Pigeons & Planes' Best Songs of the Week

With so much good music steadily coming through, it's easy to miss 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.

The first words on Young Thug's new Beautiful Thugger Girls album are: "What up? I'm tryin' to put my dick inside your panties." Before the drums kick in, Thug yells "yee haw." And right when you think the song is about to end, an unfamiliar British female voice sings a bridge about purple dreams and human-shaped clouds of smoke. And just like that, the tone is set for the strange and wonderful BTG.—Jacob Moore

I had to draft this slide three times. I landed on a few other songs from Lorde's sophomore album Melodrama, and kept thinking to myself, "There's no way I'll like a song more than this one." Eventually, I decided that "Hard Feelings / Loveless" is my favorite off the album. But what do I know? I had to draft this slide three times.

I was worried that Lorde would have a hard time following up an album as beautiful as Pure Heroine. I thought this the other day as I gave that album another spin. But rest assured, Lorde fans who've yet to dive into Melodrama: she's done it again. The album is supposed to be a celebration of growing up, and that's a great way to handle growing up, but I get the sense that there were some growing pains that may have taken her a little while to get over before she could fully embrace it.

"Hard Feelings / Loveless" encompasses that idea well, with the former, a gut-wrenching breakup song as she comes to terms with a crumbling relationship, and the latter an upbeat offering that dares a lover to "rip [her] heart out." The two parts provide an interesting juxtaposition, melodramatic sadness with a cool, calm angst. Lorde paints an oddly familiar picture, and it's because these intense feelings are what growing up is all about.—Joyce

Denzel Curry raps with the intensity of a machine gun, and that meshes well with brawny production that doesn't bend under pressure. On "Zeltron 6 Billion," FNZ laces him with a hard-hitting, boom bap beat that sounds straight out of the '90s and unsurprisingly, it's a natural fit. "Zeltron 6 Billion" is a standout in Denzel's growing catalog, but it also stands out from today's typical rap soundscape. While so many others are floating melodic deliveries over pop-leaning production, Denzel is going for the jugular.—Jacob Moore

I have nothing but respect for Chaz Bundick's wanderlust—Toro y Moi is just one of the many musical masks he wears, from PLUM and Sides of Chaz to his work with The Mattson 2.

But let's be honest. The Anything in Return/Under the Pine Toro is the Chaz we love best. The wonky synths, the shy, romantic lyrics, the irresistible hook—Toro is at his indie electronic finest on "Girl Like You," and while it's only the first single, I say with absolute confidence that the accompanying album Boo Boo is going to be incredible.—Graham Corrigan

2 Chainz' new album has its fair share of turned up tracks ("Riverdale Rd," "Sleep When You Die") but it's the slower moments when he gets to fully flex his incredible rapping skills that are the most impressive. "Good Drank" is one of those moments and "Poor Fool" is too, but Chainz might have saved the best song on Pretty Girls Like Trap Music until last.

"Burglar Bars" has a warm, soulful beat (Mike Dean was one of the producers) and lyrics about 2 Chainz' past, his come up, and his successes. It has that real classic album outro feel, and if you thought 2 Chainz only sounded good over trap beats...well, you're wrong.—Alex Gardner

I'm excited to hear more from 25-year-old Canadian artist smrtdeath. "Let It Bleed" is impressive and I can see this guy's look and brand catching on with bigger audiences over time. The taxpurposes-produced single has elements of both rock and hip-hop and fits right in with the new style of music being pioneered by guys like Lil Peep. Smrtdeath's EP Sethany is set to release this summer and I have confidence that this will the beginning of what turns into a solid run for the young artist.—Eric Isom

Action Bronson's two Blue Chips mixtapes were flames, and now we're getting a third installment, Blue Chips 7000. Action announced that it will be out in July or August and told Zane Lowe that he's been sitting on new music "like a little chickadee" for months now. "Let Me Breathe" is vintage Bronson, with on-point flows, outlandish boasts, and bars that never take themselves to seriously. Bronson back.—Alex Gardner

Amid all the new music drops from superstars this week, Max Wonders returned with new music. The young rapper dropped his debut album Hues To Blame last year, and "Child" is a precursor of more music in 2017. Debuted by Zane Lowe on Beats 1, "Child" has a woozy beat, the sharply observant rapping that we've come to know Max for, and an impressive melodic hook.—Alex Gardner

Leading up to the release of Portugal. The Man's new album, Woodstock, the Portland group revealed that they were influenced by America's unsettling political climate, confessing that "a lot of this record came about watching the way Trump uses Twitter."

Fortunately, the band's natural ear for catchy, blissful sounds cut through the dark source material for an immediately enjoyable, summer-ready listen. "Tidal Wave" might capture this feeling the best, somehow turning heavy lines like "Hit me like a tidal wave, triggered by the aftershock" into something you'll want to yell out of your car window on a late night joyride.—Eric Skelton

The debut single from Toronto's Est-Her is wonderfully dramatic, grasping for attention without begging for it. "Sympathy" is fully-formed, teasing what Est-Her has coming next while offering more than enough to chew on for the time being. There's a lot of polish to "Sympathy," leaving us to believe that the best is yet to come from Est-Her. Few artists are capable of launching their careers with a single as strong as this one.—Joe Price

Post Malone's "Congratulations" with Quavo seems custom made to be drunkenly yelled with friends, with its lyrics toasting to success and putting lighters in the sky. For the remix, Future adds a little more depth with another brilliant verse dripping in melody and ending perfectly with, "They said I'd always sell drugs, but now they say congratulations." Flex on 'em Future.—Alex Gardner

Florida rapper Nate Dae made it clear that he was stepping things up for his next project when he dropped "Mood Swings" last month. With the release of "Nobody" he's two for two, delivering another captivating but brief track that has us very excited about California PSA, which he's putting out next month. Over the warm but hard-hitting Zach Fogarty production, Nate shines, letting us know that he's one to keep an eye on this year.—Joe Price

When I originally saw that DJ Khaled was shooting a video for a new single with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, the fan in me already knew I liked this song before even having a chance to actually hear it. Less than 30 seconds after pressing play, I realized I was right.

The sample of Carlos Santana and The Product G&B's 1999 hit single "Maria Maria" will instantly pull everyone in with feelings of nostalgia, but this new collaboration "Wild Thoughts" brings a fresh perspective to the rhythm. Tiller and Rihanna compliment each other well, and Rihanna can't help but make a chorus you immediately want to sing along to. This is a collaboration I didn't know I needed, thanks Khaled.—Adrienne Black