Best Songs of the Week

Magnus Lidehäll is on a tear. After producing Mapei's stunning "Don't Wait," the Swedish producer comes right back with Seinabo Sey's "Younger" and leaves us all bug-eyed and twitching, gasping for breath and asking where we parked our car. Except we didn't even drive to this party. This is the kind of song that doubles as a calling card: half military drill anthem and half gospel testament, "Younger" is inspiration in its purest form. The fact that Sey is a mere 23 years old makes me wonder what they're putting in the water over in Sweden, and where I can get some. - Crax

Bara Blaque, born in London and raised in Nigeria, isn't the best rapper, technically speaking. But rapping technically well in 2013 doesn't get you very far. Fast-rapping YouTube MCs and lyrically inclined backpackers can't compete with the creativity and style of artists looking to move things in new directions. Bara Blaque brings A$AP Rocky-level style and a much different perspective, and "3rd World Hippy" has me on the lookout for more. Watch the video here. - Confusion

Xaphoon Jones will lay his name to rest this New Year's Eve, killing off the pseudonym that brought him fame and fortune as one half of Philadelphia's Chiddy Bang. While the beatmaker will continue to spin as Noah Breakfast, he's bidding farewell to Xaph with one last remix, this gorgeous rework of Grouplove's "Ways To Go." It's a signature mix of snaps, delicate synths, and the orchestral swells that make his music stand out from the crowd. Whatever the future holds for Noah Breakfast, let's hope it doesn't deviate too far from the past. - Crax

Some songs takes years to make. Just look at Detox. But when producer Clams Casino teamed up with Chicago youngster Vic Mensa for an HP commercial, they were given a two-day challenge to write and record a song, conceptualize the visuals and artwork, and shoot a video. No pressure. For two artists that have been in the zone all year—Clams with his production work on A$AP Rocky's "LVL" and Blood Orange's "No Right Thing," and Vic Mensa with his Innanetape—this was just business as usual. The resulting banger of a track vibrates with its Middle Eastern flavor. Oh, and that accompanying video they were tasked to make? Matches the song's energy to a tee. - Dee

Ben Khan's "Savage" really needs to be listened to on good speakers, or at least good over ear headphones, to be fully appreciated. There's a whole wealth of low-end down there, a really chunky bass that works perfectly in tandem with Khan's higher register and those occasional warped, reverb-covered guitar licks. Khan has found a really unique, powerful sound on "Savage," and here's looking forward to his debut EP. - Constant Gardner

In 1998, R. Kelly dominated the charts with the release of his third, and most commercially successful album, R. Included on this compilation was his infamous ballad "I Believe I Can Fly," which went on to garner the singer his only Grammys. But in the years since, it's as if listeners have completely forgotten this fact. After a career-scarring sex scandal, the singer has become a joke to listeners, an easy punch-line for even the least creative set-ups. Despite a handful of albums, including the fantastic Chocolate Factory and Love Letter, being released in the interim, it was a stigma that Kelly could not shake.

That is, until now. But instead of shaking the social cross Kelly has had to bear, he embraced it with the release of the almost comically sexually-charged Black Panties. There's no elegance and none of the pure R&B beauty depicted in his earlier albums, but that wasn't the point. And if you're wondering what exactly his point was, he explains it on "Shut Up," the aptly titled cut in which the singer gives a big lyrical "fuck you" to everyone who mocked him and turned him into a meme instead of remembering the talent he has.

“No offense to the other artists/But come on dawg, let’s be honest/How many babies have been made off me? OMG!/Seriously, you gonna act like that?/Sitting there like it ain’t no truth to that?/Lookin at me like I ain’t talkin stats/Every boy, every girl, every child around the world/From the ‘90s up until today was made off me.”

Well damn. ::turns on "Bump N' Grind":: - Katie K

Part of the joy of watching potential in motion is a quiet understanding that we may be witnessing a creation narrative in motion, the steps between start and stardom. Potential can lead to personal investment, a rooting interest in an artist that will grow as you do. The struggle, of course, is that we don't know precisely what we're investing in until the moment, that indisputable point of arrival–which can mean different things for different artists, but, regardless of whether it's a massive mixtape or a major label signing, connotes that the artist has reached an entirely new plateau and we helped.

It's impossible to say what Memphis rapper 21 is going to be come. At the age of 19, he possesses an intriguing command of language, his disarmingly conversational flow weaving astute observations through wordplay and unusual imagery. "Smoker's Redemption," 21's first original song, brims with potential, a building block in what is hopefully a blossoming arc. - Jon Tanners

Mixing just the right amounts of accessibility and experimentation, Rosie Lowe is set for a big 2014 if she can build off the momentum of her excellent Right Thing EP. The four-track effort was produced by Kwes and Dave Okumu, and sees Lowe mournful throughout, with "Games" a perfect example of the soulful, slow-building style that Lowe has evidently mastered. Listen to the whole EP here. - Constant Gardner

That thing when a plan legitimately comes together. This track started out with Drums of Death lifting some vocals from ballroom legend Franklin Fuentes, combining forces for "FIERCE." Meanwhile, Banks heard the instrumental and added bars to this beat for Fantasea. In a stroke of genius, Drums of Death crafted this full version, which features Azealia and Franklin breathing life into this early '90s-style house groove. This adds an enticing mixture of proper deep vibes with some truly quirky loops and sounds. This thing works, no question, and does nothing but make you want to hit the rewind when it's done. House music all night long. - khal

Hot on the heels of excellent debut single "Think," London synth pop duo Kaleida keeps the intrigue alive on the verge of 2014 with "Tropea." More vibrant than its predecessor, "Tropea" reveals that the minimalist retro-lean of "Think" may be a philosophy the group holds close, but not one that traps them—the song brims with glittery, plinking synth runs, shuffling drums, and enough melodic touches to round out the picture without crowding the frame, keeping one foot in the past and the other planted firmly in the present. Sultry and sparse, "Tropea" is a welcome second entry in Kaleida's catalog. - Jon Tanners

The album technically doesn't come out until December 10, but NPR hosted a full stream of Snoopzilla (p.k.a. Snoop Lion p.k.a. Snoop Dogg) and DâM-FunK's collaborative project, 7 Days of Funk, and I will confirm for you now—the songs on the record maintain the promise that the title makes. The mood, the era, the genre that the album captures might not be everyone's cup of tea; it's hyperbolically funky, with jazzy, glimmering synthesizer notes and fuzzy bass lines that aren't fuzzy because your speakers are fucked. Snoop even opens the album with the words, "so funky" to really reinforce the idea that, yes, they are making some goddamn funk music.

But funk, at least nowadays, isn't about being "current"; it's supposed elicit a feeling, some nostalgia, and Snoop and DâM-FunK achieve that in the grandest, most extravagant way. The opening track, "Hit The Pavement," is the perfect introduction into this world, as Snoop shows off that chilled-out, laid-back side we know and love, perfectly complemented by DâM's smooth, groovy production. Snoop and DâM-FunK are bringing the funk back, and thank goodness for that. - Joyce

OH SINJIN HAWKE! Dude's been on a roll. Original or remix, he's got the beats scene on lock. His latest is a surprising freebie, finding him remixing Dre Skull's "First Time" into a triumphant anthem. The way he gives the track a live feel is second-to-none, like a muted, cyborg Just Blaze. It runs through a few movements, all of them solidifying how much of an eye you should be keeping on this cat. Or you can just sleep and curse your ears and soul to eternal damnation. Your choice. - khal