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.

When Skepta previewed his new single "Hypocrisy" during a show in New York City last month, it was instantly clear that he had another hit on his hands. Similar to many of his other songs, "Hypocrisy" has an infectious bounce that you can't help but nod your head along to. On the new single, Skepta brushes off everyone hating on him as they not-so-secretly bite his style, and showcases why he can't be duplicated.

Aside from Skepta's interlude on Drake's More Life, it's felt like too long since we heard new music from the London MC. This new self-produced track seems like the perfect preview of what's to come. Let's just hope we don't have to wait too long for more. Until then, I'll be blasting this one.—Adrienne Black

I haven't got a chance to listen through 21 Savage's new album ISSA enough to even really pick favorites, but what I have heard sounds excellent. Opening track "Famous" makes a statement over Metro Boomin and Zaytoven's production, "7 Min Freestyle" is wild, "FaceTime" is a lurching love song, and "Bank Account" sees 21 flexing his production skills.

With a host of other heavy hitting producers alongside Metro Boomin, 21 Savage has switched things up a little from Savage Mode, but the beats still bang hard and the bars are still savage. Now, time to put this album on repeat.—Alex Gardner

Finding comfort in empty space can be a difficult thing to do, but Toro Y Moi excels in exploring these gaps on his latest album, Boo Boo. It's not been out for long, but it already feels safe to say this might be his best album yet. It's ambitious, gorgeous, and a distillation of everything we've come to expect from him and more. Making use of only a few elements on tracks like the stunning "Labyrinth," Toro Y Moi is reminding us how he's such a fantastic songwriter by stripping it all back, and he sounds better than ever for it.—Joe Price

Boston's finest Cousin Stizz has been building momentum with consistent drops, including the impeccable "Headlock" with Offset, one of the best songs of the year so far. With his mixtape One Night Only coming July 12, Stizz delivers another big track with frequent collaborator Tee-WaTT. This is vintage Stizz—a laid-back delivery, a mesmerizing beat, and another memorable hook from one of the most consistent rising artists over the past couple of years.—Alex Gardner

Killy had a viral hit on his hands with the hypnotic "Killamonjaro," and now he's back with another spaced-out track that looks to replicate that success. One of the things about Killy's output so far, is that it sounds like his songs are one long hook, and "Distance" is the slickest example of this so far. The production from 100tones is low-key, but it's definitely a key ingredient to what makes the track so addictive. "Distance" isn't a flashy track by any means, but Killy sure knows how to leave an impression.—Joe Price

For a song called “Kept Me Crying,” this makes me feel really fuckin’ happy. An early favorite from HAIM’s sophomore LP, Something to Tell You, the mid-album gem shows off everything the sister trio does so well—marrying a timeless pop rock sound with honest songwriting, danceable percussion, and catchy melodies. If you're the kind of person who prefers your summer anthems with electric guitar riffs and emotionally relatable lyrics—not steel drums and synthesizers—this one’s for you.—Eric Skelton

It's been four years since Rhye stepped softly into our lives with their debut album Woman. It was a hushed, delicate, gorgeous, wholly romantic album, and this week Rhye returned with new music. They released two new songs, "Please" and "Summer Days," and it sounds as if they've picked up right where they left off with more beautiful mood music 

"Because we play live so much, we've built this show that's somewhat different from Woman," Rhye's Milosh explains. "It's a little more psychedelic. I wanted to bring that to the second record. I really wanted to incorporate much more soulful and earthy colors. It had to be all live percussion and piano. The human intimacy had to come through the actual instrumentation on this record.  'Please' is the stepping stone to where we're headed."—Alex Gardner

What do you do when you helped launch a genre into the mainstream, then when you try and experiment with different sounds fans call you a sellout, and over ten years later still want you to make the same type of music you made age 19? That's what grime OG Dizzee Rascal has faced for years, and he addresses some of those ideas and a lot more on "Wot U Gonna Do?"

“The funny thing about that song is people are always asking me who it’s about, when it’s obvious it’s about me,” Dizzee says of this track. He is working with producers like Valentino Khan and Salva (on previous single "Space") who he hasn't collaborated with before, and new album Raskit is shaping up to be special.—Alex Gardner

Mura Masa is one of those instant-click names for me, an artist I fully trust to make interesting, exciting tracks no matter the context. And there have been many contexts in his case—the English artist has collaborated with a mass of rising and established stars, from NAO to A$AP Rocky.

With his debut album out next week, Mura Masa has unleashed two stunning singles: "Blu" with Damon Albarn on lead vocals, and "Second 2 None," a bouncy pop anthem perfectly suited for the considerable talents of Christine and The Queens. They're both excellent songs, but I had overlistened to "Blu" by Wednesday. Plus Christine is long overdue for global stardom, and this leap into a more electronic, propulsive world suits her nicely.—Graham Corrigan

Made more out of necessity than anything, Natalie Green's debut EP is a fascinating portrait of a life getting back on track. "Orange" is the EP's highlight, providing an insight into troubled relationships and a scattered brain. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready to show the inside of mind," he sings at the end of the first verse, before picking apart the chaotic goings on inside his head, anyway. It's a gorgeous, forlorn song that has us eager to hear what he'll create once he's settled.—Joe Price

Nate Dae came through for your summer playlists with this one. The Florida artist, who is now based in L.A., has an album titled California PSA out on July 21 and "I Feel Ya" shows another side of his sound from the rapping we initially became familiar with.

"'I Feel Ya' is a turning point for me in music," Nate told us. "A complete 180 in sound, especially coming from Florida where we're known for banging 808s and yada, yada, yada... This song means a lot to me and was the very first song made for California PSA."—Alex Gardner