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 week. This week we've got new albums from The Internet, Buddy, and the 88rising crew, and an assortment of new music fit to soundtrack your summer revelry. Here are the songs you can't afford to skip, in no particular order.

There's a trajectory to most rising pop careers that goes something like this: start out making cool music, get bigger, make objectively better but less interesting music, lose your edge, become a pop superstar. Billie Eilish isn't following this trajectory. When we first heard her, she was 15 years old and already had her own style. Instead of toning it down, Billie has gotten even more bold and is embracing the qualities that make her stand out instead of the ones that could have helped her fit in.

Today, Billie Eilish is one of the most compelling young acts in music, and instead of looking to other pop stars for inspiration, she gets it from boundary-pushing acts like Tyler, The Creator, who she cites as one of her favorite artists. Watch our interview with Billie Eilish here, and check out her latest single "you should see me in a crown" below.—Jacob Moore

The Internet's Hive Mind is chock-full of sweet, tender love songs like "Come Over" and "Stay the Night," but "Look What U Started" cuts the opposite way. It's a tell-off propelled by Patrick Paige II's thumping bass and hard-hitting percussion from Christopher Smith. Syd's measured delivery exudes a sense of calm and decisiveness; there's no room for a rebuttal to the points that she's making. And as with any Internet track, the band manages to make a firm breakup song still low-key danceable, with a quiet and infectious groove and spacey chords from Steve Lacy. Hive Mind may feel like a lighter album than 2015's Ego Death, but it manages to pack weighty issues within a breezy exterior.—Grant Rindner

Unlike with many singers, the "you" in Jessie Reyez's music has never been some vague, one-dimensional object of affection. From the cold ex on "Figures" to the "Broken home baby" on "Apple Juice," Reyez's writing has consistently been empathetic, detailed, and unflinchingly honest, and her new track continues down that path. Reyez fills the pockets of a sweeping, string-heavy instrumental with dominant vocal runs that bend, quiver and stretch around the edges of her considerable range. The heartbreak on "Apple Juice" is made universal, but the song will hit especially hard for anyone who has ever tried to save someone from themselves. Reyez has had a fairly under-the-radar 2018, so here's hoping "Apple Juice" is a harbinger of more tunes to come.—Grant Rindner

Brockhampton really out here kicking off the run-up to their next project in style, once again refusing to slow down for even a moment. Kevin Abstract promised new music all summer, and our second track of the season is just as fantastic as the first. The shining moment of "1998 Truman," however, has to be Merlyn's chaotic, yelp-rapped hook. The world could always do with more Merlyn Wood, man.—Joe Price

Chance The Rapper has been so wholesome lately that when he dropped four new songs this week, it was refreshing to hear the standout start with a Jamie Foxx sample repeatedly singing "fuck you." It's a simple song with Chance's sharp and direct delivery slicing through the understated, loop-driven production. No word on when the album's coming, but Chance has been working, and judging by the pointed lyrics on "I Might Need Security," he's got a lot to get off his chest.—Jacob Moore

AUGUST 08 isn't as established as the other members of the 88rising crew, but he's the unsung hero of the new posse album, Head in the Clouds. Not only did he have a standout verse on the album's lead single, "Midsummer Madness," but he also delivers one of the project's hardest hooks on the thunderous "Disrespectin." Accompanied by strong verses from Rich Brian and Higher Brothers, "Disrespectin" wouldn't hit quite as hard as does if not for AUGUST's manic delivery.—Joe Price

Kevin George dropped his Fortina EP last night. It's his first project since 2018's extremely addictive LOVELAND, and the singer has leaned further into the woozy beats and sparse delivery that made "High Like This" a breakthrough hit. We heard him take a leap forward last month with the sticky Gunna collab "She Don't Love Me," but the EP's most exciting moments come when George links with fellow Connecticut artist Billy. Their back-and-forth on "OMG" is a gratifying listen, and a more propulsive cut than what we've heard from him thus far.—Graham Corrigan

It's been a minute since we heard from DRAM, but he returned with three new songs this week on his That's A Girls Name (his real name is Shelley). The synths on the standout track "Best Hugs" give the track a nostalgic, feel-good vibe fitting for a cool summer jam. The two-step worthy track is a sweet song about a girl with incredible hugs, but quickly turns simultaneously disrespectful and hilarious when you realize DRAM is preparing to swoop in and steal someone's girl—"Your girl gives the best hugs / If I was you, I wouldn't mess that up."—Adrienne Black

We've been consistently blown away by what 88rising has accomplished over the last two years, and their new crew album Head In The Clouds is another impressive achievement. On the album's very first track "La Cienega," they prove that they've not only pulled together a collection of exciting young musicians with diverse talents—their artists are also compatible with each other and came out with excellent music when they were thrown in the studio together. The intro track is a reminder of the brilliantly subtle songwriting of both Joji and NIKI and it sets the stage for a project full of compelling songs.—Eric Skelton

In the time that we've gotten to know and love Buddy, he's proven how versatile he really is. Despite an eclectic output, there always seems to be one strong common theme throughout it all. Everything from Buddy sounds effortless and natural—similar to fellow Cali native Snoop Dogg. It only makes sense that he and Snoop would eventually land on the same track together, and thankfully they finally did on Buddy's new album Harlan & Alondra for their collab "The Blue." Buddy and Snoop's collab has a strong G-funk inspired rhythm, featuring the necessary amount of bass, synths, and talk box elements for a perfect addition to your next cookout playlist.—Adrienne Black

Watch our full Who Is Buddy? documentary here.

I never really got into The 1975. I mean I knew some of the hits, and I liked them, but I never took that deep dive into the Manchester band. After listening to "Love It If We Made It" nine times in the past two days, I'm going to go ahead and say it's a certified Bop™, and that I'm ready to stan for The 1975. Sorry that I'm so late to The 1975 party, but I... love that I've made it. LOL.—John Walaszek

It's been four years since Popcaan released his official debut album, Where We Come From, but finally the Jamaican artist has returned with his long-awaited sophomore effort Forever. As expected, the 17-track album features a mix of tougher, street anthems as well as slower tracks laced with sweet talk for the ladies. One of the immediate standouts, "Lef My Gum" is a prime example of Popcaan's duality. He has the ability to deliver lyrics that directly speak to the troubled youth with an alluring melody that draws you in. Thankfully, he offers up an anthem with a message about putting an end to the violence—"Mi love mi life like music / My life too precious to lose it"—that we can only hope will motivate everyone who sings along.—Adrienne Black