Best Songs of the Week

It's been five years since La Roux's debut album, and Elly Jackson has been through some shit. She split with her writing partner, started having anxiety attacks, and she claims that at one point, she was physically unable to sing. Like, she opened her mouth and no sound came out. She thought her career was done.

If you give Trouble In Paradise a casual listen, you might not pick up on all that negativity. The album is a tropically flavored retro dance party with flashes of sonic bliss, but there are some dark undertones at play (just listen to the lyrics on "Sexotheque"). La Roux isn't singing from your typical pop star perspective, but typical pop stars are fucking trite. While most artists making upbeat pop music are focused solely on the paradise aspect of life, La Roux understands the trouble, too. That gives this entire album a powerful depth, and it somehow manages to communicate this trouble without being a buzzkill.—Confusion

Listen to the entire album here.

There's tangible depth to rising Atlanta artist Daye Jack, and despite being just 18 years old with only one project under his belt, he's growing increasingly intriguing with each release. His latest, "Trapped In Love," is one of his best yet—a soulful, emotive cut that feels truly genre-less. The B. Visble production is full of life, and Daye's cool, confident tone and impassioned bars coupled with a wonderfully catchy hook make for a must-listen.—Tim Larew

Out of nowhere, Shlohmo and Jeremih dropped the collaborative EP that we'd been anticipating since hearing "Bo Peep" and "No More." The entire six-track effort is top level, with Shlohmo effortlessly combining his experimental, bass-heavy production with Jeremih's great ear for a radio-ready hook. "The End" sees the weirdest production on the EP (a spare beat and some icy synths) paired with some straight R&B badboy vocals, and then Chance comes in and things get really weird. Even better, the whole EP is up for free download here.—Constant Gardner

If 18-year-old rapper Kevin Abstract's newly released album MTV 1987—as much of an album about youth in the age of the internet as has ever existed, a testament to the infinite possibilities and the simultaneous, paradoxical paralysis of choice that confront a generation—has a centerpiece, it is "27."

A song about being in love with an addict, "27" frames its dark commentary about human connection relationships in Abstract's most fully realized, memorable song. Sporting an excellent, immediate hook and one of Abstract's best performances on MTV 1987, "27"hits a sweet spot between meaningful content and catchiness—an impressive feat for a young rapper well on his way to finding a message and realizing the best ways to deliver it.—Jon Tanners

The title-track from Airhead's new EP, forthcoming on James Blake's 1-800-Dinosaur label, is hands held high to the heavens awesome. With its garage swing, that golden organ rising up, the bass that rumbles in, and that huge vocal sample, listening to "Believe" is a joyful, close to religious experience. The whole EP is just as good, and worth checking out for open-minded listeners, but "Believe" is one track that everyone can appreciate.—Constant Gardner

When my parents drove me to college, I listened to Beyoncé's "Resentment" for the entire six hour car ride. That's it. Just that song, over and over and over. I used to do this with a lot of my favorite songs growing up. I would spend hours with just one track off a record, carefully dissecting each part of the song until it became so ingrained in my mind that it was like a part of me. I don't do this anymore because I don't have time to, and I miss it. I miss songs hitting you in such a profound way, that you can't even think of starting your day until you've heard that song.

But when I heard Jane Tyrrell's "Wild Waters," I knew it was special. I was sent it Monday morning and from that moment I listened to nothing but this song. Tuesday morning I woke up, laid in my bed, and just played "Wild Waters" five times before I even got dressed. It was the first song in a while that brought me to that familiar, obsessive place I used to be in with music. In the two days since it's been out, it's already gotten 6,200 plays on Soundcloud. 6,000 are probably mine alone, and I don't foresee that number plateauing anytime soon.—Katie K

With the abundance of songs that are currently being made specifically to be spun in heavy rotation at the club, it’s refreshing to hear something that seems a bit more personal. When Kyan sings to this anonymous “you” on “Insert Runaway” his voice makes it easy to believe that he’s singing directly to me and only me. His voice is comforting and the lyrics are too romantic to resist. The production on "Insert Runaway" only emphasizes the feeling he’s conveying through his lyrics. It builds up around the chorus in a way that almost encourages you to really get up and start running.—Adrienne