Best Songs of the Week (Feb 17th, 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.

Future's second album in two weeks, HNDRXX, is out now, but his self-titled project is still sinking in. Early standout "Draco" is one of the most stimulating songs on FUTURE, with hypnotizing flows and a melodic beat that sounds like being stoned in outer space. This one is going to be in rotation all year.—Jacob Moore

Late last month, Thundercat made his return in a big way when he released "Show You The Way" with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins—a collaboration some could have only dreamed of. This week he followed things up with another unexpected release. Instead of sharing a romantic single for Valentine's Day, he voiced very relatable frustrations on "Friend Zone."

Being trapped in the friend zone is awful, especially when you don't learn you're in that friend zone until after you've already invested too much time and effort into someone. On his latest single, Thundercat takes a stand for anyone who can relate to this unfortunate situation. Besides just being a damn good song at its core, "Friend Zone" also serves as motivation for listeners to put an end to this treatment and move on to something better.—Adrienne Black

At the start, Sigrid's "Don't Kill My Vibe" feels like the calm before the storm. It's simple, but there's an element of suspense, like this might be the kind of song that explodes into a massive chorus. Sure enough, it doesn't disappoint. This is the 20-year-old Norwegian singer's debut single, and if she can replicate this level of pop songwriting, Sigrid's on the fast track to winning over a lot of fans quickly.—Jacob Moore

Didn't know the alphabet could do that, did you? FXXXXY's Flawed Up Shawty is out on March 1, and the Dallas-based artist has been unleashing track after track of slinky, addictive rhymes in the runup. "Lip Service 6" is the latest, and FXXXY is in top form here. He handles lyrics and production, flipping the alphabet song into something sexually deviant. This is the kind of song that's equally comfortable in the bedroom or the club, and FXXXY hasn't missed yet.—Graham Corrigan

I've been anticipating London-based five-piece band Pumarosa's debut album since 2015's sprawling "Priestess," and after sharing three more tracks on their self-titled 2016 EP, the band are now ready to announce their debut album. The Witch will be out May 19, and the announcement comes with a new track, "Dragonfly," which is also the album opener.

It's another slice of edgy, brooding, slow-building excellence, lead singer Isabel's bold vocals soaring over the ever more frantic guitars. "We are so used to protecting ourselves from each other that when the time comes to be open, sometimes we can’t do it," the band explains. "'Dragonfly' is about shedding this armour.”—Alex Gardner

Countless great rappers have articulated the drug dealer's dichotomy—the pull of the game balanced against seeing  so many friends dead or in jail—but when done well it still makes totally compelling music. British rapper Nines pulls no punches on his new album One Foot Out, breaking down his struggles and his successes across 15 tracks of low-key but vivdly detailed spitting. The whole album is so consistent that it's hard to pick favorites, but "Break Away" is a current favorite. —Alex Gardner

Brockhampton's Matt Champion has been teasing his debut album for quite some time, first offering a taste of the forthcoming record with "Punks" over a year ago. Now he's released perhaps the most promising preview of the album so far with "Fangs," making use of his melodic talents with his prettiest moment since All-American Trash highlight "Palace." Mixing his laid-back rapping with drawn-out, gorgeous singing, "Fangs" is the type of song that perfectly paints a moment and feeling, inviting listeners to comfortably live in its finely crafted world for its brief running time.—Joe Price

Flores and Maths Time Joy have worked together before, and here's hoping they keep at it. "Undercover" follows on the heels of "Oceans" and "After Hours," but this might be their most ambitious collaboration yet. The L.A.-born, Norway-based singer's vocals are stacked in overlapping harmonies over deep, full production that can stop on a dime or build to dizzying towers of synth. These two are sounding like the future of R&B, and they're making it look easy.—Graham Corrigan

Remix EPs often seem like throwaways—a couple of EDM remixes put together to try and get the song to reach a new audience and maybe a rap remix where the MC's subject matter doesn't match the feel of the song at all. That is absolutely not the case with NAO's For All We Know EP.

Five different songs from her album get the remix treatment, and some of our favorite artists are involved, including Kaytranada, Mura Masa, Stormzy, and Sam Gellaitry. Each delivers a totally different take on NAO's sharp but soulful pop songs, but SBTRKT's is on repeat. You should already know how creatively SBTRKT approaches working with different vocalists, and here he creates a whole new world for NAO to inhabit. It's a win for everyone involved, and let's hope all remix EPs can be as much fun as this one.—Alex Gardner

Playfully floating silky vocals over gentle guitar licks and head-nodding bass, genre-defying LA artist NoMBe manages to capture the euphoric feeling of young love on his new single—fitting for a song released on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

Taking a year off after an incredibly strong 2015 in which he introduced himself hits like “ California Girls,” NoMBe has returned in a big way with the addicting “Wait” and now “Young Hearts.” Fortunately for us, he’s promised to unveil each song from his new album one at a time before its release—providing a steady stream of new music. So I guess 2017 might not sound so bad after all.—Eric Skelton