Pigeons & Planes' Best Songs of the Week

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

With everything he's got going on right now, it was surprising when Donald Glover revived his Gambino moniker so soon. It's not been all that long since he delivered a radical left-turn with 2016's Awaken, My Love!, but he's already introduced the next stage of his ever-evolving artistic process. The everyman we don't deserve has gone from proudly showcasing his infatuation with both Kanye West and Lil Wayne to dominating the conversation with the first masterpiece of 2018.

Although the video certainly elevates the song, "This Is America" is just as essential without director Hiro Murai and choreographer Sherrie Silver's work. Laced with an inspired utilization of ad-libs from some of Atlanta's best, the song verges on chaos before bringing itself back down. It's protest music for an age with too many words not saying enough.

With the always incredibly Atlanta and "This Is America," Glover has solidified himself as one of America's most important artists, and as someone who previously rapped "E.E. Cummin' on her face, now that's poetry in motion," that's quite the turnaround.—Joe Price

British singer Pip Millett is inspired by artists like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, and there's a certain timeless quality to her official debut single "Make Me Cry" that's hard to replicate. It's an honest, open song with spacious production that puts the focus on the quality of her voice, and it feels like the start of a special journey.

"We all have times of depression and anxiety, and for me I think 'Make Me Cry' was a build up of quite a lot of emotion that I'd held in for years," Pip told us us. "I never really expressed the depth of my sadness to those who I was closest to. I've always been someone who kept my cards close to my chest, which led me to dismiss my own feelings and keep up the front that I was fine."—Alex Gardner

Ski Mask The Slump God's long-awaited Beware The Book of Eli highlights the young artist's range. He maintains some of the raw energy of his early SoundCloud releases and tries out some more subdued sounds, but an early favorite comes in the form of one of the most off-kilter moments on the project. "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle" showcases Ski's tongue-twisting delivery at its peak over a Wallis & Murda Beatz production. It lands somewhere between the vibe of a cartoon and that of a horror film, and there's nothing else like it out there.—Jacob Moore

Watch Ski Mask's episode of Hounded here.

Playboi Carti's debut album Die Lit has been in the works for months, but with short notice he finally decided to drop it last night. The 19-song project features Skepta, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bryson Tiller, Chief Keef, Young Thug, and more, but an early standout is "Shoota" with Lil Uzi Vert. The song builds with an Uzi intro before the booming bass drops and Carti kicks in, just in time.—Jacob Moore

See more on the rise of Playboi Carti here.

The Internet started releasing new music last month, but we're still not done discovering their seemingly bottomless well of individual talent. The latest member of the group to unveil solo skills is Patrick Paige II, who plays bass and produces alongside Syd, Steve Lacy, Matt Martians, and Christopher Smith.

"Voodoo" follows on the heels of last month's "On My Mind / Charge It To The Game," both of which will appear on Paige's debut Letters of Irrelevance album. This latest cut is deep velvet, taking cues from R&B greats while infusing just enough modern ingenuity to make it stand out in a crowded field. He shows off a considerable falsetto on this one, and something tells us Paige will have a couple more tricks and tracks up his sleeve before the full release drops later this month.—Graham Corrigan

Maybe it's his surroundings, maybe it's his personality, or perhaps just an even combination of both—everything Buddy releases has a genuine, unforced feel-good vibe. His latest single "Trouble On Central" continues right down that path. 

On the new single, Buddy reflects on advice from his parents and all the things he wished he had, could have done differently, or could be doing right now. As he sits and lists all of the better things he wants in life, Buddy manages to make "Trouble On Central" sounds positive. Rather than beating himself up about his current life, the song almost transforms into a bucket list when he says "I still got so far to go." Things might be bad right now, but they won't always be. Buddy's just here with a reminder that it's going to be alright. —Adrienne Black

John Mayer's new song—the No I.D.-produced "New Light"—is a breezy summer gem with a hint of disco and a melody so hummable that after two listens I can tell it's going to be in my head for the rest of the month, and I'm OK with that.—Jacob Moore

As if we didn't already know this, 2018 is a year where anything can happen. Somehow Skepta opens up his latest single "Pure Water" with the children's nursery rhyme "Row, row, row your boat," and it works. Similar to the majority of his singles, Skepta's latest features a menacing rhythm that sets up the perfect foundation for him to float right over and brag as much as he wants to. However, even with that mood embedded into the production, Skepta comes through sounding like he doesn't want to be bothered with the beef—"I don't wanna war / let's make peace"—because he's focused on something better. 

But also, would it be summer if Skepta didn't give us another one-liner to say repeatedly until it feels like the new motto? Whether you're looking for a new IG caption or yet another reminder to up your water intake, Skepta's got you. Catch me simply asking for "pure water with lots of ice" at the bars this summer. —Adrienne Black

It's been four long years, but Jungle is finally set to release the follow up to their terrific self-titled 2014 album. We're not there yet, but the collective released not one, but two songs from their upcoming album earlier this week to officially announce their return.

"Happy Man" features that familiar funk-pop feel that earned Jungle their fanbase—catchy and vibrant, infectious and fun. Though the song explores the pitfalls of materialism, these dark lessons are masked by the song's bright soundscape. "Happy Man" is a tantalizing first taste of the new album, and Jungle has assured fans that it's one to look forward to.—Joyce

Joji's first new solo track since In Tongues explores a penchant for elegant piano loops, lush vocals, and emotional valleys. "Yeah Right" feels like a spiritual sequel to his standout single "Will He," but while that song was focused on the long distance aftermath of a bitter breakup, "Yeah Right" is much more immediate, preoccupied with getting through a single hazy night.

The hook's lyrics could easily come from a carefree summer anthem, but with Joji's somber, reverb-heavy delivery, there's a deeply rooted loneliness that captures the hollowness of trying to bury emotions beneath drugs and parties.

The track's grainy video is a departure from the more conceptual clips for "Window" or "Demons," but it has the gritty, bittersweet quality of a far-fetched daydream. Joji remains exceptionally gifted at building dense, textured tracks about heartbreak, and "Yeah Right" proves he's only gotten better with time.—Grant Rindner

I'll be honest, I hit play because of the Chance The Rapper feature, but Sterling Hayes kills his opening verse over a haunting beat before the song goes through multiple transformations with effected vocals, a bouncy Chance verse, and a powerful sung ending. Sterling Hayes is a member of Chicago collective SaveMoney and his new album SideFx drops May 29. If this track is any indication, it's going to be an essential project.—Alex Gardner

Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan is back with a new single, the first from his upcoming sophomore album. Although he's kept busy with a stream of tracks and videos, as well as features like Jamie xx's "I Know There's Gonna Be Good Times" and iconic moments like the Red Bull Culture Clash in London, it's been a long four years since his last full-length. In that time, dancehall's influence on mainstream music has become more and more evident, and now Popcaan's back with the authentic sound of the Caribbean.—Alex Gardner

Bladee provided the blueprint to more music than he's often given credit for, helping Yung Lean find his own artistic voice and influencing countless artists across SoundCloud willing to get a little more avant-garde. His latest album, Red Light, builds on his distinct mix of auto-tuned cries for help and gorgeous, shimmering production.

One of the most immediate highlights on the album, however, is also one of the most simplistic. "Puppetmaster," the penultimate track, strips away the percussion to focus on Bladee's ear for melody and forlorn lyricism. It's hypnotic in a way a lot of his music is, but it focuses on the core elements of what makes him such a unique voice. Anything that sounds like auto-tuned Enya is good with me, honestly.—Joe Price

Lil Gnar plus Lil Skies equals GnarlySkies, and the duo share their first collaboration with "Drop Top Benz." The two rising rappers go in over sinister production from Taz Taylor, KCSupreme, and E Trou, who provide a slick backdrop without overcomplicating things. Gnar and Skies both have effortless charisma and a penchant for simple but memorable hooks, and it all comes together nicely on "Drop Top Benz."—Jacob Moore