Naomi Sharon – “Better Days”
I don’t usually post slow burn ballads, but this one actually impressed me. Strong presence. Emerging star.
Trim – “Coconut Water”
I like it. It’s fun, vibrant, and pretty catchy. It’s my first time hearing her, but she seems different than most other pop female rappers. Refreshing. I’m giving it a solid 3, not quite a 4 but there’s potential here. Nicki Minaj-esque.
Trap Dickey – “LA Nights”
Dope Weezer sample.
Calvin Harris, Jazzy – “Satisfy”
Review: Chris Brown “Brown” Album Review
Disappointing. I was highly anticipating to find a couple gems, but there’s not one in my opinion (outside of the “Holy Blindfold” single that came out last summer). It’s a long album at 27 songs, which is usually a red flag to me, but he’s put out a 40-song album that might actually be a bona fide R&B classic. BROWN just feels like a safe and borderline generic album. The features weren’t impressive to me. Maybe I just have way too high standards. But I should especially considering the kind of music he has put out over the past 20 years. I thought this article linked below was an excellent review of Chris Brown’s new album. I don’t do a whole lot of writing about music, so I’ll leave it to real writers like these at ShatterTheStandards.com.
Kehlani, Clipse – “No Such Thing”
Favorite track off her new album. This might require a second listen to fully appreciate how dope it is. It’s a modern-day radio-ready 90’s R&B/Hip Hop collab. Love it.
NEW: 5 Star Rating Scale
To add a new dimension and amplify the very best tracks posted here, I’m trying something new: A 5 Star Rating Scale.
1 Star: Subpar/Corny
2 Stars: Standard/Mid
3 Stars: Banger/Potential Hit
4 Stars: Elite/A cut above
5 Stars: One of the best I’ve ever heard in this genre
I want to give people an easy and eye-catching discovery experience, especially since it’s not my style to write a bunch of words to describe music. I used to enjoy being able to rate the songs in my iTunes collection on the 5 star scale. So I’m implementing that here. I rate songs primarily based on how impressed I am with what I’m hearing and how repeat-worthy it is to me. Most songs that come out today to me are 1s and 2s; most songs I post here are 3s. Keep in mind I’ve just about heard it all. A song I rate 3 stars is a bona fide dope song, especially compared to the super-basic and boring songs coming out of the industry these days.
But there’s still levels to the songs I do pick, so I want to make sure the few 4s and rare 5s get their flowers!
Naza – “Manie”
I haven’t heard a great catchy pop hit in a couple months, so I branched out to France’s new music releases to keep hunting for one worth posting and heard this gem. Love the high fashion vibe of this song. Reminds me of that early ’10s global electro pop sound. Super chic. Fun video too. We hear a lot of Spanish and Korean pop music in the mainstream now (and I’ve even posted a few), so why not a bit more French?!
John Summit, Feid – “CHICA 305”
I was debating whether to post this, because it’s so similar to a huge song he released a few years ago. But you know what, I have to admit, this is even better.
Dope New Music 