It’s still too early in 2022 to know which songs are destined to become the song of the summer, but as the weather continues to heat up, so have the releases from Canadian artists. There was a ton of exciting new music in April including a nostalgic, summery drop from Aquakulture and an Afrobeats anthem for surviving the apocalypse from Sarahmée and FouKi. There were also several sentimental R&B and hip hop tracks that dropped this month that left us in our feels crying buckets—Daniel Caesar, Ardn, and Dylan Sinclair, we’re looking at you—but since April showers bring May flowers we couldn’t complain. Here are the tracks we’ve been loving this month.
YSN Fab, "Wanna Know"
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Driven by a melancholic guitar riff, “Wanna Know” sees YSN Fab coming to terms with his success. With Fab finally reaching new heights in his career, it’s only natural that his peers want to know how he got there. While the Winnipeg-based rapper repeats the questions he’s been asked on the chorus, he’s traveling a-mile-a-minute on the verses hyping himself up, admiring the women around him, and spending too much money on Rick Owens—real rap problems. —Louis Pavlakos
Dylan Sinclair, "Lifetime"
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“Will I be enough for a lifetime?” is the question Dylan Sinclair asks in order to facilitate a generous outpouring of emotions on his latest single from his upcoming EP No Longer In the Suburbs. On the track, he wonders about the impact of fame on his relationships and does so with eloquent lyrics that perfectly match the track’s stunning yet melancholy melody. He worries about how his career might cause him to “change like the wind” with true sincerity, taking listeners on a dizzying journey with hints of optimism. Delicate strings compliment his buttery vocals as he reflects on what lies ahead for him, weighing the possibilities of change against the fragility of time. —Natalie Harmsen
Sidhu Moose Wala f/ AR Paisley, “Love Sick”
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Peel Region has been waiting a long time for this collab between immensely popular Brampton-based Punjabi artist Sidhu Moose Wala and rising Mississauga rapper AR Paisley, and it delivers. The lush strings at the start of the song may mislead you into thinking it’s a romantic trip, but once Paisley comes in, it’s clear that the song heads in a different direction. Paisley menacingly raps nearly a minute long about his distrust for the cops, PTSD, and, of course, wanting to distance himself from the fake love, complemented flawlessly by Moose Wala’s incredibly catchy, melodic bars. —Louis Pavlakos
Justin Bieber f/ Don Toliver, "Honest"
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Justin Bieber and Don Toliver team up to happily muse about getting spicy on the bouncy, trappy “Honest,” which sees the Biebs reflect on the things in life he loves most: being married to Hailey, staying loyal, and smoking weed. First teased in Bieber’s “I Feel Funny” video, the track gives listeners yet another look into his love life over a slick beat: “I look straight in your eyes, holy matrimony.” Don Toliver’s verses keep the energy up and give a nice little nod to his friendship with JB. -Natalie Harmsen
The Weeknd f/ Kaytranada, "Out of Time (Remix)"
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The Weeknd’s banger “Out of Time” gets the Kaytra treatment on this delightfully funky remix. Kaytranada’s production injects the track with new life, displacing some of the moodiness of the original. The sample of Tomoko Aran’s “Midnight Pretenders” is pretty much nonexistent in this version of the song, but it still works, giving the track a more clubby feel. The song bounces along effortlessly, sounding like a house party where the people turning up to the DJ are in the basement blasting the tunes. The percussion drives the track but still gives Abel’s vocals enough room to shine. —Natalie Harmsen
Daniel Caesar f/ BADBADNOTGOOD, “Please Do Not Lean”
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Daniel Caesar is finally back with his first single off of his upcoming third album, and as you might expect, it’s a tear-jerker. In classic Daniel Caesar fashion, he bemoans his inability to show up for a lover that needs him. It’s honest and self-aware, as he acknowledges that his stability as a partner is wavering and that his person is probably better off with someone else. The angelic, soaring instrumentals from BADBADNOTGOOD create a sweeping undercurrent of vulnerability and the lush harmonies combined with Caesar’s soft vocals will have you reaching for Kleenex. When Caesar sings “If I am the sky, you are the sea/ Starin’ back at me,” prepare to transcend. —Natalie Harmsen
Houdini and NorthSideBenji, "Repeat"
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A track from Houdini and NorthSideBenji’s collaborative album that never saw the light of day due to the former’s untimely passing, “Repeat” is a glimpse at the phenomenal chemistry between these two Toronto rappers. Over a bouncy, mesmeric beat, they trade effortlessly melodic flows, both sounding simultaneously like the most laid-back and menacing people in the room. They taunt their rivals and boast about the attention they get from the opposite sex, while delivering punchline after punchline (“Ain’t LeBron, I ain’t switching teams,” raps Hou) like they’re rattling off the names of provinces. This one will be on repeat for months, no doubt. —Alex Nino Gheciu
Magi Merlin, "Pissed Black Girl"
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On “Pissed Black Girl” Magi Merlin is unmerciful. She calls out performative allies and anti-Blackness in the suburbs over a hypnotizing house beat—host to bright, reverb-drenched synths. “If there is anything I’ve learned from my experiences with ignorant and bigoted people, it is how unapologetic I need to be about my existence,” she’s said of the track. “I’m a girl; I am pissed and I’m Black. What about it?” Merlin’s Gone Girl EP drops May 27. —Sydney Brasil
Sarahmée f/ FouKi, "Quand la route est longue"
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The opening of Sarahmée’s video for “Quand la route est longue” mixes the surrealism of the FX show Atlanta and the horror of any given Jordan Peele project. The song itself, however, isn’t nearly as dark. The beat borrows elements of Afrobeats while the lyrics discuss the importance of persevering through difficult times. Though the message doesn’t tread new ground, Sarahmée and Fouki’s delivery makes the song a flavorful summer jam. —Louis Pavlakos
Aquakultre, "Don’t Trip"
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“Don’t Trip” is one of those songs you can turn on and feel your anxiety slip away. The glossy beat paired with Aquakultre’s angelic vocals are the ideal combination to uplift everyone’s spirits. The track is a communal record as well, with the video focusing on different people and their lives across the brisk three minutes. It’s wholesome, breezy, and a perfect choice for a song at some family parties. —Louis Pavlakos
Ardn, "Jupiter & Mars"
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There’s an ethereal touch to Ardn’s single “Jupiter & Mars.” Though it might seem like a darker song based on Ardn’s venting about a woman who never really loved him, the heavenly strings on RHYZ’s production adds a brighter sci-fi flavor to the track. “Jupiter & Mars” plays out in a linear fashion with Ardn slowly getting closer to accepting that he’s better off alone. —Louis Pavlakos
Portion f/ Toosii, "Eastside"
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Portion’s chorus on “Eastside” is an auto-crooney trip into the deep end, lamenting over living life without a person he held dear to him. Toosii’s guest verse is equally somber, detailing the gritty day-to-day he goes through. “Eastside” offers little breathing room, instead using every second in the song to evoke the pain that both Portion and Toosii live with. —Louis Pavlakos
