We’ve collated a list of the best five new releases over the past week, all the way from Sydney to Brighton. Check them out below!
Luckily for all you music lovers, Happy Listening has returned for all your self-isolation and coronavirus cheering-up needs. We’ve seen some of the best new releases come out of this pandemic, and in the last week have been blessed with some awesome fresh tunes from around the world.
Here are five really cool ones you should be listening to this week; be sure to download them and follow these five awesome artists making tracks in the world of music.
Lolli – Fake Friends
Up and coming Sydney based singer-songwriter and rapper Lolli has released yet another banger of a song, titled Fake Friends. Playing a game with her fans, Lolli challenged people to find the name of the song in a find-a-word; something which I personally think contains names of future songs as well.
The catchy tune serves R&B vibes and features the talented rapper warning old friends who have turned to enemies to be cautious; “Through my lens they fake to me/God knows who they pretend to be”.
We love a queen who knows who she is and what she’s worth. Lolli, you are hotter than a Cheeto.
Kota Banks – Snip Snip
Keeping with the don’t-waste-my-time theme, legendary Sydney-based pop star Kota Banks has treated us to a song that says fuck you to anyone who dares to impact your life in a negative way. Let’s face it; who hasn’t snipped people out of their lives?
This track is the ultimate bop, serving a different and angrier rap-vibe than what we’re used to hearing from Banks (real name Jess Porfiri). “This song was me deliberately defying being passive and saying fuck that… It’s a hype up song that has really helped me make strong decisions for myself about who I give my time to,” she wrote on Instagram.
She also suggests y’all should workout to the song if you want a good sweat, and that’s a fair call. Enjoy this one queens, and remember, set your bar high.
JXN – NeverASadAdventure
Young Melbourne-based artist Jackson Brazier (a.k.a JXN) released brand new music through his debut EP in this past week and boy, is it a rollercoaster of R&B tinged alt-pop tunes. The EP features Outta Space which features Allday & Fossa Beats and journeys from the darkness of EARTHGANG through to the playful 90’s Fresh Prince style track PROUD.
Brazier says he’s always wanted to be a versatile artist, and that the EP is like nothing he’s ever released before. Versatility is certainly one of JXN’s strengths, with the artist only having been releasing original music for a year and being able to clock over 10 million streams worldwide.
I’d keep my eyes on this one if I were you. This is for sure one of the best new releases of the year.
Charli XCX – how i’m feeling now
This album by UK electro-pop legend Charli XCX will pretty much force you to invite your mates over for a massive dance party; because yes, we can do that now, keeping to five people of course. The record came as the artist set herself the ultimate quarantine challenge of writing, recording, and mixing an album from her home. Well, it’s safe to say she exceeded any expectations anyone had, which is super difficult considering the level of musical genius she is.
The album entitled how i’m feeling now journeys her experiences with anxiety, love and hope whilst stuck in isolation. It is an explosion of absolute musical goodness and if you do one thing this week, it should be to play these new releases through everything you’re doing while stuck inside.
Thank the musical gods we have legends like Charli. Listen to the album below:
Maisie Peters – The List
I’ve been obsessed with Maisie Peters since the release of her track Favourite Ex, and following her EP It’s Your Bed Babe, It’s Your Funeral I haven’t stopped streaming her music. So far this year, the emo-girl-pop singer from Brighton, England has released two songs; Daydreams – a song she wrote whilst sad and drunk in an Uber – and Smile – a brilliant feminist bop written for the Harley Quinn Birds of Prey movie.
Her third and perhaps one of my favourite songs of hers released this week; an isolation creation called The List. “It’s about liking yourself, even in moments when you really really don’t like yourself,” Peters wrote pre-release. You’ve just gotta listen to it yourself. Listen to the lyrics, appreciate the self-kindness and practise it. Plus, the song itself is a gorgeous melodic creation which is as catchy as Peters’ previous songs and of course, features her incredible vocals, making it another one of the best new releases of the year.
She even had fans collaborate to create the lyric video for the song, and it’s going to be fantastic. Keep an eye out on her socials for the video’s release. In the meantime, listen to The List below.
