Welcome to Heavy Rotation! A much longer description of what the hell this is can be found in the about section, but boiled down, this is simply our attempt to share some of the music that we enjoy each week with our friends. Summer has finally kicked into high gear, and we’re enjoying a lot of new tracks, here we go: (full playlist at bottom)
Safari
J Balvin, feat. Pharrell Williams, BIA, Sky / Energía
If you haven’t heard much about J Balvin, you’ve been missing out. This Colombian reggaeton artist has been in the game since 2009 and his recent hit, Ginza, has been blowing up across the globe. His newest album is out, titled Energía, and it’s full of lush beats with a hip-hop flair that has high levels of listenability. I’m really digging Safari, co-produced by Neptunes mastermind Pharrell Williams, primarily for its chill vibe and smooth hook sung by rapper BiA. If you like this, check out Ginza and Bobo from the same album. — Anil
Dark Necessities
Red Hot Chili Peppers / The Getaway
There’s a lot of things I didn’t expect from 2016. Britain leaving the European Union. Donald Trump becoming the Republican nominee for president. The Cleveland Cavaliers coming back from an unprecedented 3–1 deficit to vanquish the best regular season team in NBA history and win Cleveland’s first sports title in 52 years. Aaaaaand let’s add to that list: the Red Hot Chili Peppers releasing an good album with a great single — Dark Necessities. It’s been 10 years since the release of Stadium Arcadium but RHCP doesn’t sound dated at all. With catchy vocal melodies, addictive bass riff, and excellent production from Danger Mouse, the funk-chill vibes are extremely strong with this one. — Dilip
Bring Back the Summer
Rain Man, feat. OLY / Single
This is one of those typical summer jams that has a catchy pre-chorus and tropical house drop. There’s not much to say about Rain Man or OLY, just that he’s a competent DJ and she possesses a pleasant voice. If you’re looking for songs that are similar to Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers or Never Forget You by Zara Larsson, here ya go. — Anil
Come Thru and Chill
Miguel / Single
In his 2015 album, Wildheart, Miguel explored a rock-r&b fusion style to varying reactions. (many critics raved about it; I wasn’t as much of a fan) But with this new track, Miguel has returned to his bread and butter: a hazy, drugged-out soundscape paired with soulful vocals. And he does it to perfection. Sure it’s not your traditional upbeat summer jam, but we know this track is what you’ll be playing when you’re staying in, feeling lonely, and waiting for your boo to come over ;) — Dilip
Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On)
Cheat Codes feat. Dante Klein / Single
Spinnin’ Records has some of the best EDM talent in the business right now, with Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Tiësto, and most recently R3hab (take a listen to his Work remix if you haven’t yet). This chill house remix of the Kevin Lyttle classic is exceptionally smooth; the lyrics have also been tweaked for the Snapchat generation we currently live in, and perhaps due to the lewd nature of the original. I personally feel that the song could end right at 2:22, but the outro features EDM sampling of vocals that seems a bit forced. Still, the rest of the song has a relaxed vibe that wins me over. — Anil
Flexicution
Logic / Single
Maryland native Logic has built a significant following for his lyrical depth, positive messages and tight flow over old-school beats. While his masterful delivery remains, Logic’s new single finds him trading in his humble introspection for braggadocio, borrowing some flow and delivery from resident hip-hop superstar Drake. But Flexicution is far better than anything you’ve heard on Views. From the references to Forbes and Indian Jones, Logic maintains his usual lyrical wit throughout the track and the sweeping melodic outro would have fit right at home on Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. If this single is any indication, Logic’s next album will be 🔥🔥🔥
— Dilip
Music Video: Digital Age
Daniela Andrade / Shore EP
Singer-songwriter Daniela Andrade has been steadily building a huge fan base (including Shakira, apparently) but with her new music video, she’s making it clear that she’s not just your average YouTube cover-artist. The video features stunning minimalist visuals and a compelling story — one that actually makes sense and doesn’t try to do too much. Displaying this type of emotional awareness and maturity is rare for an artist this early in their career and is a sign of more great things to come! — Dilip
We hope that you enjoyed the music and commentary! Please send any feedback our way — for example, if you’d prefer us to use Soundcloud, Spotify, YouTube, etc. This is definitely a work in progress, and we’d love to hear from our readers. Lastly, if you have any song suggestions, don’t be shy — we love listening to new tracks! Reach us on Twitter at @dilipsrajan and @anilchitrapu
