After months of New Music Fridays laden with incredible new offerings from our favourite stars, this week was a much quieter affair all round.
Having said that, Wednesday saw the release of Artists for Grenfell‘s cover of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, which immediately dominated the chart. Released in aid of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, over 50 global artists were involved in the recording of the song, which went straight in at number one on Friday.
Other new singles came from the likes of Shayla Souliere, Cedric Gervais featuring Liza Owens, Haneri, Moxi, and Barei. We were also treated to the new album from rock band Imagine Dragons.
As usual, we’ve managed to round up a few more musical treats for you, so get ready to bop along and enjoy!
Clean Bandit – ‘Disconnect’ featuring Marina and the Diamonds
‘Disconnect’ was debuted during Clean Bandit’s Coachella set in 2015, however, it’s taken the trio two years to perfect their collaboration with Marina and the Diamonds. The song officially dropped on Friday afternoon, ahead of the band’s set at Glastonbury in which Marina joined them on stage. Fans will be delighted to finally have a studio version of the hypnotic song after requesting it for the past two years.
Drake – ‘Signs’
‘Signs’ is the latest offering from Canadian rapper Drake. It was made available on streaming services after premiering during Louis Vuitton’s latest runway show in Paris on Thursday. Produced by frequent collaborator Noah ’40’ Shebib, the track has a laid back ‘One Dance’ vibe to it and is bound to be another hit for the unstoppable artist.
Real Fears – ‘You’
‘You’ is the debut single from delphic indie-electro duo Real Fears. Combining 80’s beats with indie-pop, ‘You’ is an infectious offering which truly packs a punch. Speaking about the song, the duo said: “Having given this project some thought, we wanted to go for a sound that used a lot of space and depth. Lyrically the song is about opening up about your feelings and anxieties with someone close to you, admitting when you were wrong and feeling better about things. So whilst the song is upbeat in the chorus, it’s about repairing a mistake in a relationship.”
https://soundcloud.com/realfears/real-fears-you
Finn Matthews – ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’
‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ is the latest offering from rising pop artist Finn Matthews. Co-written by Kendall Schmidt (Big Time Rush), the summery track is laden with tropical synths which create the perfect party atmosphere. ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ follows on from Finn’s previous releases, ‘Julia’, ‘Half Hearted’, and ‘I Wrote A Love Song’.
Joy Crookes – ‘Power’
Joy Crookes returns with her sophisticated new single ‘Power’. Following on from ‘Bad Feeling’, ‘Power’ comes with an important, far-reaching lyrical edge. Speaking about the track, she said: “‘Power’ is a song about the misuse of power. I felt like it was important to speak on this issue especially considering our current social climate. This song is dedicated to those who feel powerless.” The track was co-written by Joy and Audra Mae, and produced by Alex Hope.
https://soundcloud.com/joy-crookes/power-1
SØF – ‘XO’
‘XO’ is the final installment in SØF’s six-track ‘singles series’. The song is the most adventurous in the series, with the singer experimenting with rapping in addition to delivering spunky vocals. Speaking about the track, SØF said: “I wanted to save ‘XO’ for last in my ‘Singles Series’ because it’s definitely the most different out of all the songs I’ve released thus far. This whole project has been about discovering myself as an artist, defying genres and taking risks, and I think ‘XO’ encompasses all of those things. I wrote the song over 2 ½ years ago about a rocky relationship I was in. There was so much back and forth that it was driving me insane, and it felt like I was stuck in this never-ending game of Tic Tac Toe where we just kept tying and nobody would give the other person any leeway to win. It comes across as a total diss track, but I also admit that I can’t give up what we have because I’m too invested. It’s a weak part of myself that I exposed lyrically. The bridge portion of the song is where I really tried something new, and I’m glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone with the writing decisions I made. This one’s really special to me, and I’m so glad it’s finally out in the world.”
Fabrikate – ‘By My Side’
‘By My Side’ is the latest offering from Canadian duo Fabrikate. It’s hard to imagine that this synth-laden disco-inspired track came to life on a January afternoon in the midst of a snowstorm! Fans of electronic music will be lapping up ‘By My Side’ and we’re expecting it to be a successful hit across many a dancefloor this summer.
What was your favourite new music release this week? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix