Music

17 Feb 2023

Must-Hear Indie Artist of the Month: Wesley Joseph

The Project

GLOW, out Friday (Feb. 17) via Secretly Canadian/EEVILTWINN

The Origin

Wesley Joseph’s introduction to music occurred through his father, who was in a soul band when his son was born. Growing up just outside of Birmingham, England in Walsall, Joseph (real name Joseph Wesley Ripollés-Williams) remembers hearing music 24/7 around his house. It wasn’t until he saw an early video of Mac Miller rapping into a USB microphone that he realized he could make music from his bedroom, too.

When he was a teenager, Joseph bought his own microphone and used GarageBand to make what he describes now as “really bad rap songs.” After setting higher expectations for himself, Joseph improved on his DIY approach and sharpened his production skills so that he could ultimately make music his way and create a sonic world where he wouldn’t be boxed in.

In 2020, Joseph released his first song, titled “Imaginary Friends.” A year later, he dropped his first EP, Ultramarine, a project that he says shows everything he’s capable of in one, brief moment.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The Sound

Joseph, now 26, is adamant about not being defined as just a rapper. “Ultimately, [rapping] is third, or fourth even, on the list of things I do when I make music,” he says. “I’m creative-directing everything, I’m producing, I’m singing, there’s so much going on.”

Ultramarine and GLOW are both testaments to his holistic approach to his art. The latter’s first single, “Cold Summer,” starts with an eerie string and piano intro before erupting into a hip-hop-infused beat with Joseph rapping and singing. The project also includes songs like “Sugar Dive,” a dance-influenced record with Joseph flexing his falsetto, and the alt-R&B closer “Light Light.”

While Joseph can’t quite pinpoint his sonic inspirations, he knows that his fondness and use of harmonies, melodies, bridges and chord progressions stem from the American soul music he grew up on. “The weird algorithmic makeup of my musical DNA that makes a bridge happen is probably because I grew up on soul music from America,” he says.

Joseph also has a visual background — he moved to London in 2016 to study filmmaking in university — which explains his cinematic approach to his music videos. In 2020, he released Pandomony, a seven-minute short film which he wrote, directed and scored himself.

The Record

The eight-song GLOW is an evolution of Joseph: he continues his growth by leading with his emotions. “Ultramarine gave me confidence. If that’s me as a baby, then GLOW is me going into school,” he says. For Joseph, GLOW represents the contrast between his euphoric highs and harsh realities. The project is therapeutic for Joseph, as he’s used it to embrace his fears and work through growing pains. “The feeling the record gives is almost like a warm glow in the darkness,” he explains.

The first half of the record — “Glow,” “Monsoon,” “Sugar Dive,” and “I Just Know Highs” — represents light, and the project then shifts to darkness with songs “Cold Summer,” “25,” “Hiatus,” and “Light Light.” Following Ultramarine, Joseph was still in a somber place, which led him to making the dark half first — yet he ultimately decided that having the project transition from light to dark made the most sense. “When you listen to it on loop, it’s a journey,” he says. “When you start it from the top again, it’s like being reborn, and just going through all of the contrasts of life.”

The Breakthrough

Early last year, Joseph signed with indie record label Secretly Canadian. “They understood exactly what I wanted and who I wanted to be, and are completely [facilitating] all of the things that I want to do, in the way that I want to do them,” he says. “I’ve always kind of seen myself as someone who did his own thing, and I felt like they saw the value in my potential.”

The Future

At the end of April, Joseph will embark on his first North American tour, performing in L.A., Brooklyn and Toronto. He is also working on his debut album, which he says is in only in the beginning stages and “definitely not” arriving this year.

Wesley Joseph

Wesley Joseph

Lewis Vorn

The Piece of Advice Every New Indie Artist Needs to Hear

“Belief fuel goes further than anything else. Belief is the type of thing where if you have a lot of it, it just literally multiplies. Everyone around you believes the same way. You just have to believe in yourself way more than you think you need to.” 

One Piece of Studio Equipment You Cannot Live Without

“Currently, my Prophet 6. It’s a really beautiful, old, analog synth. You can make the most unique-sounding sounds with it.” 

The Most Surprising Thing You’ve Learned About the Music Industry

“Industry plants are real. I thought that was a conspiracy theory.”

The Artist You Believe Deserves More Attention
“I’ve been listening to quite a little bit of Cleo Sol lately. I think she’s so talented. She’s got an amazing collective of sounds and [she’s] a really great songwriter. Little Simz as well. She’s definitely getting her flowers which is really good to see. I would say Sampha too, I think he’s one of the best artists ever.”

17 Feb 2023

Kelly Clarkson Is More Than ‘Strong Enough’ With Her Cher Cover: Watch

Kelly Clarkson is flexing her balladeer muscles. On the Friday (Feb. 17) installment of The Kelly Clarkson Show‘s Kellyoke series, the three-time Grammy winner wowed her audience with a triumphant cover of Cher‘s 1998 track “Strong Enough.”

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Clarkson brought out the self-love anthem’s emotional texture by performing the first few bars with nothing but piano accompanying her soulful voice. “Where did you sleep last night, and was she worth it?” she crooned, before a drumroll and electric guitar boomed into the mix.

“‘Cause I’m strong enough to live without you, strong enough/ And I quit crying long enough,” she continued, now leaning full-throttle into her robust, trademark belt. “Now I’m strong enough to know you gotta go/ Come hell or waters high you’ll never see me cry/ This is our last goodbye, it’s true.”

Released in 1998 as a single off of Cher’s album Believe, “Strong Enough” is certainly a fitting track for an artist whose biggest hit to date is called “Stronger” to cover. In fact, the two songs have strikingly similar messages as well, with Clarkson also singing on her 2011 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 about being strong enough to live without an ex, or as she puts it, with “just me, myself and I.”

The latest Kellyoke isn’t the first time Clarkson has paid tribute to Cher, though. In a previous season of her daytime talkshow, the Voice coach covered the dance pop legend’s “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

Watch Kelly Clarkson perform Cher’s “Strong Enough” on The Kelly Clarkson Show below:

17 Feb 2023

George Strait Makes a Surprise Appearance at Bruce Springsteen’s Austin Concert

Two music legends united in Austin on Thursday (Feb. 16), when Bruce Springsteen brought his tour to the city’s Moody Center.

Before Springsteen and the E Street Band launched into their 27-song set, Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait, clad in his signature jeans and cowboy hat, made an unexpected appearance as he strolled on stage to welcome Springsteen to Austin. The two superstars hugged, and The Boss stepped back as Strait made his introduction.

“Austin, Texas, it’s my honor tonight to introduce to you a band that really needs no introduction, right?” Strait said, eliciting applause from the crowd. “Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

As the attendees cheered, Strait and Springsteen embraced again. The country star then waved to the crowd and exited the stage. He did not perform during his appearance, though he does have history with the Moody Center, having helped open the venue with his show on April 30, 2022, alongside Willie Nelson and the Randy Rogers Band.

Springsteen has been selling out venues across the country on his current tour, and recently added 18 new cities to the trek, including stops in Chicago, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Toronto and San Francisco. The tour launched Feb. 1 with a show in Tampa, Fla., which marked Springsteen and the E Street Band’s first North American show in seven years.

Meanwhile, though Strait is known for being a torchbearer of traditional country music, with 44 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, in addition to 17 total CMA Awards wins to his credit (including three CMA entertainer of the year trophies), the lifelong Texan is also known for tipping his hat to rock classics. He’s previously covered Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” (included on Petty’s 1994 album Wildflowers) in concert.

Watch Strait’s introduction below:

17 Feb 2023

New Around the World: PinkPantheress & Ice Spice Lead Week’s Global Chart Debuts

Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” and Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” unofficially kicked off the year in new music when they soared in at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the Jan. 28-dated Billboard global charts. While they have yet to budge from the top two positions on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., and the former maintains its command on the Billboard Global 200, no new song has hit the top 10 of either ranking since. The Feb. 18-dated Global Excl. U.S. chart features just four new entries overall, matching a record low sum of weekly debuts since the survey began in September 2020.

One of the standout new arrivals is PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2,” starting at No. 54, as well as at No. 15 on the Global 200. The song premiered late in 2022 as a solo track for the former before being remixed and reissued as a duet with the later on Feb. 3. The remix sparks the song’s launch on the global charts (and the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, at No. 14), spiking by 328% to 36 million weekly streams worldwide in the week ending Feb. 9, according to Luminate (with all versions rolled up into one chart listing).

Both artists released their first singles in 2021 and, in less than two years, have built themselves up as two of the buzziest online acts. Including the original solo take of “Boy’s a Liar” (but before releasing the song’s instant-hit remix), the U.K.-born PinkPantheress amassed more than 1.2 billion global streams despite never cracking either global chart or the Hot 100. Originally released on Nov. 30, 2022, the solo version debuted to 2.2 million worldwide streams in its first week, before growing to a peak of 9.8 million in the week ending Jan. 26.

Despite Ice Spice’s less robust discography and lower international profile, the song’s explosion on the most recent charts owes much of its success to its new co-headliner, the fast-talking New York-based rapper. It’s reasonable to assume that she did not just help grow the track’s overall global stream count, but helped further increase the song’s presence in the U.S., as its domestic share of streams leaps from 39% to 56%, compared to the week’s overall average of 23%.

While “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” scores the Hot Shot Debut on the Global 200, the highest new entry on Global Excl. U.S. is Léo Santana’s “Zona de Perigo.” The Brazilian artist scores his first title on either global chart, opening No. 48 on the Global 200. The bulk of the song’s start is owed to its official live-performance music video. Of its 29.5 million global streams, 29.3 million came from outside the U.S. and 61% stemmed from video platforms. That’s a higher share of video streams than all but eight songs on the 200-position Global Excl. U.S. chart, and all but three on the Global 200.

As Santana was busy scoring his first global chart hit, Karol G, from Colombia, follows with her 14th, as “X Si Volvemos,” with U.S.-born Romeo Santos (who adds his second), debuts at No. 30 on the Global 200 and No. 32 on Global Excl. U.S., powered by 29.6 million streams worldwide.

Lastly, Mexico’s Fuerza Regida and Natanael Cano enter Global Excl. U.S. and the Global 200 at Nos. 179 and 184, respectively, with “Ch y la Pizza” (13.9 million).

Both tracks show similar streaming splits, with 28% and 25%, respectively, from the U.S., striking a balance between PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s domestic lean and Santana’s strong international favor.

17 Feb 2023

Destiny’s Child’s Self-Titled Debut Album Turns 25: Songs Ranked From Worst to Best

Destiny’s Child has picked up two Grammys, earned four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and launched the career of one of the biggest musical icons of the past quarter-century (who is now the most Grammy-winning artist in history). But the fiercely independent women didn’t exactly start their career firing on all cylinders.

Released 25 years ago (Feb. 17), the group’s 1998 debut album was initially greeted with a similar response to its only hit: “No, No, No.” Peaking at a lowly No. 67 on the Billboard 200, the self-titled affair suggested that Destiny’s Child would quickly fall by the wayside a la Zhané, Allure and nearly every other R&B girl band who had a solitary top 10 Hot 100 single to their name in the 1990s.

Of course, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and (for a brief moment) LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett ended up challenging for TLC’s crown with their 1999 sophomore album, The Writing’s on the Wall. And as a result, its largely ignored predecessor enjoyed something of a second wind, with many fans who came on board thanks to “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Say My Name” hoping to discover just as many previously hidden gems. Its domestic sales have now passed the 847,000 mark, according to Luminate.

But Destiny’s Child is no doubt still regarded as the least essential part of the group’s discography. And ultimately Beyoncé’s and Kelly Rowland’s catalogs, too. So, is this reputation deserved? Here’s a ranking of its 13 offerings from worst to best.

17 Feb 2023

Skrillex’s ‘Quest For Fire’: 5 Essential Tracks

Let’s start by taking a moment to consider the landscape in 2014. EDM was EDM-ing hard as DJs became the new rock stars, made insane bags, pulled in giant crowds and took over top 40 in a way never before seen or heard in the U.S.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

It was a wild, heady, thrilling and often extremely silly figureheads. With his fantastically aggressive, machinistic dubstep, the SoCal-based producer pushed forward the sound of electronic music at large with a style dismissed by many Serious Cultural Critics as “brostep,” but which nonetheless thrilled thousands of kids in the pits at his shows along with many cultural gatekeepers. Skrillex won three Grammys (and earned a best new artist nomination) in 2012, as he achieved global fame during an apex period punctuated by the release of his 2014 debut album, Recess, his only full-length to date.

Until today! Riding a tsunami of hype with a steady stream of single releases, Skrillex’s sophomore album, Quest For Fire, was unveiled on Friday (Feb. 17) via his own longstanding label OWSLA and Atlantic Records. Certainly much attention gets paid to the EDM veterans dropping albums amidst this new era of electronic music, with mixed reactions to last year’s albums by Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who have both changed their sounds significantly since the boom days.

But with Quest For Fire, Skrillex eschews overt reinvention. Instead, he presents music clearly made from the same DNA as his older stuff, but which has grown and evolved in the same way the scene has, and we have, and Skrillex — now 35 — has. (The album overtly references the earlier days, with opener “Leave Me Like This” sampling the iconic “OH MY GOD” from 2011’s “First Of The Year” and the 48-second “Warped Tour 05 With Pete Wentz” composed of a recording of Skrillex, then known as First To Last Singer Sonny Moore, doing a backstage interview with Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz.)

But while Quest For Fire nods to the past, it’s ultimately ultra-fresh, highlighting the impeccable sound design that Skrillex has always been a master of, while embracing and expanding his bass origins. The album incorporates D’n’B, grime, IDM and hip-hop in ways that are inventive, artful, emotional and often just plain hyphy fun. (To wit, five of the album’s previously released singles are currently on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs.)

At 15 tracks, the album is weighty but without filler, incorporating a party’s worth of collaborators including Missy Elliott, Aluna, Fred Again.., Porter Robinson, Starrah, Noisia, Four Tet, Mr. Oizo, PEEKABOO, Kito and more. It seems reasonable to anticipate that many of them will be in attendance on Saturday night (Feb. 18) when Skrillex celebrates the album release with a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.

In the meantime, here are five essential, previously unreleased tracks from Quest For Fire.

“RATATA” Feat. Missy Elliott & Mr. Oizo

Skrillex and Missy Elliott have crossed paths before (see the Missy remix of Jack Ü’s “Take Ü There“), but here, Skrillex builds a bridge between their two catalogs with a spare update of Elliott’s all-time hit “Work It.” Skrillex goes wild with “this the kind of beat that goes ra-ta-ta” from that 2002 track, isolating that moment and expanding it, with Elliott’s voice spread out all over spare, plucky percussion while she delivers brand-new flows at a rapid-fire pace. The track is a co-production with French legend Mr. Oizo, one of many genre-spanning icons contributing to the star-studded LP.

“Tears” Feat. Joker & Sleepnet

A bass track that favors brooding waves of synth and galactic laser sounds over hitting listeners over the heads with bricks of low end, “Tears” is a richly complex collaboration with British dubstep star Joker and Sleepnet, the new project from Noisia’s Nik Roos. The brooding track ends with a spare skittering that segues immediately into the similarly vibed “Rumble.”

“Inhale Exale” Feat. Aluna & Kito

Skrillex and Australian producer Kito take the iconic voice of Aluna and chop it to bits so that her directive to “inhale, exhale” sounds like a fight for life. An ambulance siren punctuates the production, and she then declares, “too high, gotta come down” while passing thunderclouds of low end add an ominous feel.

“Hydrate” Feat. Flowdan, BEAM & PEEKABOO

UK grime MC Flowdan had a breakout moment on Quest For Fire‘s lead single “Rumble,” and here he gets even more screen time, entering with massive swagger and declaring with a growley flow that “it’s simple, not complicated, so when it’s hot, just stay hydrated.” Flowdan’s entrance on the track marks an ominous turn after the song starts with Jamaican-American singer/rapper Beam brightly singing about “life abundance.” The tough, deliciously womp-ey track is a collaboration with longstanding bass producer PEEKABOO, who gets more of the spotlight he’s always deserved.

“Still Here (with the ones that I came with)” Feat. Porter Robinson and Bibi Bourelly

Arguably the mission statement of the entire project, “Sitll Here” finds Skrillex, Porter Robinson and Bibi Bourelly ending the album with sweetness and buoyancy via an homage to riding with the same crew now that you have for all these years. (And if you remember that iconic photo of Skrillex, Robinson and Zedd from the heyday, you know the track’s sentiment is very much true.) With bright, emotive production that sounds like it’s been touched by fellow Quest For Fire collaborator Fred again.., Bourelly sings the song’s title on a loop — a declaration that feels like a victory that’s perhaps a bit hard-won but ultimately euphoric, like the best moments in life.

17 Feb 2023

Olivia Newton-John’s Daughter Recalls Star’s Last Words to Her: ‘She Was Making Jokes’

The world lost one of its biggest stars on Aug. 8, 2022, but Chloe Lattanzi lost her mom. About six months after Olivia Newton-John died at the age of 73, her daughter has revealed the sweet last words she ever heard the Grease sensation say to her before the star lost the ability to speak.

“The last words she could say to me was, ‘My sunshine,” Lattanzi told TODAY‘s Hoda Kotb Friday (Feb. 17) in her first TV interview since Newton-John’s death. “And right before she lost her ability to speak, she was making jokes.”

“I love my mom more than anything,” continued Lattanzi, whom Newton-John shared with ex-husband Matt Lattanzi. “She’s my mama, you know? She’s not Olivia Newton-John to me, but I’m so glad that she was Olivia Newton-John for so many people.”

The late four-time Grammy winner had been open about her breast cancer diagnosis and treatments during her lifetime. Following her death, Newton-John’s family asked that donations be made in her honor to her cancer research foundation, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.

Before her passing, the “Physical” singer recorded a duet of “Jolene” with the song’s original singer, Dolly Parton. It was released posthumously on the same day as Lattanzi’s TODAY interview. Listen to it here.

Appearing at Lattanzi’s side during the interview was Newton-John’s husband, John Easterling, who spoke tenderly about the 15 years he spent with his wife. “She had the willpower, even in her most difficult times, to really bring in the light and to bring in the love,” he said. “And she was who she was all the way through.”

“A guy I was flying with said, ‘You know, John, when you’re lucky enough to have found your true soulmate, and you share a heart, when one passes, the other has the obligation to live life for both,’” he added. “And that was very empowering and very powerful for me, and gave a way forward.”

17 Feb 2023

Bailey Zimmerman Honors Johnny Cash With a Cover of ’God’s Gonna Cut You Down’

Bailey Zimmerman has stormed Billboard‘s country charts of late with his own songs, including “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Fall in Love,” but on Friday (Feb. 17), he paid tribute to the Man in Black, covering Johnny Cash’s “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

The release is an Apple Music exclusive, in conjunction with the launch of MLS Season Pass and the new “Man in Black” Nashville Soccer Club kit honoring the life and music of the late Country Music Hall of Fame member.

“The real reason I chose Cash’s ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ is because I’m such a believer, like I know he was,” Zimmerman told Apple Music. “Stoked for everyone to hear this version and maybe see Nashville SC use it next season!”

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” was included on the 2006 posthumous Cash release American V: A Hundred Highways, the fifth entry in Cash’s American series. His version was inspired by a folk song, “God Almighty’s Gonna Cut You Down,” which was originally recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet in 1946 and released by group The Jubalaires a year later.

Given that Cash’s version of the song and video were released three years after the music legend’s death in 2003, Cash’s video is a black-and-white piece of visual art that includes a string of celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Whoopi Goldberg, Travis Barker, Bono, Johnny Depp, Flea, Billy Gibbons, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Brian Wilson, Owen Wilson and more.

Listen to Zimmerman’s version on Apple Music, and Cash’s version below:

17 Feb 2023

Foo Fighters Pay Tribute to Taylor Hawkins on Late Drummer’s Birthday

The Foo Fighters remembered late drummer Taylor Hawkins on what would have been his 51st birthday on Friday (Feb. 17). “Miss you so much,” read an Instagram post featuring a picture of Hawkins looking directly into the camera with a half-smile on his face and his drum kit in the background.

In late March 2022, the beloved Foos drummer was found dead in his Bogotá, Colombia, hotel room at age 50. Hawkins’ death was announced through a social media statement from the band’s accounts; to date no cause of death has been officially announced.

In a New Year’s Eve post the band posted a heartfelt message about the challenges of 2022 while providing a peek into their future. “As we say goodbye to the most difficult and tragic year that our band has ever known, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people that we love and cherish most, and for the loved ones who are no longer with us,” the Foos began their statement on Twitter.

“Foo Fighters were formed 27 years ago to represent the healing power of music and a continuation of life. And for the past 27 years out fans have built a worldwide community, a devoted support system that has helped us all get through the darkest of times together. A place to share our joy and our pain, our hopes and fears, and to join in a chorus of life together through music. Without Taylor, we never would have become the band that we were – and without Taylor, we know that we’re going to be a different band going forward.”

In the months following Hawkins’ death, Foo Fighters staged a pair of all-star tribute concerts in memory of the late drummer. The shows, which took place in London and Los Angeles, featured appearances by Travis Barker, Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, Liam Gallagher, Lars Ulrich, and dozens more.

The band recently announced its first string of dates following a year-long silence in the wake of Hawkins’ death, including spots at a number of festivals including Boston Calling (May 26), Sonic Temple (May 28), Rock Am Ring (June 2), Rock Im Park (June 4), Bonnaroo (June 18), Harley-Davidson Homecoming (July 15), Fuji Rock (July 28-30), The Town (Sept. 9) and Sea.Hear.Now (Sept. 17). At press time the group had not yet announced who will play drums on those dates.

Check out the Foos post below.

17 Feb 2023

First Stream: New Music From Skrillex, P!nk, Janelle Monáe, Niall Horan and More

Billboard’s First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond. 

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

This week, Skrillex ends a long album drought, P!nk takes us on a journey, and both Janelle Monáe and Niall Horan return with splashy new singles. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:

Skrillex, Quest for Fire 

Casual Skrillex fans might be shocked to learn that Quest for Fire is only his second album — after all, the 35-year-old was a defining figure of the EDM boom during the 2010s, a prolific producer and collaborator over the past decade, and one of the more exhilarating presences at the many festivals he played across several years. Quest for Fire is his first album in nine years, but perhaps Skrillex was simply winding up for this moment: the long-awaited follow-up to 2014’s Recess sounds just as vital in its dance visions as his best work, and riotously diverse, with a song like “RATATA,” in which Missy Elliott stops by to breathe new life into a “Work It” refrain, leading into “Tears,” a slam-bang showcase for dubstep king Joker.

P!nk, Trustfall 

In a recent chat with Billboard about new album Trustfall, P!nk explained why her ninth studio LP is a “f–king journey” that can’t be contained by one mood. “This album could have easily been, Side A is Roller Skate Time, and Side B is No Sharp Objects in the Kitchen Time!” she said. “But that’s not life. Life is messy and beautiful and messy again.” And Trustfall is true to P!nk’s reality: working with a range of collaborators, from Max Martin to Chris Stapleton to Fred Again.. to First Aid Kit, the pop superstar presents herself as a woman, wife, mother and industry veteran capable of dancing away her troubles and pleading for understanding on the same collection of sometimes uptempo, often emotional songs.

Janelle Monáe feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, “Float” 

Janelle Monáe lives up to the title of her new single: “Float” is all about hovering over muddled discourse and rising above petty details, being able to leave earthly trappings and find grace in artistry. It’s a skill that the multi-talented Monáe has flaunted over the course of her breathtaking career, and “Float,” created with Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, gives her a chance to bask in her achievements over simmering trap drums and a boisterous mid-tempo piece of production; “Float” may introduce a new body of work, but even if it doesn’t, Monáe has earned the chance to levitate above the naysayers.

Niall Horan, “Heaven”

When boy band members disperse, they often leap into establishing a solo presence to keep the public’s attention, then gradually settle into a sound for themselves. Such has been the case with the members of One Direction since they went on hiatus, and particularly with Niall Horan, who has found a warm pop-rock niche and strengthened his songwriting since debuting with solo hits like “This Town” and “Slow Hands.” “Heaven,” which previews third album The Show, reaches for eternal love with a vocal elasticity and guitar chug that play off each other with ease.

Polo G feat. Future, “No Time Wasted” 

“I know you waitin’ / Gettin’ fed up, you runnin’ out of patience,” Polo G declares to open the chorus of “No Time Wasted”; he could be addressing his ravenous fan base, which didn’t get a new album from the Chicago rap star in 2022 after three straight years of doing so, but Polo spends the rest of the new single demonstrating that, when he does return, his storytelling instincts will be sharper than ever. Guest star Future slides onto Polo G’s contemplative level here, simultaneously bragging and commiserating about the trappings of fame, but Polo owns the track by mulling his fears, memories and nightmares in evocative detail.

Omar Apollo, “3 Boys” 

Fresh off of a breakthrough year and a best new artist Grammy nod, Omar Apollo has returned with “3 Boys,” a smoky synthesis of doo-wop in which he concludes that a multiplication of romantic partners would be the only way to overcome a bitter heartbreak. The new single smartly showcases the multi-faceted enormity of Apollo’s voice — his ability to deliver ghostly harmonies, ethereal falsetto and desperate, full-throated cries — and becomes another winner for the rising star because of it.