Happy Monday, loopers! Here are this week’s most exciting new releases (subscribe to our weekly New Music newsletter here)…
1. SAM SMITH — TOO GOOD AT GOODBYES
British singer-songwriter Sam Smith is back with first new single since winning Best Original Song at the 2016 Oscars for Writing’s on the Wall, his theme to the James Bond film Spectre.
Too Good At Goodbyes is the lead single to the singer’s highly-anticipated 2nd album, which is due later this year and follows up his multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning 2014 debut album, In The Lonely Hour.
Here’s what Sam had to say about his new single:
“This song is about a relationship I was in and it’s basically about getting good at getting dumped. It’s been a long while since I’ve put any music out and I feel that this first single sets the tone of what is to come.”
If you’re new to Sam and would like to hear more, we highly recommend listening to Stay With Me, I’m Not the Only One, Lay Me Down, Leave Your Lover, Like I Can and his excellent guest spots on Disclosure’s Latch and Omen.
2. BECK — UP ALL NIGHT
Up All Night is the latest track to surface from Beck’s highly-anticipated 13th album, Colors, which is out October 13th and follows up his Grammy Award-winning (Album Of The Year) 2014 album, Morning Phase.
Here’s what Beck had to say about his upcoming album:
“For the first year, we were experimenting and there was a lot of trial and error. I was touring constantly while making it, so I was attempting to bring some of that energy back to the studio, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do. ‘Dreams’ was one of the early songs to come along and make me think the idea had legs.
These are complex songs all trying to do two or three things at once. It’s not retro and not modern. To get everything to sit together so it doesn’t sound like a huge mess was quite an undertaking.”
Colors will also featured the recently released Dear Life, 2015’s Dreams and last year’s Wow, but sadly won’t include his excellent cover of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love from earlier this year.
3. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG — REST
It’s been over 7 years since French singer-songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg released her last album, 2009’s stunning IRM, but Serge’s daughter is finally back with a new song called Rest, which was co-written & produced by Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo.
Rest is the lead single and title track to Charlotte’s upcoming 4th album, Rest, which is out November 17th and follows up 2011’s Stage Whisper (a series of previously unreleased live versions and outtakes from the IRM sessions) and her 2013 Jimi Hendrix cover Hey Joe.
If you’re wondering what Charlotte has been up to since her last album, she’s been focusing mainly on her acting career with roles in Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist, Melancholia and Nymphomaniac, Independence Day: Resurgence and the upcoming Michael Fassbender film The Snowman.
In fact, it was Lars Von Trier who encouraged Charlotte to direct the video for Rest herself. Here’s what she had to say about it:
“At first I asked him if he would direct this video for me. He answered, ‘No… you should do it.’ He then said, knowing very well what I needed, ‘I will tell you exactly what you must do.’ He dictated quite precisely ‘the rules’ for me to follow. I was nodding through the telephone while writing down the master’s principles. And that was it — the first push I longed for. To go out, and carry a camera for myself. Up to me to deliver my personality in either the archive footage I was choosing or the new images I filmed. Trying to create a repetitive language through this musical loop. Thanks to this first step into directing, I was able to take possession of my own imagery.”
The video for Rest is currently streaming exclusively on Apple Music, but hopefully it will come to YouTube and beyond soon. You can watch it here.
Rest (the album) will feature guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Owen Pallett, Connan Mockasin and more.
4. ST. VINCENT — LOS AGELESS
Los Ageless is the 2nd single from St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark)’s much-anticipated 5th album, MASSEDUCTION, which is out October 13th and follows up 2014’s stunning St. Vincent. It will be joined on the new album by the recently released lead single, New York.
If you’re wondering what Annie has been up to since her last album, she has featured on Under Neon Lights, from The Chemical Brothers’ 2015 album Born In The Echoes, and released a one-off single called Teenage Talk, which was used in the soundtrack to the 4th Season of HBO’s Girls.
MASSEDUCTION, which is pronounced “Mass Seduction” and not “Mass Education” btw, will feature guest appearances from jazz legend Kamasi Washington, Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis and more.
5. GEORGE MICHAEL — FANTASY (FEAT. NILE RODGERS)
Now that a respectable amount of time has passed (apparently) since the tragic death of former Wham! frontman George Michael last Christmas, it looks like it’s time for everyone to start cashing in.
Fantasy is the first posthumous single to be released from the upcoming album, Listen Without Prejudice / MTV Unplugged, which is out October 20th and features remastered versions of tracks from his 1990 album Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 alongside other previously unreleased material.
The new single is produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and is a reworking of a track first recorded in the late 80s and originally released as a B-Side in 1990 and later in 2011 on the Deluxe reissue of his debut solo album, Faith.
Responding to the mixed feelings many fans have about the posthumous single, Nile Rodgers tweeted:
“You SHOULD have mixed feelings. No one’s heart was dragged through emotional ambiguity more than mine. This process was extremely emotional for me. We were such massive fans of each other’s work.”
To coincide with the release of the new album, Sony Music have commissioned a George Michael documentary narrated by the artist himself. ‘Freedom’ will feature the likes of Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, Elton John, Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson and many more.
6. U2 — YOU’RE THE BEST THING ABOUT ME
You’re The Best Thing About Me is the lead single to Irish rock legends U2’s upcoming 14th album, Songs of Experience, which is out December 1st and follows up 2014’s Songs of Innocence.
Here’s what Bono had to say about the new album:
“The elections were a shock to the system personally and a shock to the system politically, not just in America but in Europe. This is my lyrical response to both of those shocks. I leaned more on the personal than the political, but the political is there to put the personal songs in the context of time, of history.”
The band, who are currently on their The Joshua Tree 30th anniversary tour with Beck, recently shared a live performance of another Songs of Experience track called The Blackout. You can watch it on their Facebook page here.
Songs of Experience will feature guest appearances from Royal Blood, OneDirection’s Ryan Tedder and more.
7. SYD — ON THE ROAD
On The Road is one of three new singles from alternative R&B singer & producer Syd. It will be joined by Moving Mountains & Bad Dream / No Looking Back on her new Always Never Home EP, which was released on Friday and follows up her excellent debut album, Fin.
Syd (fka Syd Tha Kid) is the frontwoman of neo-soul band The Internet and the only female member of Odd Future (the group that started the careers of Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler, The Creator and more).
8. EVERYTHING IS RECORDED — MOUNTAINS OF GOLD (FEAT. SAMPHA, IBEYI, WIKI & KAMASI WASHINGTON)
If you thought Everything Is Recorded (the moniker used by XL Recordings head Richard Russell)’s debut EP was a star-studded affair, wait till you hear the guest list for his latest single: Mercury Prize nominee Sampha, Cuban-French twins (and daughters of Buena Vista Social Club’s Angá Diaz) Ibeyi, New York rapper Wiki and jazz legend Kamasi Washington. Just, WOW!
This is Russell’s first new single since the release of his debut Close But Not Quite EP back in May. Also a star-studded affair, the EP included guest appearances from UK Grime rapper Giggs on Early This Morning (which has an amazing sample of Gil Scott-Heron’s Me and the Devil btw), Sampha (again) on the stunning title track, Warren Ellis (who you probably know best as the violin wielding genius from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and his soundtrack work) and many more.
Btw, this is Ibeyi and Kamasi Washington’s second collaboration in the last week… if you missed it, be sure to check out the stunning Deathless, which will feature on Ibeyi’s highly-anticipated 2nd album later this year.
9. FOO FIGHTERS — THE LINE
The Line is the latest track to surface from Seattle rock veterans Foo Fighters’ upcoming 9th album, Concrete and Gold, which is out September 15th and follows up 2014’s Sonic Highways.
Concrete and Gold will also feature the recently released singles The Sky Is A Neighborhood & Run, which were both accompanied by videos directed by frontman Dave Grohl… so stay tuned for another video from the former Nirvana drummer sometime soon.
10. ROSTAM — HALF-LIGHT (FEAT. KELLY ZUTRAU)
When he’s not busy working on his new project with The Walkmen’s Hamilton Leithauser (the duo released their stunning debut album last year), scoring hit Netflix series The O.A. (co-written by Brit Marling & his brother Zal) or guesting on hit singles like This Song with RAC, former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij is busy tinkering away at his much-anticipated debut solo album, Half-Light.
Half-Light (featuring Wet’s Kelly Zutrau) is the latest track to surface from Half-Light, which is out September 15th and will also feature the recently released Bike Dream, Gwan, Gravity Don’t Pull Me, EOS, Don’t Let It Get To You and Wood.
ALSO WORTH CHECKING OUT THIS WEEK:
- Alvvays — Lollipop (Ode to Jim)
- Chelsea Wolfe — The Culling
- dvsn — Mood
- Hundred Waters — Wave To Anchor
- Michael Jackson — Blood on the Dance Floor x Dangerous
- Miguel — Shockandawe
- Moses Sumney — Indulge Me
- Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) — Bones Of Saints
- Shannon Lay — Coast
- Syd — Bad Dream / No Looking Back and Moving Mountains
- SZA — Quicksand
- The Horrors — Weighed Down
- TOKiMONSTA — NO WAY
- Twin Peaks — Fat Chance and Come For Me
- Weyes Blood — Everybody’s Talkin’ and A Certain Kind
- ZAYN — Dusk Till Dawn (feat. Sia)
