Best Songs of the Month

Massive horns and The-Dream's silky vocals herald the opening of "Good Morning," and things only get better from there. Time and time again, SBTRKT has proved himself a master of texture and crescendo—this is no exception.

The English producer's collaborations with singers and rappers (A$AP Ferg, Sampha, Ezra Koenig, etc.) tend to be sound less structurally experimental than his solo work, but the pads and synths are always incredibly creative. Just wait for that drop at 2:40, and the drawling tambourine that meets it—or the piano outro, which cuts through like a knife after three minutes of fluttering synths.

This was the perfect prelude to SBTRKT's Save Yourself project, and further proof that Aaron Jerome is one of the best doing it right now.—Graham

Young Thug has been teasing fans with hints of when exactly we’ll all finally be able to hear Slime Season 3 for quite some time now, and thankfully the wait is now over. Thugger shared “Digits” ahead of the project's release, and only a few hours later we received one last preview from SS3 when Kanye West took to his Twitter to share “With Them.”

Without question, “With Them” grabbed my undivided attention after hearing just the first few seconds of the beat. The production provided by Mike WiLL Made It is yet another fun, infectious rhythm that doesn’t take long to love. Thug floats effortlessly over the beat, creating a new melody that will sure to be stuck in fans’ heads and have them singing along in no time. Slime Season 3 will mostly likely be in heavy rotation this summer.—Adrienne Black

XL Recordings has done it again. Their latest signing is Danish band Liss, who announced the signing with this new song "Sorry." At its core, it's an undeniably catchy pop song, but the slightly tropical vibes and totally unique vocals from lead singer Søren Holm give it an interesting edge. There's nothing out there that sounds quite like this, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for Liss.—Jacob Moore

Maryland rapper Innanet James has been one of our favorite newcomers ever since he released “Black” last year, and this new one might be his best yet. We’re still waiting for the weather to warm up, but now we’ve got the song to play when it finally does.

Over a bright beat with plenty of bounce and some funky ass synths, Innanet brings supreme energy and charisma on “Summertime.” He raps with a captivating unpredictability and an effortless agility, and he makes it all sound so easy. “This for Moco,” Innanet says, repping Montgomery County, Maryland.

Listen to “Summer” below, and look out for this kid Innanet James.—Jacob Moore

Yes, A.K. Paul is Jai Paul's brother, and yes he worked on "Jasmine" with Jai, but that isn't the only reason you should be paying attention to him. In the past few years, he's worked with two of our favorite rising singers, Nao and Jones, as well as Miguel, but now he's here with a solo track, the first music to come from the Paul Institute.

On "Landcruisin'," A. K. builds around a spiky guitar and his own vocals, bringing synths in to the mix too in the service of a restrained but bewitching funk concoction. This is a one man show, with the credits reading, "Vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizers, percussion, and programming by Anup Paul," and now we can't help but wonder: What's on the other side of that record?—Constant Gardner

The music Kendrick Lamar is making is not fun to listen to. There are pleasant things about it—excellent rapping, technically impressive instrumentation, a wise and soulful spirit—but it's challenging. It's dense, unstructured, and confrontational. And it's absolutely vital.

Much of Kendrick's new untitled unmastered project feels like a meandering jam session between Kendrick and his talented artist friends, but the high points, like the climax of "untitled 2," come in explosive flashes. Most importantly, Kendrick Lamar is the kind of captivating presence that pushes an entire genre forward and inspires others—peers, fans, and doubters—to be better. Being challenged is necessary, and it's way more rewarding than mindlessly bobbing along to another club hit that will be irrelevant in six months.—Jacob Moore

ShitKid is 23-year-old Åsa Söderqvist, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, and she’s not a natural when it comes to performing. For years, she struggled with live shows, relying on alcohol to push through her shyness. Instead of studios and collabs, she opted to record solo on a half-broken computer at home, learning Garage Band as she went and eventually recording her first songs under the name ShitKid.

Now she’s partnered with Stockholm label PNKSLM Recordings and ready to start putting the ShitKid music out. Her first single was “Please Be A Cocky Cool Kid,” and her follow-up is the raucous “666.” It’s a wonderfully messy song packed with DIY charm, and we can’t wait to hear more. Look out for her debut EP on April 1.—Jacob Moore

ANOHNI's album is gearing up to be very special. Co-produced in its entirety by Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke, the two songs we've heard from HOPELESSNESS so far have tackled climate change (the bombastic "4 Degrees") and now drone warfare. "Drone Bomb Me" is a love song written from the perspective of a young girl in Afghanistan whose family has been executed by unmanned U.S. drones," ANOHNI explains. "She dreams of being annihilated.”

The song is anchored by ANOHNI's vividly violent lyrics, which are brought to life by Naomi Campbell in the Nabil-directed video, completing a powerful package of 21st century protest music.—Constant Gardner

Mind of a Genius is one of the hottest labels out right now, thanks in no small part to its rock-solid roster. Gallant is one of their not-so-secret weapons—he made a massive entrance with "Weight In Gold," one of Zane Lowe's first song premieres on Apple Music.

"Bourbon" shows another side of the young singer. It's a much more hushed, introspective cut. Gallant is singing from the depths, having "loved in cold blood and got used to it." It's another strong cut off his upcoming Ology album, due out April 6.—Graham

This mixtape that Logan Sama has put together for Trapstar is incredible. To put it in perspective, it's as if he's curated a 23-track mixtape with everyone from Gucci Mane to RZA to Young Thug to Kevin Abstract rapping over DJ Premier, Just Blaze, and Dr. Dre beats. Mad ting.

There are highlights throughout, especially from scene legends like Newham Generals, Ruff Sqwad, and OGz, so it's difficult to pick favorites, but currently Kano, Stormzy, Maxsta and Srufizzer, and AJ Tracey's efforts are getting the most replays. Check out the whole mixtape below and don't forget to listen to Kano's new album.—Constant Gardner

M.I.A. is back with another one. The singer shared "OLA" on her SoundCloud earlier this week, and we haven't stopped listening since. She also attached a brief statement with the song’s release, which reads as follows: “OLA. TO ALL MY FLYPIRATES and DJS – THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT !!!! LIVE FROM THE MEXICAN BORDER OLA !!!! MIA ON THE WAVES Miauk–Mia-ola. I love u brazil!”

It’s a booming, fresh, and politically charged track that is M.I.A. in all the best ways. We don't see "OLA" leaving the rotation anytime soon.—John Walaszek

Chester Watson would sound completely out of place over most typical modern hip-hop beats. Thankfully, Chester Watson doesn't rap over typical beats. The teenaged Florida artist has an ear for dusty loops and jazzy backdrops, and on "Frozen in Time" he gets cerebral over a dark, heavy, trippy beat that he produced himself. This is that alone-in-a-dark-room type of music, and if you're not feeling it at first, give it a try the next time you're up in the middle of the night.—Jacob Moore

If you only know one thing about me, please let it be that I am one of Gucci Mane's biggest fans. There's no song he's made that I haven't found some sort of respect for. He's a smart as shit businessman and undeniably important to hip-hop as we know it today. On BIA's new song "Gucci Comin Home," she gets it. The track features lighthearted production as she melodically floats verse after verse of quotables like, "If Gucci comin' home then we don't need no Donald Trump." Fan or not, it's a must-listen.—Katie K.

Bless the kindness of Kanye West for giving Tyler, The Creator the instrumental for "Freestyle 4." The original version of the track is easily one of the wildest moments on The Life of Pablo, but somehow Tyler has managed to make his version of the track even crazier than Kanye's original. Finishing what Kanye started, Tyler's "WHAT THE FUCK RIGHT NOW" is a brilliant reminder of what made Odd Future so goddamn essential to begin with.

The energy he brings to the beefed-up instrumental is undeniably infectious—whenever Tyler pauses to catch his breath, you immediately start anticipating his next entrance. Even if it's a spur-of-the-moment throwaway track, "WHAT THE FUCK RIGHT NOW" brings back the ferocity of Tyler's earlier output in grandiose fashion.—Joe Price

Last year, Empress Of won over the public with the impressive body of work that is her debut album Me. It’s a new year, and now she returns with more music. Her first solo single of the year is this week’s release “Woman Is A Word.” Empress Of has a special ability to layer personal lyrics over rhythms that feel like an invitation to the dance floor—creating an interesting contrast that some may not pick up on. For her latest single, she shines a light on what it’s like to be a woman in this society.

While Empress Of expresses her emotions through her words, the rhythm manages to take you away and transport you to a mental place free of stress. “Woman Is A Word” seems like a great preview of the shape Empress Of’s new material may take.—Adrienne Black

Kamaiyah's A Good Night In The Ghetto mixtape is 16 tracks of gangster rap goodness—the Oakland rapper has done her West Coast predecessors proud with the tape, utilizing the same whining synths and drum breaks once mastered by Snoop Dogg and Mac Dre.

One of the standouts is "Fuck It Up," a collab with Compton's YG that shouldn't be as good as it is—the drums samples sounds straight off an ancient Casio, but Kamaiyah flips that barebones toolkit into one of her strengths. Her flow is mesmerizing on this one, and YG holds his own with a classically nasty verse.—Graham

We'll always be here for Action Bronson's outsized, larger-than-life bars, especially when they're delivered over an outstanding beat like this. Samiyam brings the rumbling low end and colorful melodies to the party, and Bronson references everythimg from daggering, to French turtlenecks, to never pissing alone.

Mr. Wonderful, back at it.—Constant Gardner

Baauer's new album Aa is special. It's got a perfect balance of exciting international features (Pusha T, Future, M.I.A., Novelist) and experimentally minded production from the New York based producer. Having already shared "Day Ones" and "Kung Fu," Baauer keeps the levels very, very high with "Temple," which finds M.I.A., in top form, joined by South Korea's G-Dragon. Not many artists could bring together the mix of disparate talents that Baauer does on his new album, and it's been great to see his evolution from "Harlem Shake" until now.—Constant Gardner

When we think back to the best verses of 2016, I hope we remember the first two minutes of "Knotty Head." Denzel Curry is ferocious from the start—"Jumpin' in the door, kamikaze / Origami if the neighbors saw me"—and doesn't slow the pace until he's finished, two hooks and verses later.

The gasping, defiant delivery makes up the first half of "Knotty Head." The second contains an above average Rick Ross verse ("Obituary on his mother’s fireplace / Baby mother fuck another sucker on a blind date"), and don't skip the outro if you played video games in the '90s. "Knotty Head" is off Curry's Imperial, required listening for anyone interested in rap's rising class.—Graham

It would have been easy for XL signee and Soundcloud favorite Kaytranada to hew close to the formula that spelled his initial success as he crafted his debut album 99.9%. Buoyant rhythms, R&B chords, and hints of hip-hop light up Hypem charts these days, so one could hardly blame the 23-year-old Montreal producer for sticking to his guns.

On "Bus Ride," however, Kaytranada refuses the obvious, enlisting the help of esteemed drummer Karriem Riggins to create something more cerebral but no less soulful than his past releases. "Bus Ride" sees Kaytranada channeling Riggins collaborators like The Roots, Erykah Badu, and, of course, the late, great J Dilla; the focus begins on Riggins' signature drum style before subtly unfurling layers of lush, evocative melody. Over all too soon, "Bus Ride" is the sound of a young producer evolving without losing the spirit that makes him special.—Jon Tanners

Every once in a while there comes a song that creates this immediate, “Oh, this is gonna be good!” reaction as it's just getting started—JMSN’s latest single “Cruel Intentions” is certainly one of those songs. Those few notes in the first five seconds of the song were enough to convince me that this was going to be more than just an ordinary single.

JMSN puts his deepest emotions on full display for “Cruel Intentions.” Though the instrumentation initially grabbed my attention, this track wouldn’t have reached its full potential without JMSN sounding as if he was pouring his entire heart out. There’s a perfect combination of seductiveness from the band, and a yearning feeling from the vocals—the results are irresistible. Halfway through the song, it begins to feel like a recording of a live show rather than an actual single. In most cases, a six minute song can be too much, but this time it just doesn’t feel like enough. A song has never made me feel more determined to go see a performer live than this one.—Adrienne Black

One of my favorite cuts from Boogie's Thirst 48 was "Bitter Raps," primarily because he spent the track calling everyone out for their bullshit. But there's no way you can listen to him run down the nonsense in life and think he's just complaining to complain. If anything, Boogie is using his position to educate and eradicate.

On the flip side, I recently had a convo with some rap fans on the internets about the idea that regional rap is kind of dead, because everyone sounds like everyone. Mind you, it was the same day that this Boogie cut dropped, and I'm like "in the post-Kendrick era, this is exactly what I feel California is sounding like right now." Even still, Boogie's unique, and truly staking his own claims on the rap world... and the world in general. You might just want to get out of his way; he's about ready to steamroll all comers.—khal