The last lap of 2019 has been a rather exciting scene to witness and in this very last moment, the race gets more intense with artist dropping music before the buzzer sounds off. In addition to all the listicles citing the best albums, artists or moments over the space of the year, we keep the momentum going this today. 5 for Friday is buzzing with some unexpected sounds that might tickle your fancy so open up your ears and hear the latest songs below.
SiR – Mood (Official Video) ft. Zacari
With all the talk about chasing the proverbial bag and making money moves — head nod to Cardi B — at all costs. SiR manifests this reality with the infectious ‘Mood,’ using echoing gun shots to show the lengths we go to secure the money bag. “I ain’t in the mood if I ain’t in my bag”, Zacari dismissively sings with a velvety softness that makes you consider whether he’s being frank or just plain rude.
SiR’s locker of sound boasts all the qualities you would find in a R&B and soul singer’s library; slow-burning sonics, romantic subjects and sultry rhymes, however, like its lead single ‘Hair Down’, ‘Mood’ infuses core Hip-Hop elements. The omnipresent organ plays an elongated tune while the sizzling hi-hats and drums carry the vigour of a charged up rap record. SiR’s caught up in a love triangle between himself, his girl and money, proving that rappers and singers aren’t so different from each other. SiR’s falsetto notes simmer in gently like a body on memory foam and blends with the feathery ad libs uttered from Zacari. If there’s anything you would be in the mood for today, it would have to be this.
Lancey Foux – India
Bending sonics has never been something out of the usual for a left-field rapper like Lancey Foux. ‘India’, the second single from his album ‘Friend Or Foux,’ is a colourful production exploding each second like mines on a battlefield. It landed back in August, but today the single gets a visual treatment a day ahead of the album.
The fractured soundscape is something like an oxymoron, and a chaotic sample streams electro-waves in circular motion to surging arcade-style synths. All the while, Lancey Foux floods the offering with lauded passion that swings from sing-song voicing to high-pitched outbursts. “We been keepin’ it lowkey. My lil’ baby a OG, she don’t need nothin’ from me”, he raps, over a flip of Playboi Carti’s ‘Foreign,’ produced by Lou Beats. In the visual, Lancey Foux is joined by his lady who escorts him on a romantic joy ride which eventually goes down hill. Trying to grasp this disjointed love song is as hopeless as trying to decipher a back masked track, like the one you’re currently listening to.
Rachel Foxx – Morning
Whether you like it or not, R&B music has a home in the UK and the new wave of talent is something to boast about. Singers in all shapes and sizes will have you scanning Spotify like a shopping list; with strains of R&B such as alternative and future sonics, there’s so much to pick from. ‘Morning’ is a distinct cut from Rachel Foxx, which infuses smoky soulful R&B with lightweight hip-hop production.
Distinct from the quirky, pop records in the spotlight, ‘Morning’ is a slow-moving song with classy major scale keys accented by chilling cymbals. Rachel Foxx doesn’t want to be a second thought and on the offering she croons in level with low pitch harmonies, which subtly seep into your psyche. Although, the static melody splits and expands into shimmering chords, Foxx shakes it up with her elegant vocals heralding a Jazzy saxophone ending as the song unwinds into nothingness.
James Vickery – Tear It Apart (with Kenny Beats)
Two worlds come together as James Vickery and hotshot producer Kenny Beats come together on a song, which leans towards the themes of Teddy Pendergrass ‘When Somebody Loves You Back.’ But how, you say? Bar the raw, husky vocals and soulful essence of the ‘70s style production, ‘Tear It Apart’ yields an emotional vulnerability.
A stark contrast from the soundscapes Kenny Beats has whacked out for the likes of KEY!, Rico Nasty and Cousin Stizz. ‘Tear It Apart’ plucks at R&B and charges it up with quelled electronica, the guitar carries a sun-tinged acoustic groove as James Vickery lights up the sonic with holy croons. Sidelined by rich ad libs, I can picture Vickery billowing these soothing notes from a church pulpit on a Sunday morning. This melancholic offering is given the brightest touch, it possesses the redemptive qualities of gospel music. An emotional outpouring from Vickery in which he recounts a divine kind of love, he draws a parallel between his lover and the sun, lifting him out of a dark place. This songs will by no doubt resonate with you, too.
Yussef Dayes – Duality
Yussef Dayes —one half of the Jazz duo Yussef Kamaal — shares a single which morphs two Jazz tempos into one. You don’t need to have exquisite taste or a glass of fine red wine to enjoy this one, ‘Duality’ blends slick synths with suave drum strokes to create a mood-setting song which tilts towards the edge.
In the Florian Joahn directed visual, Dayes is in-frame with instruments, dazzling art pieces and a brown skinned lady with thick braids. The first cut, ‘For My Ladies,’ plays like an intimate jam session between skilful musicians rocking a criminally smooth set, pairing deep bass hums across playful piano keys. Sooner rather than later, the sonic fades from shallow textures to a rough composition where the keys swivel into a frantic frenzy. When we arrive at ‘Othello,’ it feels like you’ve taken a wrong turn once the drums and guitar synchronise in the rhythm section, but that’s up until the 4:44 minute, where the tense arrangement disappears into the air, leaving no trace of the havoc that was just caused.
