Best Songs of the Week (July 15th, 2016)

Best Songs of the Week (July 15th, 2016)

With so much good music steadily coming through, it's easy to miss out on some of the best. To help prevent this, we've picked some of our favorite tracks from the week. Here are the songs you can't afford to skip, in no particular order.

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2. FLACO - "New Things"

The rising hip-hop scene in the midwest gets more exciting every day. Allan Kingdom, Smino, WebsterX, and dozens more are making waves in the middle of the map. But what about the Crossroads of America, Indiana? If you weren't watching, FLACO has been holding it down.

"I was in the gym when nobody was watching," he sings on "New Things." "No Instagram n***a nobody watching."

FLACO's "New Things" is a patchwork of flows over some smooth, minimal Birdie Bands production. The track is a lyrical exercise for the rapper, and he shows his audience how to carve up a beat. It’s so easy to play this song again, and again, and again. “Look at the level I am, look at the level I’m gonna be,” he raps towards the end of the track. We’re looking now, and it sounds like FLACO is ready to level up.

“New Things” is from FLACO’s upcoming project GUNSFORGIRLS, due out July 29. —John Walaszek

3. Cousin Stizz - "Big Fella"

Cousin Stizz has covered a lot of ground since he first turned heads with 2014's "Shoutout." The Boston rapper grapples with that growth on "Big Fella," an unassuming track toward the tail end of his new mixtape MONDA.

Lil Rich's sample craftwork peaks here, and amplifies Stizz's lyrics ("We tryna touch lives, give a f*ck 'bout who's flyest") to create a revealing moment in which an artist is at peace with who he's becoming.—Alex Siber

4. Gucci Mane & Young Thug - "Guwop Home"

Both Gucci Mane and Young Thug sound great on "Guwop Home," but really, it's about timing. Gucci's free, and he's already been working with Drake, Zaytoven, and Mike Will, but reuniting with Young Thug is special. In the time that Guwop has been locked up, Thug has risen to superstar status, and this is the first time we get to hear Guwop with Thugger 2.0.—Jacob Moore

5. Clams Casino ft. A$AP Rocky and Lil B - "Be Somebody"

Clams Casino

Clams Casino broke down each song on his excellent new album 32 Levels for us, and "Be Somebody" means a lot to him. The track was originally going to appear on Rocky’s album but after some back and forth, Clams got it and added Lil B as the finishing touch. “They haven’t worked together yet, and there’s no better place for it than on my album," he told us. "I had to make it happen.”

Bringing two rappers whose sound and evolution he has been such a big part of together on a track is an impressive feat indeed, but even better is just how out there this beat is. It's based around disembodied samples of Mikky Ekko's vocals, a vaporous production which both rappers flex their respective styles over. Only Clams could have made this happen, and 32 Levels is a crowning achievement in his career so far.—Constant Gardner

Related: Clams Casino's New Album 32 Levels In His Own Words

6. Banks - "Fuck With Myself"

It's been two years since BANKS released her brilliant debut studio album, GODDESS. Thankfully, the wait for new music officially came to an end this week as she shared a new video and details on her currently untitled sophomore album—which is due out on September 30.

Her latest single, "Fuck With Myself," comes off as a bold declaration of independence. As she sings, "I used to care what you think about me," it becomes clear that this isn't necessarily a boastful track.

It's about putting self-love high on the list of priorities, and while BANKS' haunting vocals add an intriguing element to the single, they never overshadow the main message. After "Fuck With Myself," we're excited to hear more from BANKS' new album.—Adrienne Black

7. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie - "My Shit"

I never said I was forever the first, but I feel like I know a gem when I hear it. A Boogie (Wit Da Hoodie), a Bronx, NY rapper I just got put onto this week, is giving me Dej Loaf vibes with his infectious single "My Shit." I want this to last like the perfect summer night. It's a track that feels too unique to not mean something.

When Dej Loaf hit with "Try Me," I felt like she might've been that next one. She didn't pan out, no matter how memorable that one song truly was, but there's something about A Boogie. His flow reminds me of how Dej attacked the beat, and there's something in that instrumental that has stuck with me. The only problem with "My Shit" is that it's over way too soon. Still, it's a perfect teaser of what I'm hoping isn't just a trial run for an artist who's truly starting to bubble right now.—khal

8. Carnage ft. Young Thug - "Don't Call Me"

With bright, upbeat production, Carnage brought out one of Young Thug's most fun verses since "Good Times." It starts off low key, but once he rhymes "poncho" with "brrrumbo," it's on.—Jacob Moore

9. Klangstof - "We Are Your Receiver"

Klangstof

Norway's Klangstof came through with an blissful piece of rock this week. "We Are Your Receiver" is the very embodiment of a stretch and yawn first thing in the morning—the guitars and drums swell together in a sweeping crescendo for the first half, striking a tone somewhere between Beach House and early Tame Impala.

It's a different tone than "Hostage," their previous offering, and it feels like they have many more sides to show. Klangstof is making music with purpose—when we asked them to say more about "We Are Your Receiver," they had a lot to say. —Graham

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