Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa "One Kiss"
Summer is almost here, and I know it because Calvin Harris is out here with new music. This time he teams up with everyone's fave, Dua Lipa, who brings her trademark deadpan vocals to Harris's return to electronic music after dabbling in "real instruments." It's a little repetitive, but it's also highly danceable. The whole tone of the song is very 1989 by way of diva vocals; or, put in shorthand, ACS: Versace-friendly. Gentle reminder that April is not too early to be going for song of the summer.
Sabrina Claudio feat. Khalid "Don't Let Me Down"
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There isn't an opening for the new Sade, but that's not stopping Sabrina Claudio from trying to fill it. She's got shades of Mya and Jhene Aiko in her whole aesthetic, too, and on this track she's got some fly calypso beats and guest vocals from Khalid. Their call and response is hotness overload, where she goes breathy and he holds the baseline of the melody. If you were wondering what your summer make-out playlist for 2018 should start with, we found it. Now can someone tell us where to get her leopard print bikini?
Wild Moccasins "Boyish Wave"
I grew up in Houston, so I had to give Wild Moccassins a listen when they hit my inbox. I've got a soft spot for everyone from my hometown (looking at you, Bey). It's got that glam rock vibe that I'm a sucker for and makes me want to toss my hair around while doing my best Molly Ringwald kick dance. Apparently it's about breakups and relationships gone wrong, but you could have fooled me. All I hear in the music is a good time.
FLETCHER "I Believe You"
I've heard several #MeToo songs at this point, and I kind of thought I was done being emotional about them. Then I hit play on this one. FLETCHER spoke to lots of other female songwriters and women in music before writing this track, and just thinking about it makes me both sad and pissed. I love that it's an affirmation, though, for people who haven't said anything because they can't imagine anyone would believe them. There are a lot of guys in studios. FLETCHER just launched a "we see you" missive.
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After my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to matchmake people with music they might like. So, I wrote a book called Record Collecting for Girls and started interviewing musicians. The Music Concierge is a column where I share music I'm listening to that you might enjoy, with a little context. Follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or leave me a comment below and tell me what you're listening to this week.
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