Best Songs of the Week

Australian trio Movement are taking things slowly, and any frustration at the year-and-a-half wait for new music since their debut EP dropped has been immediately dispelled by "LACE." Described as a demo of one of the songs from their upcoming album, we can only imagine what their finished tracks are going to sound like.

Just as they did on their debut EP, the band use vocals as just another instrument at their disposal—even if you can't make out the actual words being sung, you can feel the emotion they contain. Movement are one-of-a-kind, blending rock, R&B, pop, and electronic influences into a potent package. Here's hoping their album lives up to the high standards they've set themselves so far.—Constant Gardner

Hinds recently said that "San Diego," was currently their least favorite song on their upcoming debut album. Well, sorry Hinds, but this is the kind of song that's going to become a fan favorite, inciting wild dancing and drunken singalongs wherever it's performed. With their debut album Leave Me Alone out at the top of next year, Hinds are touring hard. If you get a chance to see them, take it—there aren't many bands having this much fun and bringing this much energy to the stage right now.—Constant Gardner

Last year's Piñata album brought the gospel of Gibbs to a whole new audience, but the Gary, Indiana rapper has been at this shit for a while, amassing a legion of allies in the process. He linked up with one of them, Black Thought of The Roots, for the latest single off his upcoming Shadow of a Doubt album.

One listen and it's clear: these guys are professionals, trading steely verse that run the gamut from Frank Sinatra to police brutality. It's all tied together by silky production from Mihail, and an earworm for a hook: "and if the devil die today I'mma treat it like it's a holiday."—Graham Corrigan

I'm not sure what's cooler, the fact that there's unreleased Ol' Dirty Bastard material out there or that guys like Shash'U are remixing it. "Obey Me" is a single that RZA is giving away with some portable speaker gimmicks that I'm not sure people are beating down URLs to cop, and while people are buying tangible stuff more than data, I'm not sure if this can be kept as some limited gem.

Regardless, there's something about the way Shash'U blended the more abstract electronics with the gutter hip-hop vibes. The "go Brooklyn" chant over that rumbling bass and spine-tingling melodies? It's almost like Shash'U was made to PWRFNK his way into ODB's life, posthumous or otherwise. Big body insanity for the party at the end of the world? I'm all for it.—khal

After a big announcement that he's now president of G.O.O.D. Music, Pusha T makes a triumphant return to the mic on "Untouchable." Timbaland handles production, but this isn't one of those playful, futuristic-type Timbo beats. Stuttering drums crack with militant intention, and a Biggie loop serves as the chorus. Most importantly, of course, Pusha delivers with the confidence he's known for, sounding as sharp and deliberate as ever.—Confusion

As if new Missy Elliott could have escaped our weekly collection of best songs, especially when Pharrell is in the mix. After her Super Bowl performance earlier this year, the internet was abuzz with her triumphant return. I also had the good fortune to see her perform in the summer at Pemberton Music Festival and I felt transformed after her set.

The thing about Missy is that she doesn't disappoint, and the same goes for "WTF (Where They From)." Infectious production, an effortless flow, trippy and imaginative visuals featuring marionettes (?!), and a verse from Skateboard P? It's classic Missy.

Welcome back, girl. We missed you.—Joyce

Sángo is keeping Brazilian funk alive and well with his slippery beats, and he kept the tradition going this week with Da Rocinha 3. It's a 19-track compilation that one astute SoundClouder dubbed "favela trap," a mix of Brazil's baile funk and the modern hip-hop influences that Sango blends so effortlessly.

One of the standouts is "Agorinha," which Google tells me translates to "Just Now." Sángo flips a crisp piano sample from Miles Davis' "Blue In Green" into a call-and-response banger with a decidedly Brazilian tilt. Stream all of Da Rocinha 3 here.—Graham Corrigan

It's been immensely interesting to see how far Yung Lean has come since 2013, evolving from an internet curiosity into a full-blown cult-like figure in an astonishingly short amount of time. Thankfully his status as the king of sad-rap hasn't gone to his head, and if "Hoover" is any indication, he's looking to progress more than initially thought possible. With its grinding Yung Gud-produced beat, "Hoover" is by far Lean's hardest hitting song to date, pushing his idiosyncratic sound and punk approach to rap into even more exciting territory.

As if a message to those that wrote him off as nothing more than a meme, "Hoover" is proof that even internet kids are capable of evolving.—Joe Price