With Glastonbury in the rear-view mirror for another year, it stands to reason that you might need a little mid-summer pick-me-up. Thankfully it's time for another Friday Fresh, and with this week's edition featuring everything from soaring pop bops to buzzy alt-rock bangers, there's guaranteed to be something here to bring you back to life.
D Double E - Fantastic
Taken from D Double E’s new EP Bluku! Bluku! 2, Fantastic is… well. Making an infrequent trip into drill, D Double E has dropped something that wouldn’t seem out of place in Batman’s Gotham City – dark and noirish, an evocative string section bringing to mind wet urban streets and strength in the shadows.
Headie One ft. Frenna - Bigger Than Life
Headie One’s collaboration with Frenna brings a smooth, luxe vibe. Even before watching the music video, it’s clear there are going to be yachts and clear blue pools involved. Bigger Than Life is exactly as advertised – an outsize declaration of ambition and growth, in a jet-setting summer package.
Mabel ft. Lil Tecca - Let Love Go
Are you ready to dance? Let Love Go is a sad song dressed up in disco's clothes, endlessly catchy and danceable but with an undercurrent of lost love and attempts at forgiveness.With just two weeks to go before the release of her second album About Last Night...., Mabel is primed and ready to launch.
Lava La Rue - Don't Come Back
In something of a theme for this week’s Friday Fresh, Lava La Rue’s latest is about being in a relationship that you know you shouldn’t be in. A rich track with a lush bass groove, Don’t Come Back is a tantalising glimpse into the upcoming EP Hi-Fidelity.
Sampa the Great ft. Chef 187, Tio Nason and Mwanjé - Never Forget
Never Forget is the second single from Sampa the Great’s upcoming album As Above, So Below, but she’s also called it ‘the new Zambian national anthem’. Featuring fellow Zambian artists Chef 187, Tio Nason, and Mwanjé, Never Forget is a triumphant celebration of the country’s cultural output. Built on the foundation of a kalindula – a traditional bass guitar – the track puts Zamrock at the forefront.
Yungblud - Don't Feel Like Feeling Sad Today
Short and sharp, Don't Feel Like Feeling Sad Today is a shot of energy and joyful defiance. Yungblud rejects depression, refuses to feel bad about disembodied voices on the internet, stands up straight and brings the audience with him. Just what the doctor ordered.
RAYE - Hard Out Here
Not to be confused with the Lily Allen song of the same name, RAYE's Hard Out Here marks her first solo single as an independent artist. A raw, truthful expression of anger and a push against misogyny, Hard Out Here doesn't hold back.
Paolo Nutini - Radio
Sometimes you need something a little bit tender. Paolo Nutini’s got that covered. Radio is filled with longing and introspection, a sort of love-song in waiting. Taken from Paolo’s new album Last Night in the Bittwersweet, it's just the thing for a moody evening in.
Fred again.. - Jungle
Teaming up with Four Tet for a co-production, Fred again.. has dropped a plot twist in Jungle. Also featuring a sample from Elley Duhé’s Immortal, Jungle lulls you in with a melodic beginning and then pulls the ripcord, sending things spinning.
Pale Waves - Jealousy
Pale Waves kick things off with a buzz-saw guitar riff on this ode to singer Heather Baron-Gracie’s obsessive tendencies, and the atmosphere does feel slightly ominous. But Pale Waves say there’s also power in jealousy – and they’ve definitely delivered on that front. Here is a riotous slice of alt-indie from the much awaited new album Unwanted.
Faux Real - Full Circle
Smooth, soulful and humorous, Faux Real’s tracks often feel like stepping into the landscape of a dream. Full Circle is no exception. A looping, layered bop, Full Circle digs into the inevitability of certain choices and the chaos of finding yourself back at the start of something you thought was finished.
Rina Sawayama - Catch Me in the Air
Rina Sawayama’s cinematic latest reflects on the relationship between mother and daughter, each pulling the other closer and pushing them away. Catch Me in the Air shows off Rina's range, both a powerful belter of a track and simulatenously as light and soaring as the title suggests.
