Remi Wolf
Monte Carlo
In an interview with i-D in April, LA pop eccentric Remi Wolf – real name! – claimed her favourite song was goofy 90s novelty hit How Bizarre by OMC. Her latest single has a similarly laidback feel, mixing infectious playground chants with Donkey Kong tropical zone beats, topped off by a brilliant falsetto declaration: “I’m gonna eat a bunch of fancy cheese!”
Slow Pulp
Falling Apart
While that name suggests a high-concept covers band who do Jarvis Cocker songs at low speed, Slow Pulp are actually a boho Chicago four-piece who specialise in the sort of gauzy folk-rock that should be piped into decompression chambers. On the shimmery Falling Apart, Emily Massey’s woozy vocals mesh so sweetly with the downbeat sonic mood that you may not even notice it’s a diss track.
SG Lewis ft Robyn and Channel Tres
Impact
There’s only one Robyn who is demonstrably cooler than Batman. The Swedish dance maven might be the most eye-catching feature on the latest moody house banger from young gun UK producer SG Lewis, but fellow guest Channel Tres provides some valuable lyrical ballast. His deadpan spoken-word incantations summon the ghost of Faithless in their unassailable pomp.
Cardi B ft Megan Thee Stallion
WAP
Uh-oh, my glasses have steamed up and it has nothing to do with how I’m wearing my face mask. Rather it’s the natural reaction to this extraordinarily bawdy team-up between two valkyries of raunch. Their wicked ping-pong match of totally hornographic S-E-X references ends up overpowering everything, including the minimalist beat. A wet wipe may be required (if you wear glasses or not).
Blink-182
Quarantine
The times may be uncertain but there is at least one depressing inevitability: every musician or novelist or whatever will hubristically try to channel 2020’s listless zeitgeist into some sort of era-defining artistic statement. Pop-punk silverbacks Blink-182 take their shot with this comfortingly corny rock-down that barely lasts two minutes. Cardi B would not be impressed.
