Bad Bunny, “Monaco”
View this video on YouTube
Immediately, this song’s production pulled me in with its novela theme song-like entrance. Typical lyrics flaunting opulence atop a rich trap beat landed as smooth as ever. Then, the light flex of having Al Pacino in the video was a nice touch, paired with the exit, which was carried by vocals from the sample of Charles Aznavour’s “Hier Encore.” Rich, rich, rich, in more ways than one. Getting a res at Carbone just became 10 times harder. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
Ice Spice f/ Rema, “Pretty Girl”
View this video on YouTube
This is a new sound for Ice Spice. The Bronx rapper teamed up with Nigerian singer Rema for their new collaboration, “Pretty Girl.” Over a danceable, melodic beat produced by Ice’s go-to guy, Riot, she raps about being struck by love. “If I had three wishes, I'd waste 'em on you,” she spits. Rema brings more soul to the record, singing on the chorus, “Yeah, pretty gyal, me no do no kiss and tell.” “Pretty Girl” is a great display of Ice Spice’s versatility as an artist. — Jessica McKinney
Offset f/ Don Toliver, "Worth It"
View this video on YouTube
These days, glaring samples are mostly seen as palling by fans. But this Offset and Don Toliver Set If Off track is a face-lifting template of how to do right by a classic. Produced by ChaseTheMoney and Heavy Mellow, this song flips Busta Rhymes’ 1997 drop “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” into a delicate album standout. Between Donny Womback’s molten melodies on the hook and purple verses from the flow god Set, “Worth It” is a calm yet convincing slow-burn that for many, got an instant nod of approval. —Kemet High
Westside Gunn f/ Conway the Machine & Benny the Butcher, “Kostas”
View this video on YouTube
Griselda boys Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher have countless songs together, but few sound as modern and inspired as “Kostas.” Substituting their usual boom-bap beat for Tay Keith production, all three Buffalo rappers glide over the trap snares and still infuse it with their gritty raps. “Smoking out a Ziploc that probably weigh as much as Westside’s bracelet/Call me SlamFace Killah, grimy rap shit, they sayin' I'm the face of it,” Conway raps to close the song. Family chemistry is undefeated. —Jordan Rose
Ken Carson f/ Destroy Lonely, “Paranoid”
View this video on YouTube
This song is called “Paranoid,” but compared to the dark, monochromatic world that Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely usually operate in, it sounds downright sunny. Over a shimmering electronic beat from F1lthy, Lucian, and Luktrative, the Opium duo (and GOAT Talk alumnus) trade verses about women and clothes for one of the best collabs in their deep history together. It’s a clear standout on Carson’s new album A Great Chaos, which also features an appearance from Lil Uzi Vert. —Eric Skelton
PinkPantheress, “Capable of Love”
View this video on YouTube
English sweetheart PinkPantheress is back with her immediately recognizable bedroom poppy, emotion-fueled sound which she ponders love over. “Three little words, dedicate them to me/Please make them personal, then say them to me,” she sings. This is the track she’s using to set the tone of her recently announced debut album, Heaven Knows, out Nov. 10. Items, including what appears to be an early generation iPhone and a large tape player, continue to play on her 2000s nostalgic aesthetic. It’ll be interesting to see how, and if, Pink will veer from the expected. —Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
