Best Songs of the Week

Swear to god this shit makes me too emotional. It's Friday and I just wanna go home and start an online diary Tumblr. So modern, so classically beautiful. EMA's The Future’s Void is out April 8. I feel like Mazzy Star. I feel like Karen O. I feel like a blogger.—Confusion

My mom used to yell at me all the time for how loud I listened to music. Whether it was on my stereo or Discman (LOL, throwback amirite), I needed the music at an ungodly volume. But that wasn't because I was some sort of angry teen rebelling against my parents, or authority, or whoever it was that teens rebel against. It was because sometimes I love a song so much that I think the louder it is, the more I'm being physically enveloped by that song. It's insane and completely illogical, but it's one way I feel connected to music.

Young & Sick's "Heartache Fetish" is the latest song that it's absolutely necessary for me to listen to at full volume. Delicately toeing the line between R&B and pop, with sultry, harmonious vocals, sharp pops of percussion and gracefully layered synths, it's the perfect type of offering to truly immerse yourself in. And if this is any indication of the material on his upcoming debut album, I'll probably be deaf after the first listen.—Katie K.

I'm a sucker for steel drums. I love them. To me they sound like summer and happiness and dancing and street parties and the Notting Hill Carnival and sipping cocktails in the sun.

I also like songs that sound like they could have been made by The Knife circa 2003. Kyla La Grange's new song not only has steel drums and a distinctly darkness-tinged Knife vibe, but it's also actually called "The Knife." Wonderful.—Constant Gardner

Sam Smith has the potential to reach the audience that makes Adele such a chart-topping success. But up until now, it was unclear if he'd have the songs. His big hits like "Money on My Mind" are accessible and catchy, but with pitched vocals and modern production, they were more tailored for a younger audience. "Stay With Me," with its simple piano accompaniment and gospel vocals, is more traditional, and it's the kind of song that will get a whole new audience on board with the Sam Smith wave. That, and the fact that he's appearing on SNL this weekend. His debut album The Lonely Hour comes out June 17.—Confusion

Read our interview with Sam Smith here.

On "Ghost of Dipset," Smoke DZA does the same thing that he's been doing for the past four or five years, the only question is whether a larger audience will finally take notice of the New York rapper's methodical, snarling style. It's hard to figure out what has been taking everyone so long. Rugby Thompson, his collaborative album with Harry Fraud, barely earned the recognition it deserved, as well as 2010's Georgia Kush Da Button and 2012's K.O.N.Y.. Of course, why do you need me to tell you this? In "Ghost of Dipset," Smoke says it best by himself. "One of the illest n****s doin' it, you should thank me," he raps. Joining forces on the track with his fellow Harlem native Cam'ron, DZA makes it difficult to argue otherwise.—Gus Turner

To be honest, I'm kind of tired of The Weeknd and music similar to his. Have you heard his remix of "Or Nah?" He literally croons, "you can ride my face until you drip in cum." That's too much for me. I strongly believe that there are other paths to the same end goal.

Glass Animals and Tei Shi seem to get this. Their new collaboration, "Holiest," is perfectly sensual, ever so delicately hinting, through the mysterious, trickling production and Tei Shi's seductive vocals, at what The Weeknd very explicitly says. To say the least, it's got me feeling some kind of way without turning beet red when listening to it.—Joyce

It feels like we're perched near the top of a sea change in pop. Sure, vapid four-on-the-floor radio fodder still clouds the airwaves, but even a quick glance at the Billboard charts causes confusion as Pharrell's two year disco revival continues to control the charts and Lorde and Joel Little maintain their foothold in the popular consciousness. The sound and possibilities of hit records seem to be changing even faster than in the preceding years as old paradigms dissolve. We still want blockbusters, but the tried and true explosions are getting old.

To say that Iyes' "Breathe" is a hit would be both premature and likely inaccurate. Avoiding damning prediction, it is safe to call it an excellent song that seems to make the most of modern pop-production techniques, driving, big, and modern, but organic enough to feel as though it shuns the plastic of the recent past. It's an enjoyably crafted reminder that catchy music can come in all stripes and that we're living in strange and fascinating times for popular culture.—Jon Tanners

"Basement" is Manchester producer Oceaán's most dancefloor ready song yet, but he approaches things with such a delicate touch and masterful use of textures that it never comes across a if he's trying to capitalize on the popularity of house/garage beats with smooth vocals. His whole debut EP is fantastic, and "Basement" reveals just one side of this multi-talented singer/producer.—Constant Gardner