Ever since my first job at MTV working as a music programmer, I can't stop trying to match 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. Get everything I've recommended this year on Spotify, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and leave a comment below telling me what you're listening to this week.
Miquela feat. Teyana Taylor "Machine"
Imagine being a robot-pop star and getting to collaborate with a musical icon. Now look to Miquela, because that's precisely what happened for her. This languid bop will get you through the rocky waves of life, but don't let the smooth groove the song is built on fool you. These women are serious about one thing: having boundaries.
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Skullcrusher "Places/Plans"
Helen Ballentine, the singer/songwriter who is Skullcrusher, is creating a study in subtle, tiny moments. That's the theme of her songwriting, but it's also an apt description for her sound. Obviously, that means playing acoustically, but it also means asking existential questions about life and the decisions we make in it and how those decisions lead others to perceive us. If you're at the quiet reflection point in your quarantine, this is for you.
Get all our recommendations. Listen to the full New Music To Know in 2020 playlist on Spotify:
Njomza "Bite"
You might recognize the vibe on Njomza's song. She worked with Ariana Grande on her last album (and was discovered by Mac Miller). That sexiness that Grande captured on 7 rings is all up front here, springing out of the roots from whence it came. It's a mood. A sexy mood.
Very Very "Daydreams"
I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of time at home these days, looking out my windows and daydreaming. Very Very, a Toronto producer/singer, has captured the ennui that goes with that stillness I'm feeling. Maybe I have more revenge plots floating around in my mind, unable to act on them while we're quarantined, than the average person? I love how vaguely menacing the melody of this song is.
Niiva "Love Games"
Been texting with an ex during the quarantine? Yeah, this song is probably for you. Cracks showing in your relationship as you quarantine apart? Also probably for you. It's a damn shame.
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