Best Songs of the Week

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

This is camouflaged social commentary. This is a three-minute course in charisma. This is Kweku Collins, returning with a flash of brilliance to offer a friendly reminder: he’s not one to overlook. “Death of a Salesman” is the latest reason to look forward to Nat Love, the Chicago artist’s forthcoming project that is less than a month away. Right now, no one sounds quite like Kweku.—Alex Siber

British producer Mura Masa has gone from strength to strength to strength since we first got familiar with him through 2014’s Soundtrack to a Death project. He’s made songs with rising star singers Nao, Denai Moore, and Shura, showing he has a great ear for collaborators, and his latest is another perfect marriage of a production and vocals.

“What If I Go?” is part love song, part carnival dance party, part dusty hip-hop beat—a combination that only a producer as talented as Mura Masa could pull of with such a deft touch. The delicate vocals come from long-time collaborator Bonzai on this track, and together they're a formidable duo.—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

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.

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

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

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

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