Best Songs of the Week

"Just Like A Dream" isn't one of the obvious singles on Lykke Li’s new album I Never Learn, but on Lykke Li's new album, singles feel less important. This is an album about a broken heart, and the Swedish singer who made cute pop hits like "Little Bit" isn't interested in being a pop star. These are ballads dressed in black, but on songs like "Just Like A Dream," the knack for timeless, melodic songwriting shines through. Whether it's pop hits or dark ballads, this has always been what sets Lykke Li's music apart.—Confusion

A song is worth a thousand selfies.

There are a lot of great new artists today, but only a select few worth getting really excited about. These are the artists you tell your friends about even when they don't ask for new recommendations, and the artists you instantly follow on social media so you don't miss anything. With only two songs, Seinabo Sey has become one of these artists. Ever since she released "Younger" last December, it was clear that she had something special, and she reaffirmed it with "Hard Time." Magnus Lidehäll's production here is—once again—masterful, but it's Sey's voice that continues to captivate. The track was only released Wednesday and already has almost 67,000 plays—65,000 of those were probably mine.—Katie K.

Everyone has an opinion about Lil Wayne these days, and for longtime Wayne fans, the shit can get stressful. Every time he drops something it's like, "Please, no guitar. No autotune. Please Lil Wayne, don't be singing on this new song." With Tha Carter V coming up, Wayne puts some of the fear to rest. Drake may have stolen the show, but Wayne sounds good on "Believe Me," and he's back to doing what he does best.—Confusion

Although already popular in Jamaica, and with a big international hit ("Party Shot") under his belt, Popcaan seems to be setting himself up to be the latest artist to really crossover. He has all the requisite talents, being a great hook writer and a talented rapper, and he's getting some good looks, featuring on Pusha T's "Blocka" and being sampled on Yeezus. 

Happily though, Popcaan is not changing his sound to try and appeal to the international charts. "Love Yuh Bad" sure has a massive hook, but it's raunchy-as-fuck, and the production has touches of modern dance music, but stays firmly rooted in classic dancehall riddims. And most importantly, it's just damn fun to listen to.—Constant Gardner

It was 80 degrees today in Michigan, and if you know anything about living in this state, then you know that after a bitter five-month winter, a hot day in May is adequate reason to believe in whatever type of god or deity has the power to control these sorts of things. So, to celebrate accordingly, I went to the beach, laid out in the sun for a few hours, became horrendously burnt, and then returned home stuffed with too much vitamin D, but worn-out and happy.

Dream Koala’s track "Earth" isn't the song I listened to when I was sleeping on the sand, but it was the perfect track for my post-lakeside comedown. It's a muted, gauzy, and distant tune, before it eventually peaks with warm, fizzling textures—the preferred mode of transportation from one daydream to the next.—Gus Turner

While the Internet has birthed countless terrible rap collaborations, it's also opened up the floor for the sort of musical serendipity that could never happen in a world purely connected by roads, radios, word of mouth. Though Atlanta's Lil Silk and Boston's Michael Christmas recorded their collaborative track "Problems" after meeting at SXSW, their existence together in the same musical space feels only made possible by the power of the Internet, two disparate talents coming together after growing buzz through the blog circuit and reaching one another's attention.

"Problems" is precisely what any fan of either rapper would hope, a gooey beat playing backdrop to Christmas' deadpan comic rhymes (here delivered with one of his sharpest flows yet) and Lil Silk's unhinged charisma. It's the best of both worlds, rap for fans on the cutting edge and who skew more traditional, a colliding of styles that makes sense even as it threatens any semblance of collaborative hip-hop logic.

Enjoy "Problems" because it certainly wouldn't have been possible fifteen years ago.— Jon Tanners