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 new songs of the week. Here are the songs you can't afford to skip, in no particular order.

6LACK and Banks have been teasing a possible collaboration for some time now. Earlier this week, 6LACK surprised fans by adding three new bonus tracks to his impressive debut FREE 6LACK, and the near-mythical collab finally came to life. It's called "In Between."

The single feels like an intimate duet, and displays a chemistry that can't be forced. Both 6LACK and Banks have a way of completely captivating listeners with their delicate vocals, and together they created something special. —Adrienne Black

The best music often coincides with critical points in an artist's life, and "Come Up in a Minute" feels like a breakthrough moment for Falease. The Ohio rapper recently bought a one-way ticket to New York City, finally committing to go all-in with music, and this song captures that energy with an intensity that only comes from real-life experience.

"There’s an imaginary ceiling in Toledo that your head hits that stops you from elevating," Falease explains. "Being curious and wanting more made me go all-in. Being curious and wanting more saved my life." If the hook doesn't draw you in, give this song a full listen because Falease throws in some surprises and showcases an impressive range of skills throughout the four-and-a-half minutes.—Jacob Moore

Read our interview with Falease here.

Earlier this month we raised the question of whether or not Jaden Smith would put it all together and deliver a great album after showing promise for so many years. The time has come and let me be the first to tell you, SYRE is a very solid project and may be the beginning of a long run for the multi-hyphenate. It's still fairly easy to spot his influences, especially when he's rapping, but throughout the 17-track release Jaden stepped up and displayed a knack for melody, an impressive ear for production, and most importantly growth and signs of separation from his child star image.

The first four tracks of the album are titled to spell the word "BLUE" and of the four, "U" is arguably the standout. The tone of the project become progressively more intense throughout the first two records and on "U" things hit a peak. Jaden spits rapid fire bars over chaotic production for the larger portion of the song but both he and the production mellow out in the end to make for a smooth transition into "E."—Eric Isom

Fifteen-year-old singer Billie Eilish is talented beyond her years. Her striking, left-of-center musical aesthetic and stunning vocals make her one of 2017's most compelling breakout stars. Earlier this week, she shared a surprise loosie called "Bitches Broken Hearts" on her Soundcloud. While the song's subdued, hazy sound is a departure from her usual style, her signature sass comes through in her lyricism. Atop a woozy blend of electric piano, vocal samples, and sparse percussion, Billie sings about a past flame who won't admit they still have feelings for her.—Charlotte Freitag

Check out Billie's episode of Trending Topics here.

DRAM (now with no periods in his name) makes songs in so many styles, and it always sounds awesome. A song like "Cha Cha" is far removed from a song like "Crumbs," and they're both in a different world from the smooth R&B of a song like "Caretaker." That versatility a major key to the Virginia-native's success, and this new song with Playboi Carti is made for playing loud and turning up.—Alex Gardner

Watch our ComplexCon interview with DRAM here and see highlights of him performing here.

Your favorite cousin is at it again. The Boston MC is on tour but still found time to share new tunes with the fans, this time serving up "Lace Up." Shouting out Virgil Abloh's recent Off-White/Nike collab kicks, Stizz does what Stizz does best on this one—keep a steady flow with a hypnotic hook and hard-hitting production, courtesy of Al B Smoov and District Yori. "Lace Up" is a lock-in for the weekend rotation, and serves as more proof that Cousin Stizz is one of the most consistent acts in the game, continuing to stay at the forefront of Boston's wave.—Eric Isom

It's been a couple of years since Miguel's last album, Wildheart, which means its high time for some more sultry R&B from an artist who keeps innovating and evolving with each new record. War & Leisure, scheduled for release on December 1, is shaping up very well indeed, with Travis Scott-featuring "Skywalker" a sleek modern pop song and "Told You So" are more upbeat, rock-tinged release. The latest single is another winner, airy and positive, with a refrain of "everything gon' be alright."

“[The album] is more about the personal struggle to find our way in the middle of it all,” Miguel told Rolling Stone of the new album. “Stay positive but be mindful. Not to ignore what's happening, but not to be bogged down by it and stop our way of life.”—Alex Gardner

"With My Team" is not a new track by any means. In fact, the infectious hit was the first record that the Creek Boyz ever recorded as a unit. The Baltimore rap group did just re-release the single with a brand new video, highlighting each member and bringing new life to an already buzzing record. Turk P. Diddy, Fedi Mula, J. Reezy, and ETS Breeze have the unique sound and unbreakable bond that is needed to last in this industry, and by the looks of this new video they seem to have the right people around them as well.—Eric Isom

After listening to songs with Anderson .Paak, Jay Electronica, and BJ The Chicago Kid on Talib Kweli's new album Radio Silence (out today), the last thing I expected was a Waka Flocka Flame-featuring banger. But here it is, and to be honest is bumps. Brrrrrriiiiiiiicccckkkkkkkk Squaaaaaaaddddddddd.—Alex Gardner

Earlier this year, Toronto's Est-Her delivered his debut song with the astonishing "Sympathy." Dramatic and full of potential, it was a confident opening statement for his career. With "Last Minute Wedding,"though, he's outdone himself. With its menacing Poter Elvinger production and gorgeous vocals, "Last Minute Wedding" shows just how bright of a future Est-Her really has ahead of him.

After the aggression of his debut track "Sympathy," the new song sounds like he's taking a deep breath. It's affirming, promising, and exactly the type of release that's needed. If this is what we can expect from him this early in his career, whatever comes next will surely be insane.—Joe Price

Diplo and MØ make huge pop hits (see: "Lean On," "Kamikaze"), and "Get It Right" is no exception. The Danish singer's voice has enough power to hold its own alongside Diplo's production, never getting drowned out, and the result is a sub-three minute explosion of sticky melodies and lyrics that urge self-belief and self-confidence.—Alex Gardner

—Sydney Gore

—Sydney Gore

—Joe Price