Best Songs of the Week

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 rounded up the best songs from the past week. Here are the songs you can't afford to skip, in no particular order.

Welp, didn't see this one coming. Just when it seemed as though Childish Gambino's one-night-only Pharos event would remain that way forever, the man revolutionizing television has turned his attention back to music. Not only was the arrival of "Me and Your Mama" unexpected, the song itself represents a drastic shift from the indietronic rap Gambino was firing off on Because The Internet. 

This six-minute opus has more in common with Sly & The Family Stone and Alabama Shakes than Chance the Rapper—wailing, distorted guitars and rolling drum fills provide a cacophonous backdrop for Gambino's equally cracked and bleeding vocals, and he sounds incredible. Awaken, My Love! is due out December 2, and after this, we have no idea what it'll sound like. But "Me and Your Mama" is evidence that we can trust the man at the wheel.—Graham Corrigan

First off, the new A Tribe Called Quest album is fucking fantastic. It's the legendary crew's first album in 18 years, and their first since Phife Dawg's passing, and it's a brilliant mix of fresh ideas and the core qualities that made ATCQ one of the best rap groups in history. Picking standouts is difficult—early favorites include "Solid Wall Of Sound," "The Donald," "Kids," and "Enough"—but I keep wanting to start this album from the top, and every time I do, it's "The Space Program" that comes on first and sets the tone with an irresistible bounce, a communal energy, and excellent rapping.

If this is A Tribe Called Quest's final album, it's a hell of a way to cap off their legacy. But like Questlove said, "The gas in ATCQ'S tank is NOWHERE near empty."—Jacob Moore

Listen to the entire album here.

It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since GoldLink released his album And After That, We Didn't Talk, but this week he celebrated the anniversary by sharing something new with his fans. The album ends with a slowed-down track titled "See I Miss" that feels both laid-back and a bit seductive. To celebrate the anniversary, GoldLink released an updated version featuring Marsha Ambrosius.

Ambrosius has a vocal tone that is naturally both soulful and jazzy—a perfect fit for the mood of "See I Miss." It comes as no surprise that GoldLink would have her in mind when he decided to record a new version of the single. The original was great, but "Pt. 2" feels a bit more complete with the added female perspective providing a much-needed balance.—Adrienne Black

It's really happening. After years of silence and rumors, The xx returned with a bouncy new track this weekend. That's right, bouncy—the chorus for "On Hold" features a juke-like vocal loop and big bass drums. If it wasn't for Romy Madley Croft's hushed, bare vocals, I'd have had trouble recognizing this song's makers. 

Which is a good thing. It would certainly be disappointing if these three geniuses came back with the same formula after all that time, and thankfully they did not. If you had said in 2012 that The xx  were sampling Hall & Oates, I would have chortled in your face. But "On Hold" is fantastic, a new kind of hit for The xx, and their upcoming album will assuredly be full of them. —Graham Corrigan

When Shy Girls released "I Am Only A Man" earlier this summer, it felt like he'd leveled up. Dan Vidmar's voice soared over the smooth production, and, as it turns out, it wasn't just the one-off single it seemed to be. This week, he announced his official debut album Salt, out January 20, with the release of "Trivial Motion." Sitting somewhere between Blood Orange on Cupid Deluxe and How To Dress Well, the song is a lush, languorous, synth-driven testament to Vidmar's songwriting ability, and an exciting preview of the new album.—Alex Gardner

One of the most divisive elections in American history has already inspired songs from some of our favorite musicians—but it felt appropriate that Run The Jewels were one of the first to tap into the unstable emotions of the country in the form of song.

Known for his politically outspoken nature and close ties with the Bernie Sanders campaign, Killer Mike dedicated “2100” for “everyone who is hurting or scared right now” alongside his right hand man El-P. Opening with the line, “How long before the hate that we hold lead us to another Holocaust,” the song eloquently reflects the feelings of fear, love, and revolution pulsing through this country at the moment. Although they wrote the track months ago, it’s difficult to imagine a more fitting soundtrack for this turbulent week.—Eric Skelton

Yellow Days is two for two now, and proves that there's more to his sound than the world-weary sadness that captivated us on "Your Hand Holding Mine." His new song, "Gap In The Clouds," is a love song, and it's beautiful. 

Yellow Days is only 17 years old and his debut EP Harmless Melodies is out via Good Years on November 18.—Alex Gardner