Best Songs of the Week (June 3rd, 2016)

Ottawa's Night Lovell sure knows how to pick his producers, and he couldn't have found a better musical partner (outside of Dylan Brady) than Blank Body. Lovell unleashes his captivating voice and hypnotic hooks above the choatic, flourishing production—he's thriving on "Contraband."

Taken from his upcoming project Red Teenage Melody, "Contraband" features everything one would come to expect from a Lovell song. His rapping is focused, the production is leagues above what other rappers are going over, and it all just comes together to form a package only he could present. Lovell sure has a lot to deliver on with Red Teenage Melody, but history would dictate that he'll have no problem sticking the landing.—Joe Price

Back in 2014, Danny Brown referenced collaborating with The Avalanches and said that their work together would "change the world." Two years later—and over 15 years since The Avalanches released their game-changing album Since I Left You, "Frankie Sinatra" emerges.

If this song changes the world, it's going to make Earth a weirder place. The song features Danny, along with the elusive MF DOOM and a sample of "Bobby Sox Idol," a 1940s calypso song by Wilmoth Houdini. It's mischievously fun, completely off its rocker, and unlike anything we've heard this decade.—Jacob

Before Kaytranada was collaborating with an array of top-tier artists for his brilliant debut album 99.9%,, he was making a name for himself on the internet with his remixes. He earned thousands of new fans thanks to his remixes of Janet Jackson’s “If,” Teedra Moses’ “Be Your Girl,” and AlunaGeorge’s “Kaleidoscope Love”—to name a few. This week he returned with a brand new remix to remind fans just how well he’s able to flip a record on its head.

His latest effort takes Rihanna’s sexy single “Kiss It Better” and amps it up into a track that listeners can really dance to. The once-sultry record receives a complete transformation, resulting in a club-ready track with a deep groove. Kaytranada has been on an undeniable hot streak lately.—Adrienne Black

A.CHAL is moving fast. Since the release of "Gazi" back in 2015, the Los Angeles-based artist hasn't missed. From "Round Whippin" to "Psycho," A.CHAL's catalogue grows stronger with each release. On "Far From Home," he addresses his rapid ascent, singing, "I should probably slow it down / but every night I'm going out / and I don't want to feel alone / cause I'm here and too far from home." Without being obnoxious or obvious, "Far From Home" is immediately catchy and is just another reason to watch out for A.CHAL. His debut album Welcome to GAZI is out on iTunes now.—John W.

Sometimes it pays off to take a moment to listen to recommendations from your favorite artists, and it did so spectacularly in this case in particular. After meeting with Kevin Abstract in L.A., genre-hopper Roy released a promising EP last year that showcased exactly what he is trying to do with his music.

Now, with the help of Brockhampton's Bearface and Joba, he's back with a song that fully capitalizes on the immense promise he showed last year. Sounding like it could've been taken straight from a beautifully shot coming of age film, Roy's "Thunder" is a triumphant track that has us eagerly awaiting what he has in store with his currently untitled debut album. If the rest of the album is as fantastic as "Thunder," then Roy might just have 2016's best debut on his hands.—Joe Price

It's been more than a year since Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment's Surf made its debut. As with any album, there were plenty of songs left on the cutting room floor that usually never see the light of day. Donnie Trumpet bucked convention, however, when he combined the scraps into a ten-minute mix.

There are unreleased verses from Chance, some excellent trumpet licks, and plenty of heavenly vibes. It's also useful as a measuring stick against Coloring Book—listening back to "The First Time," the differences in tone and style are immediately apparent. Surf is a concept album through and through, a stylistic moment in time we probably won't see again in Chance's discography.—Graham

We got a triple dose of Young Thug this week, with "Gangster Shit," a new version of "Friend Of Scotty," and "Pick Up The Phone" all hitting the internet.

Yes, between official releases and leaks, a lot of Thugga's music makes its way into the world, but these two tracks are much more than throwaways. The Wheezy Beats-produced "Gangster Shit," which might appear on the upcoming I Came From Nothing 4 mixtape, is short and sweet, packing everything we love about Thug—catchy melodies, vivid imagery, and elastic flows—into its sub-three minute length.—Constant Gardner