kevin Abstract and Frank Ocean to make music that crosses genre boundaries. He uses elements of rap, pop, rock, and R&B on his debut EP, an honest collection of songs about growing up and trying to find your place in the world. 

"Where We Go" is one highlight, and you can listen to the whole Suburban Destinesia EP and learn more about Jelani here.—Alex Gardner

Ugly God's long-awaited The Booty Tape is finally here, and the much-loved rapper and internet sensation is as off the wall as ever. Seven of the projects ten tracks are produced by Ugly God himself, and in among the booty shout outs, singing, and absurd boasts there is a lot of honesty as well.

"I make music from my basement, I done came up and got famous," Ugly God raps on "Like a Maverick." He is one of the most unique artists out right now, and love him or hate him, he's going to keep doing his thing. Thanks for being you, Ugly God.—Alex Gardner