Best Songs of the Week (Jan 6th, 2017)

With so much good music, it's easy to miss out on some great tracks. So 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.

SOHN hasn't released an album since 2014's Tremors, but he's been busy. Collaborations with BANKS and incredible singles like "Signal" have cemented the Vienna-based artist's reputation as a master of his electronic craft, and there will be more to look forward to in 2017. Rennen is SOHN's next album, and it's out January 13.

"Hard Liquor" is the latest single to drop, and its sweeping, magisterial crescendo will send shivers up your spine. For all his collaborative powers, "Hard Liquor" proves SOHN's still best when left to his own devices. The video's not half-bad, either.—Graham Corrigan

Bonkaz and Avelino are two of the sharpest lyricists in the UK, and they go back to back with the bars on the opening track from the upcoming New Gen compilation. The New Gen project, as its curator Caroline explained to us on our Beats 1 show last night, is all about the UK underground's brightest talents working together. 

Featuring AJ Tracey, 67, Ray BLK, Stefflon Don, Kojey Radical, and lots more, there's a lot of variety on this record, and "Welcome to the New Gen" is the perfect introduction—two rappers proving that however hard you sleep on the UK they stay killing it. We premiered the track on our Beats 1 Takeover show last night and you can listen back to the full show here. Hear Caroline break down the New Gen movement below.—Alex Gardner

Jazz Cartier - "Tempted"

Before 2016 came to a final close, Jazz Cartier delivered a slow, haunting track titled "Pree." Just days into the new year, the Toronto rapper returned with a brand new single, "Tempted," that veers away from the previous track and turns the energy all the way up.

The bouncy production from Lantz and T-Minus creates an instant feel-good vibe that's hard to resist and easy to dance to. "Tempted" offers a preview of Cartier's forthcoming project Fleurever. His last album Hotel Paranoia was one of the best albums of 2016, and we have faith that Cartier is gearing up for another great year.—Adrienne Black

FLACO finished 2016 strong by releasing a project on the very last day of the year. The 14-song sleepinginjeans dropped December 31st, and it's already in heavy rotation to kick off 2017.

One track I keep finding myself coming back to is "RunOnSentence," because it's a showcase of FLACO at his finest. He flosses down the beat like he's skiing in a freestyle competition. Tricks come as he effortlessly switches up his flow, and somehow he always has a fresh way to spit some bars. Packed full of more NBA and pop culture references, FLACO keeps putting out tracks that need a few listens to appreciate. Check out "RunOnSentence" below and sleepinginjeans right here.—John Walaszek

The xx aren't known for an especially uplifting sound, but it's clear with their new album they're setting out to change that. Between their first single, "On Hold," and their latest, "Say Something Loving," the band is shifting directions from a more somber feel to a more celebratory one, and it's working. 

On "Say Something Loving," they maintain that sparse, atmospheric sound they're known for but they bump up the energy, with both the production and Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft's vocal interplay more upbeat than ever. It's a track that proves The xx are capable of a greater range musically than what we've heard in the past, hinting that their upcoming album might just be their most exciting.—Katie K.

Hearing posthumous releases from our favorite artists is always a thrill, but it’s often clear why they chose not to release the music in the first place. Things often sound incomplete, rushed, or just not up to their usual standards. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Elliott Smith’s freshly unearthed "I Figured You Out."

Originally recorded as a demo for folk singer Mary Lou Lord, the song succeeds on the strength of the same thoughtful songwriting and pleasant melodies that run through the core of his finest work. Not bad for "a stupid pop song [he] wrote in about a minute."—Eric Skelton

Roy Blair - "UK"

Roy Blair delivered the hugely promising "Thunder" last year, and we've been hoping to hear more from the L.A.-based songwriter ever since. Appearing on Kevin Abstract's fantastic American Boyfriend, most notably on the standout track "Runner," Roy proved that he was just as adept working with others as he was putting care into his own growth.

While "UK" isn't exactly a substantial release, it does make the wait for his forthcoming debut album all the more difficult. Sitting at just over a minute long, "UK" is the perfect introduction to Roy's captivating coming-of-age story. If his upcoming album can deliver on even a fraction of the promise the No Rome-produced "UK" provides, then Roy might just have one of the most exciting debuts of 2017 on his hands.—Joe Price