What I’m Listening To Right Now 02
Here are 12 new projects, EPs, older full length albums and a DJ set that I believe are well worth your time,
Enjoy!
1 of 12
ARGENT by Tshegue
Alternative, African
- Click
- Sing my Song
- Shuffle
- Pili Pili
This is a solid EP from the French-Congolese artist-producer duo. It’s sung primarily in lead performer Faty Sy Savanet’s native tongue Lingala. The EP serves as a tribute and acknowledgement to the DRC and a celebration of sights and sounds of her home, Kinshasa. Everything is a bit ominous and intense, but also engaging and you get that especially in it’s visuals for songs “Mais” and “Sing my Song.” I really wish there were more translations available to add more context to her message but as a whole, it’s definitely a cool experience.
2 of 12
Dark Times by Vince Staples
Rap, Hip-Hop
- Étouffée
- Black & Blue
- Little Homies
- Government Cheese
Really appreciated the vibe on this one. In typical Vince fashion, the delivery is blunt and to the point. He’s tired. He’s a bit paranoid. He loves where he came from and how far he’s come but also is so over all the bullshit and disenfranchisement. But despite everything he wants to keep pushing and see this journey through. Overall it’s a solid, moody, and relatable listen.
3 of 12
FK IT by Alemeda
Pop, Alternative
- Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows
- Guy’s Girl
- i already dug your grave
- Not Asking For Much
Alemeda is a newer artist who has recently signed to Top Dawg Entertainment. The EP is smart and uncomplicated. Maybe it’s the Disney Channel kid in me that has a bias to her pop-punk sound but it also just feels good and really genuine. According to her, after deciding to pursue music and trying just about every genre, she learned to “gravitate towards the one that [she] felt the most comfortable in, the easiest.”1 It’s also cool seeing a black kid in this type of scene and doing it in unique way that isn’t just putting on the ‘punk-rocker’ costume. Like she’s not trying to be a pop-punk singer. She’s an artist that happens to make songs in a pop-punk and alternative style. I think that distinction is important. Definitely check it out!
4 of 12
Good Girl No Dey Pay by DEELA
Alté, Rap
- Patience Ozokwor
- Fimile
- Big Deel
- Better Off
“Patience Ozokwor” might honestly be my favorite song of the year. It has this really forward-leaning, afro-futuristic sound to it that pairs well with DEELA’s edged, no nonsense rapping. It just scratches an itch in my brain, and so does the project as a whole. Her and producer Genio Bambino are dangerous.
Being an EP, it’s a short listen but still manages to blend so many cool aspects of 2000s afrobeats, hip-hop, classic Nollywood films, and the present African alternative and fusion sounds that have been developing from many artists like her today.2
5 of 12
Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker
Folk, Indie
- Fool
- Already Lost
- Free Treasure
- Donut Seam
Lead singer of the band Big Thief. Their 2022 album Dragon New Warm Mountain was one of my absolute favorite listens that year. Adrianne is an absolutely special songwriter and delivers an effortless sounding yet emotionally tugging performance every time. It has this empty but also full of heart and desperate optimism feeling to it. I love it.
6 of 12
Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola by Kampire
African Pop
- P-Coq – African House Party Project, Splash, Patricia Majalisa & Dalom Kids
- Djepue – Tshala Muana
- Ngoma Mansia – Princesse Mansia M’bila
- Mashariki – Zaire All Stars & Nene Tchakou
What a cool project! It’s a curation of oldies and goodies from across African dance pop by Ugandan DJ Kampire (pronounced Cam-Peer-Ay). The choices were meant reflect the sounds she had around her growing up in Ndola, Zambia while also spotlighting African music legends and classics from the late 70s and 80s.
Every song here is a hit. There is this infectious quality that African pop has always had especially in this era. You can’t help but dance a little bit. The guitars are so colorful, the vocals rich, and the arrangements are innovative. There’s so much to appreciate here. Highly recommend playing this every which way you can, on speakers, with headphones, at the park, in the car, all are beneficial.
7 of 12
The Breakthrough by Mary J. Blige
RnB, Soul
- Be Without You
- Ain’t Really Love
- Can’t Hide From Luv
- Gonna Breakthrough
A classic and masterclass in RnB from the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. It’s in my top 3 favorite MJB albums for sure and one the more heart wrenching. I can’t help but always come back to it regardless of my current mood. “Be Without You” is undisputedly the most iconic 2000s RnB song ever made, do not debate me.
I’ve always first and foremost been an RnB music fan above most other genres. It used to be the only thing I really listened to and still informs how I interpret a lot of music now because of how influential it has been to contemporary recorded music. In the near future I’ll make a longer post about the history of RnB, race records, general misconceptions, and the larger impacts the genre, so stay tuned!
8 of 12
Stepbrothers by DJ Earl + King Agee
Electronic, Footwork
- Traklikeme
- Djz Playin
- Out Da Way
- Beatdown Click
- Want Smoke
Just some soulful, homegrown footwork from two Chicago based DJs and representatives of the sound. I really enjoyed the vocal/sample cuts and instrument choices on this one. As a whole I think it really showcases a lot of the cool pockets you can hit in footwork. Available on Bandcamp and Soundcloud.
9 of 12
CAJU by Liniker
RnB, Soul
- CAJU
- POTE DE OURO
- FEBRE
- ME AJUDE A SALVAR OS DOMINGOS
A word I’d use to describe this is lovely. Liniker is an exceptionally talented musician and artist based out of Brazil. The first half of the album I think showcase her insane range not only in vocal technique but also musical styles, maneuvering through Neo-Soul, Contemporary RnB, Jazz and a number familiar Latin music styles. Honestly the intro alone had me hooked.
The project is pretty magical and accomplishes things that I think only an artist like Liniker from the place she is from, and with the experiences she’s had, could achieve.
10 of 12
Siaminium Set for Keep Hush x Bhai Bhai Soundsystem
Electronic
- 5:55
- 12:30
- 23:30
- 29:20-ish
Live from the Bangladesh capital, Dahka. Siamnium delivers some really cool and unique textures along with classic Desi music club edits. The event as whole is a really neat experience that we’re lucky enough to see thanks to the world wide web. I highly encourage checking out the other sets on YouTube as well. It’s an organic representation of global club culture and what electronic music does for people, especially in places where it’s not as easily accessible.3 The (global) south has something to say and we should listen.
11 of 12
Quantum Baby by Tinashe
Pop, RnB
- No Broke Boys
- No Simulation
- When I Get You Alone
- Nasty
I love the spacey-ness and light subtleties in the production of this. It’s all very her, and IYKYK, very rewarding to longtime fans. In her own words, Quantum Baby is the most fully formed version of the sound she’s been trying to achieve this decade,4 and it really comes across that way. Truly, Tinashe is the definition of mixing forward-thinking Pop and RnB and a testament to staying in your lane in while surviving an oppressive music industry. I’m really glad that thanks to “Nasty,” lots more people are finally catching up to her.
12 of 12
The Difference by Nandipha808
Electronic, Amapiano
- Siza Nkosi
- Stena vs Harvard
- The Difference
- Same Old story
All year, I’ve been hearing a number of Amapiano DJs like DBN Gogo and Uncle Waffles select from this album so I decided to look into it more. It covers a lot the unique dance music qualities Amapiano has. It’s intense, technical, laid back, and or soulful when it needs to be, but I think also really emphasizes the groove aspect of the genre. A lot of fun to listen to for sure.