Best Songs of the Week

Kelis' new album is fantastic. When it's released on April 21, people are going to be ever-so-excited by the timeless feel and tender lyrics. A big part of this has to be down to TV on The Radio's Dave Sitek, who produced the whole album, but let's take nothing away from Kelis. She's decided to leave behind the commercially successful but boringly obvious dance-pop of her previous album for something with heart, soul, and brains. Good choice Kelis.—Constant Gardner

When you think of a young Swedish pop singer, you probably think of something energetic and colorful. That's not what Adna is. She's 19 years old and recently moved from Gothenberg to Berlin, and she calls her music pop, but this is cold, slow, and barren. It's also breathtakingly beautiful. Listen to this one late at night, preferably with a candle lit. Sounds cliché, but a candle can make a huge difference. If you're not doing candles, get your shit together.—Confusion

I'm not here to help you understand footwork or juke. If the constant thump and complex rhythms of these tracks aren't immediately digested by you, is it my fault? Is it my fault that my future is compromised of richer, more vivid colors than yours? It's actually pretty goddamn awesome that footwork and juke are rising now. With many heads tired of the same old house, trap, and jungle tracks, this is a realm where many of those similar vibes can soundtrack the hazy, dusted journey through the blunted psyche of natural born idiots like myself. The middle ground where so many areas are gray, it's like Ted Turner never existed.—khal

Ghettoville, the new album from British producer Actress starts off with the pretty inaccessible "Forgiven," seven minutes of sludgy ambience and industrial clanks which marches on into another four songs that would likely turn a casually interested listener off immediately. Make it through to "Birdcage," however, and the album starts to become filled with warmer textures, as the grey hues are replaced by brighter colors. Songs like "Our" and "Gaze" echo beautifully with the memories of past raves, but the most surprising moment comes on "Rap," a hazy but upbeat song based around a looped vocal sample that will be bouncing around in your mind long after the song has ended.—Constant Gardner

Of all the exercises in genre mutation on Scottish trio Young Fathers’ vibrant, stellar debut album Dead, mid-album cut "Dip" feels like the most fully realized. Drawing on the group's avant-rap, gospel, and west African influences (to name but a few elements of the stew), "Dip" is in turns euphoric and ominous, buzzing brightly like a lost demo from a TV On the Radio hip-hop experiment. It's as fine an encapsulation of the group's ambitious sound as Dead contains, a reminder that rap from the fringes can be exciting and satisfying.—Jon Tanners

Cam is a legend, but it's been hard to feel like what he's done in the past few years is "important." Sometimes it seems like he just randomly decides to record some loud vocals, add a distant-sounding beat, leave it unmastered, and send it out into the universe. Even those random drops are usually on point, but his upcoming Federal Reserve EP already feels more meaningful, like this is Cam done right. A-Trak provides the beats, Dame Dash is executive producing, and we'll finally get a Dipset reunion on record. Despite all that, the classic Cam charm is still present.—Confusion

So you need something to get your weekend started with, right? AC Slater (the DJ, not the drummer for Zack Attack) has you covered. Where he got the idea to convert Migos' "Dope In My Sock" into a trap-meets-"night bass" banger is not something I know; I just know I can't contain myself when this drops. If the liquor is flowing and I'm in the middle of a crowd, shit can get rowdy, but stuff like this? Where you combine hypnotic, bass-drenched house beats with fills that feature some random Migos chanting shit about having "molly in a jar" that "looks like Dippin' Dots?" I lose all of my shit. Sorry for the stain on your rug.—khal

Sultry and sharply produced, Vancouver producer Rook Milo's "Outland" is an excellent entry point to his style, as precise an articulation of a certain popular Soundcloud aesthetic as exists. In Milo's able hands, cool atmosphere and a clever sample marry to make something immediately satisfying, a worthy, versatile additon to playlists that lean towards trap, hip-hop, future bass, or strict R&B. "Outland" announces Rook Milo as a talent to watch; here's to hoping he links up with a suitably talented collaborator and starts cranking out similarly enjoyable cuts.—Jon Tanners

The thing that captivated us from the start with Lana Del Rey was the distinctly sullen, downtrodden tone to her music. The way she could make being in love sound like suicide with a voice that lives in the lower register and stirs up such deep emotions within the listener. For her take on the Sleeping Beauty classic "Once Upon A Dream," we weren't quite sure what to expect but we fairly assumed it'd be dark. And that's exactly what we got. The film Maleficent tells the story of Sleeping Beauty's iconic villain played by Angelina Jolie. So, naturally, Lana takes Aurora and Prince Phillip's romantic duet and spins it into a devastatingly haunting theme song for the witch backed by a menacing violin composition. This is like the music that plays during a a horror film; it's just that terrifyingly chilling and so typically Lana. And, luckily, you can download the song for free now via the Google Play store.—Dee

In early 2009, Drake's "Best I Ever Had" was probably the only song I listened to for a good two or three months. Literally. It was just on a constant loop on my iPod, soundtracking essentially everything I did during that time. When I started realizing I maybe needed something to supplement this, I naturally started looking for more Drake. Which is what led me to Nicki Minaj's remix of the song and eventually, her fantastic Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape on which this remix was housed. After that, I was a fan of Nicki's. I always listened to what she put out and was, for the most part, consistently impressed. I mean, her verse on "Monster" is probably in my top five favorite verses of all time.

But when she released Pink Friday I found myself disappointed at how poppy the album was. By the time Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was out, I didn't even bother listening. I didn't want to hear the Nicki that did "Starships," I wanted to hear the Nicki that collaborated with Gucci, the Nicki that when up against two of rap's greatest artists not only held her own, but arguably outshone them.

And then, her unannounced freestyle over P.T.A.F.’s “Boss Ass Bitch” happened last month and it was like all my Nicki prayers had been answered. Sure, I really fucked with her "Tapout" verse, but this freestyle was the Nicki I knew and loved. Since that was released, she's already delivered two equally strong offerings, her contribution to YG's "My N****" and this remix of Young Thug's undeniable "Danny Glover." I don't care if it's premature to say this is going to be one hell of a year for Nicki, but fuck it – even if this is all she put out for the rest of 2014 I'd be happy.—Katie K.