New music: top ten releases
RISE – KATY PERRY
Katy Perry surprised fans last Friday with her new single ‘Rise’, a welcome addition following her last release in 2014. An anthemic ballad being rolled out for the NBC Olympics coverage, the song encourages listeners to rise above fear and display strength and fearlessness in the pursuit of goals. Perry’s vocals shine throughout the track and are quite powerful, a quality which was lacking in her previous singles. Since its release on Friday, the song has been on top of the Australian iTunes chart and is currently still at number one.
THIS COULD BE HEARTBREAK – THE AMITY AFFLICTION
The Australian metal band 'The Amity Affliction' has debuted their new single ‘This Could Be Heartbreak’, set to be released in August this year. Sharing the title with their anticipated album, the release offers a very solid track. Although remaining within the metal genre, the track displays the band’s most pop influenced music to date. The heavy riffs of the electric guitar creates an infectious chorus which is harmonised nicely by the vocals. Overall, the track is bound to have you singing even if you’re not usually fond of the particular genre.
SUPERLOVE – TINASHE
Tinashe has finally blessed fans with new music since her rocky journey in 2015. ‘Superlove’ is now the lead single from the upcoming album ‘Joyride’, which Tinashe has been teasing since early 2015. The song produced by ‘The-Dream and Tricky Stewart’ is an infectious, upbeat and happy number celebrating positivity and happiness. The release appears to have drifted away from the darker R&B songs such as ‘Party Favors’ and ‘Ride of Your Life’ that Tinashe produced in 2015. Due to record company disputes and disappointing sales, Tinashe has experienced setbacks to the album’s release. However, hopefully the success of this recent teaser will bring about her album sooner rather than later.
STARVING – HAILEE STEINFELD & GREY FEAT. ZEDD
A romantic pop song has been offered as the latest track in the ‘Pitch Perfect’ collaboration between Steinfeld and Zedd. The track starts off thinly, highlighting Steinfeld’s vocals, a guitar and a synth percussion beat. The controlled simplicity of the song then builds to the chorus, with the lyrics, “I didn’t know that I was starving, till I tasted you/ don’t need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo.” The track brings a distinct tropical-like sound that personally, I am loving. ‘Starving’ is reported to be Steinfeld’s first single from her long awaited first album.
GO OFF – M.I.A.
The lead single for M.I.A.’s fifth and final studio album “A.I.M” is a complete hit! Produced by Skrillex and Blaqstarr, clear Middle-Eastern influence may be detected in the strong beats and melody. M.I.A.’s raps showcase her usual strong self-determined attitude with lyrics, “Yeah you got it wrong / Cause my focus is so strong.” The English rapper claims this album is “The cleanest album I have,” adding “I just want it to be happy. And so far, there have been no complaints. It's another side to me completely.”
BODY SAY – DEMI LOVATO
Demi Lovato bares it all for her new single ‘Body Say’. The latest track by Lovato is her most confident song to date. Since her previous album, Lovato has been exploring different sounds that we haven’t previously heard from her. The song produced by Sir Nolan is downtempo and R&B influenced, with synthy bedroom beats exploring themes of sexuality and self-confidence.
CRUEL – SNAKEHIPS & ZAYN
British Electronic production duo Snakehips have collaborated with Zayn for their new single ‘Cruel’. The track follow’s their smash hit ‘All My Friends’, which featured Tinashe and Chance the Rapper. R&B influenced, featuring Malik’s moody and smooth vocals, the song builds to a lengthy chorus and is quite electric compared to Snakehips’ previous single. Additionally, the track showcases some of Zayn’s best vocal variations to date.
PAPERCUTS – ILLY FEAT. VERA BLUE
Illy has paired up with rising vocalist Vera Blue for his new single, hinting at a change of style in his future music. ‘Papercuts’ is a pop record featuring Illy’s usual rap behind a building and progressive beat that leads to Blue’s silky vocals. The two then join together harmoniously in the chorus and later in the bridge. Currently charting at number three on the iTunes charts, I am loving the sound of the track. It has a great sound to it and is something different from Illy’s usual tempo which is bound to work for him in his new album.
MAKE ME… - BRITNEY SPEARS FEAT. G-EAZY
After months of delay, the new track release by Britney Spears has truly disappointed me. When I first heard it was going to be an R&B song featuring rapper G-Eazy, I had pictured a somewhat better version of ‘Pretty Girls’ released in March last year. Instead, it features a slow tempo with a dark and moody tone, attempting at sensuality. G-Eazy appears after the second chorus and his bars fit in well with the track, although overall the single has yet to impact Australian charts. Already, it has slipped to #38 since the peak of its release where it sat at #5. Considering it was the lead single for her ninth album, I expected a bit more from Spears.
GIRLS TALK BOYS – 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER
After being leaked days before its official release, 5 Seconds of Summer’s new single for the movie ‘Ghostbusters’ was officially made available last Friday. The song is a departure from the bands’ previous punk rock style with, ‘Girls Talk Boys’ displaying a great funk pop sound, featuring an infectious guitar riff throughout the track. However, the standout of the song is ultimately the pre-chorus, with a funky beat chiming the introductory smooth falsetto vocals.
GET IT ALL – GTA & WAX MOTIF
Miami DJ duo GTA have collaborated with Sydney producer Wax Motif for their new single. The song is a dark and catchy R&B influenced track featuring smooth tenor male vocals, with a deep bass and rich beat. The track then moves into the drop after the chorus, which the pair have created as a take on the house genre, having a contrast from the first half of the track. Overall, a welcome single for waiting fans.
