The Drop: Your Guide To New Music Friday Featuring Asta, Canvas & The Summer Set
Fridays can be overwhelming for pop aficionados. Every week you’re bombarded with a glut of new music, which can lead to ear candy falling through the cracks. I’m hoping to circumvent that tragic scenario with a new feature called The Drop — a cheat sheet to help you survive New Music Friday. By now you’re already fuckin’ with Iggy Azalea’s “Team” (or not) and possibly bopping along to Ariana Grande’s “Be Alright.” But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s start with Australian synth-pop siren Asta, who delivered one of my favorite pop songs of 2015 with “Dynamite.” The 22-year-old returns with “Wild Emotion” — a shimmery ode to the ’80s that falls somewhere between La Roux and Ladyhawke. It’s effortlessly euphoric and promises extremely good things for her debut LP. Another antipodean release well worthing checking out is MayaVanya’s “Caffeine.” The sisters brew a heady shot of R&B-infused electronica that should win them a lot of blog love. I’m curious to hear more.
While those acts have yet to break internationally, Denmark’s Lukas Graham has conquered the globe with “7 Years.” They share another track from their self-titled debut LP (due April 1) this week and it’s something of contrast to their hugely depressing hit. “Drunk In The Morning” sounds like a cut from Maroon 5’s Hands All Over album, which isn’t exactly a bad thing. There might be more to them than I previously thought. Further proof that pop has no borders is TP4Y’s “Million Bucks.” The Dutch girl band gives Fifth Harmony a run for their money with their percussion-heavy banger. Feast your eyes on the camp video (below).
As for local pop produce? Arizona pop/rockers The Summer Set tease fourth LP Stories For Monday (due April 1) with “Jean Jacket.” The track is equal parts Bruce Springsteen and The Killers with its blue-collar bent and glossy coat of shiny synths. Canada’s Paper Lions mine a similar vibe on toe-tapping single “Call Back,” but don’t quite reach the same ’80s pop/rock heights. Major Lazer explore a wildly different sound on “Number One” — a dancehall-infused collaboration with Grandtheft. Diplo & Co. are giving it away for free, so you have no excuse not to download it and drop it low!
If you’re hungry for more Caribbean rhythms, look no further than Krishane’s “Inconsiderate.” The Jamaican newcomer is quietly carving a niche as the second coming of Shaggy with a string of accessible dancehall-pop concoctions. The remainder of the week’s noteworthy new releases come from England and Sweden. North London duo Gorgon City return with future big-room staple “All Four Walls,” while Newcastle DJ Riton brings recent UK top 20 hit “Rinse & Repeat” stateside.
Another Brit making waves is JP Cooper. The SXSW buzz act showcases his soulful vocals on highly relatable anthem “Five More Days,” the first taste of his debut LP. That leaves us with the ever-reliable Swedes. Producer Syn Cole teams up with Madame Buttons (A.K.A. hit songwriter Kelly Sheehan) for bright and summery club anthem “The Daze.” On the other end of the EDM spectrum is Canvas’ beautifully sleepy electro-lullaby “Spell It Out.”
What’s the best new track of the week? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
