Best Songs of the Week (Aug 5th, 2016)

D.R.A.M. already has a huge summer hit on his hands—"Broccoli," his single with Lil Yachty, continues to gain more popularity with each passing day. But his latest single "CUTE" has just as much potential to blow up.

The production provided by Charlie Heat is incredible, a tightrope balancing act between delicate, gleeful chords and a booming bassline. D.R.A.M. knows exactly how to walk the line—he tiptoes over the beat and caps it with the simplest, and most sincere pick-up line possible: "I think you're cute." "CUTE" needs to be added to everyone's morning playlist—it's an immediate confidence booster.—Adrienne Black

When BANKS first collaborated with SOHN on the sultry “Waiting Game” in 2013, she hung back in the pocket of the English producer’s throbbing percussion and reluctantly detailed the downfall of a fragile relationship.

What a difference three years makes. On “Gemini Feed,” she uses SOHN’s bubbly backdrop as a springboard to leap to the front of the mix and scold a passive-aggressive ex-lover with a fiery vocal delivery. Where she once held back and used her voice as another layer in SOHN’s atmospheric painting, BANKS now defiantly takes charge.

In the same way that it sometimes takes spending time with an old friend to realize how much you’ve grown as a person, BANKS’ collaborations with SOHN serve as telling signposts along the career of a newly emboldened vocalist who told Annie Mac this week: “I feel more empowered than ever. I feel like I want to take up space.”—Eric Skelton

Lil Uzi Vert's having fun with it, coming with high energy, different flows, and bright melodies on his latest, The Perfect Luv Tape. For this project, he teamed up with big name producers like Zaytoven and Metro Boomin, but the best track might be final one, produced by the always underrated Nard & B plus XL & Don Cannon. Future's throaty growl provides an interesting contrast with the forthright delivery of Uzi Vert, whose infectious personality shines through. There's nothing wrong with not being a fan of Lil Uzi Vert, but write him off as a fad at your peril.—Constant Gardner

Just last month Miguel offered up one of the smoothest tracks that I've heard this whole summer with "Come Through And Chill." He returned with even more audio silk this week—a track taken from the soundtrack for the upcoming Netflix series The Get Down.

In keeping with the drama's 1970's setting, Miguel's "Cadillac" is infused with a healthy dose of funk. Five minutes long, the track is able to take listeners on a full transformative journey of the era's sound. Miguel quickly transitions from steady-building R&B to a dance floor thump in the first half of the song, before closing it out with spiraling come down that ends this short musical journey on a dizzying high note.—Adrienne Black

Noname juggles a bevy of heavy topics while contemplating "Yesterday," from police brutality to the everyday stream of internal temptations.

The opener of her debut mixtape—Telefone, released last Sunday—sets the tone for the songs that follow. Nostalgic, pillowy production and sweet vocals make for blissful listening—tune into the lyrics, however, and a decidedly bleaker world begins to take shape.

It's a masterful balance. Gut-punch couplets hide in plain sight, and "Yesterday" is an appropriately stunning intro as a result—lost innocence wrapped in innocent aesthetics. That being said, each of Telefone's ten tracks deserve your attention.—Alex Siber

One of the things I love most about Jesse Boykins III's BARTHOLOMEW album is its ability to surprise the listener. Case in point: "I Need You." It starts out innocently enough, but the sun-drenched sample that grounds the verses soon gives way to a blustery, turbulent chorus punctuated by the thunderous booms of a piano. Boykins III switches between these two moods like a flicked light switch, and each iteration just makes you appreciate the other half that much more. If you haven't given BARTHOLOMEW a full listen yet, do so—"I Need You" is one of many unmissable cuts.—Graham Corrigan

London rapper J Hus is so versatile. His melodies, on songs like this and on his biggest hits "Lean & Bop" and "Dem Boy Paigon," stick after one listen, but don't let the bouncy beat and occasional singing distract from his talent as an MC. On "Playing Sports," J Hus veers between self-deprecating, threatening, and hilarious lyrics, and sometimes all three at once.

Since his breakout The 15th Day mixtape, J Hus has had some ups and downs, but he's back and recording at a crazy rate—he also dropped "Clean It Up" this past week. If you think it's just grime popping in the UK thing again, J Hus is mixing styles and sounds and he's set to take over the airwaves as well as the streets.—Constant Gardner

Jazz Cartier and his longtime producer Lantz are on another level. "• JUST IN CASE" is a classic example of why they're great together—savage, Gothic production, a hook that you'll be singing back to Jazz by the track's end, and lyrics that'll have you ready for a riot and a psychiatrist's couch in equal measure ("I let the cat out the bag / I'm not an admirable man / I am a liar, I am a cheat / I am becoming my dad"). Another W for Toronto.—Graham Corrigan