Best Songs of the Week (Sep 1st, 2017)

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 new songs of the week. Here are the songs you can't afford to skip, in no particular order.

Frank Ocean's Blonded RADIO run has been wild. He's debuted some of 2017's best singles on the show ("Chanel"! "Biking"! "Lens"!) and, alongside hosts Vegyn and Roof Access, played a wonderful variety of music new and old. The show's seventh episode was another winner, with Frank rapping over 2 Chainz' "Rolls Royce Bitch" and dropping "Provider."

It's another pop culture reference packed song (Stanley Kubrick, Aphex Twin, Evander Holyfield, and Goku all get shout outs) and yet another reminder that Frank Ocean is one of the most exciting active artists alive.—Alex Gardner

Cousin Stizz + Tee-Watt = victory. It's been that way since before Suffolk County and "Dirty Bands," all the way through Monda and One Night Only's iconic "Paper Calling." Watt's silky, sour beats have embodied Stizz's sound for years, and they're only getting better with time. 

"Dash" is one of two Labor Day weekend loosies, and Stizz delivers one of his earwormiest flows to date. I first heard this track in a P&P meeting—by the two-minute mark, we had called a quorum, voted, and confirmed its status as an instant Stizz classic. Simplicity is an art form, and that hook is case in point.—Graham Corrigan

Against all odds, Yung Lean has persisted as a cult figure. Not only persisted—he's evolved, continuing to experiment. Lean's latest is one of his most pleasant yet. He's opting for a softer sound that stands in stark contrast to the gothic darkness of 2016's Warlord. "Red Bottom Sky" is straight-up gorgeous, sounding something like a cross between Swae Lee and Enya, which is perhaps the biggest compliment a song could ever receive.—Joe Price

French-Cuban twins Ibeyi have had a unique sound from the start, incorporating musical traditions from their Yorùbá culture with contemporary sounds and approaches on their self-titled debut album. That looks set to continue on their new album, recorded with XL Recordings founder Richard Russell at his London studio.

"Deathless," the second track to be shared from the new album, features modern jazz icon Kamasi Washington, an ominous beat, and powerful storytelling—the song was inspired by an experience that one half of Ibeyi, Lisa-Kaindé, had when she was sixteen that involved her being wrongly arrested by French police.

Ibeyi's second album, Ash is out September 29 via XL Recordings.—Alex Gardner

Empress Of recently returned with "Go To Hell," one of her best tracks to date, and we already know all about budding superstar Khalid. On "Why Don't You Come On," the two singers are pushed to explore new sonic territory by production duo DJDS (Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy).

Originally making their name with genre-hopping dance music, DJDS's first collaborative album was a masterclass in the use of vocal samples. The duo was introduced to a whole new audience when they worked on Kanye West's The Life of Pablo in 2016 and "Why Don't You Come On" seems like a smart next step in the evolution of DJDS, a pop song that plays by its own rules.—Alex Gardner

I'm not sure why, but R&B seems to be in a really great place lately. Better than it's been in quite some time. With an oversaturated music scene, there's no space for anyone to deliver anything short of excellence. With "Remember," Sam Dew did just that.

A common theme in love songs will always be nostalgia. Remembering a love lost, or better times with someone special will always strike a nerve with a warm-blooded human. But it's the delivery that can make or break the impact. On "Remember," Dew keeps the production sparse to start, luring listeners in with his sweet vocals. There's a healthy amount of pain in his voice once he hits the hook, the kind that makes you want to go back to that feeling as soon as the song is over. In short: "Remember" is an incredible song that cannot be denied.—Adrienne Black

With American Dream, LCD Soundsystem fans can collectively exhale a sigh of relief. Six years since their supposed final show in New York City, the band's back with an album that shows James Murphy and company haven't lost a single step.

It's the opening track that caught my attention, with its sparkling production and Murphy's gentle, sensual crooning. As if "Call the Police," "American Dream," and "Tonite" weren't already good indicators of the caliber of LCD's fourth album, let "Oh Baby" be your official introduction to American Dream.—Joyce

It's been a minute since I've blown trees. I used to be on that wave, touching down at someone's crib in a town I'd never been to and getting high until the sun rose. Just a few seconds into this new loosie from Mick Jenkins and I'm instantly transported to that era of my life. I'm like "yeah, bruv, the flower does bring the noise." That's actual goddamn facts.

I also appreciate that Mick talks about people dropping "alternative facts." It's like he knew that after being gone for five months, he should get lit over a hypnotic head-nodder from THEMPeople for two minutes on some chill shit. I won't hit the joint, but I do appreciate the memories this "drill" of Mick's gave me.—khal

Zoom Lens stays killing it when it comes to experimental pop music, and Yeule's latest is no exception. With a sound that can only be described as ambient pop, Yeule's gorgeous new single "I Saw You In My Dreams Last Night" is an exciting teaser of her first EP on the label since 2014. Influenced by her experiences with lucid dreams, the track perfectly captures the melancholy feeling of drifting through a dream.—Joe Price

God damn. Earthgang just kicked in the door—the Atlanta duo announced a deal with J. Cole's Dreamville yesterday and dropped their incredible RAGS EP later that night. It's the first of three EPs loosely based on The Wiz—ROBOTS is next. 

All five songs on RAGS have standout moments, especially the six-minute Mick Jenkins collaboration "House" that closes things out. But "Mediate" kicks things off for a reason. J.I.D comes through to deliver a blistering opening verse, then Dot and Venus keep pace, adding vocal acrobatics as they search for peace in America. Earthgang are back in a big way, and they're ready to show us what's stashed in the vault.—Graham Corrigan

Skott surprised me from the start with "Remain," another perfectly twisted pop song from the Swedish singer. She often comes through with anthemic hooks (on songs like "Porcelain" and "Glitter & Gloss"), but there is almost always an experimental or unexpected edge to her songs, and this time it's the vocal effects and pulsating production.

"'Remain' was written from a place of heartbreak and acceptance," Skott explains. "I fell madly in love when I was 13, and for five years we were inseparable. But sometimes we’re powerless against change—this song is about the pain of growing apart, and accepting that sometimes we have to leave something behind in order to move forward. How do you tell that to someone, when it’s already hard enough to accept it yourself?”—Alex Gardner

It's taken John Maus over six years to put together the follow-up to his last album, and while "The Combine" isn't quite the dramatic return expected of Maus' distinct sound and energy, it does hit home just how much he's been missed. Sounding like he never left us to begin with, "The Combine" is a comfortable but incredibly enjoyable return for the modern synthpop legend. If his upcoming album Screen Memories simply gives us more of the same, that's nothing to be mad about.—Joe Price