There’s been a lot of great albums out this year, like, a lot. Yet somehow, this week is starting to look like the biggest week of 2018 yet. We know that’s a big claim, but consider this: our round-up of the week’s best new songs features cuts from Young Thug, Nicki (last Friday but still), Aminé, Ariana Grande, and Stefflon Don – a pack of heavy-hitters if there ever was one.
Of course, that’s not all that made the cut this week. We have some huge viral hits in the form of the instantly-iconic Doja Cat and we have one of the filthiest sex jams in recent memory thanks to the return of Brooke Candy, and that’s still just scratching the surface of this bunch of highlights.
So enough chit-chat, dig into this edition of Best Tracks of the Week below.
Aminé - "DAPPERDAN"
As far as surprise music releases of 2018 go, Aminé's ONEPOINTFIVE is way up there on the list. Without a doubt, a highlight of the project is Rickey Thompson's sassy interludes peppered throughout, and "DAPPERDAN" features the YouTube star exclaiming, "You see me doin' shit, b****, and I've got you shook!" Aminé also recruited Chicago's G Herbo for the trunk-rattling track, and together their wordplay is an unstoppable flex. - B
Ariana Grande - "borderline" ft. Missy Elliott
From the first time I heard "no tears left to cry." I knew Sweetener was going to be a masterpiece. When Ariana shared that Pharrell produced half of the album, I was sure it would slap. And a Missy Elliott feature to boot? Say no more, fam. "borderline" sounds like it's from both 2005 and 3005, with its tinges of futuristic Clipse type beats, and celestial synths. In all, it's an extremely cute, easy breezy track about being "the wifey type." Works for me. - B
Brooke Candy - "My Sex" ft. MNDR, Mykki Blanco, Pussy Riot
She set the world of underground music on fire with her first slew of singles at the beginning of the decade, but Brooke Candy has been conspicuously absent from the conversation in the years since. Well buckle up, Brooke is back in town. This time around she’s got Mykki Blanco, MNDR, and mother-effing Pussy Riot in tow for a dirty-ass sex jam (literally, scat play is involved) that will turn the stomach of the more vanilla angels out there. This sex not only rules, this sex reigns over an empire of eroticism. - J
Doja Cat- “Mooo!”
Rome wasn't built in a day, but Doja Cat was able to write, record, and shoot a music video for the perfect song - "Mooo!" - B
Lauren Faith- “Just A Little” (prod. Kaytranada)
Now this is how you make a debut, baby! There's a strong possibility that this bumpin' Kaytranada-produced single will convince you to take a step back and enjoy the remainder of summer while it's still here. Now that the British singer-songwriter has my attention, I look forward to hearing what else she has in store on her forthcoming EP. - S
Melii- “Sh*t Talk”
Harlem is in the house and Melii is not here for bad energy. On this fiery track, the rapper puts all of the haters and trolls that are contaminating her life with negativity on notice. Sometimes, you just need to let it all out. - S
Nicki Minaj - “LLC”
As the dust has settled on the sudden, major drop of Nicki Minaj’s Queen last Friday, one thing has now been brought into razor-sharp focus: on her most rap-oriented record to date, “LLC” is the sharpest, hardest, fiercest, catchiest track of the bunch. Calling it one of the best songs in her catalog feels like an understatement; “LLC” is perhaps the only moment on this album that lives up to the huge talk she talked before it dropped. This alone cements her claim to the throne of Queen of Rap. - J
Rina Sawayama- “Cherry”
Make way for this pansexual bop! The concept of "coming out" continues to evolve, but Rina Sawayama really took it to the next level when she released this song into the universe where my wig is lost in orbit. This perfectly polished anthem feels like living in a technicolored future where the girl gaze rules all. - S
Stefflon Don - "What You Want" ft. Future
It’s technically not her first full-length, but Secure, the just released mixtape from Britain’s fierce femme MC in chief, has the weight of being her proper introduction to the world at large. And nabbing Future for the project’s standout track can only aid it in this respect. The link-up, while not one many would have expected, feels wholly natural, dripping in the sort of celebratory bombast many rappers spend their careers attempting to embody. Stefflon’s already got it, and then some. - J
Young Thug - "Chanel (Go Get It)"
This standout track from Young Thug’s latest project Slime Language features production that’s as lush as the designer house it’s named after. Thugger links up with Atlanta standouts Lil Baby and Gunna to let the world know that anything designer their girls want, they’ll get it. All we wanted from Slime Language was another heater, and Young Thug seemingly delivered. - A
In case you missed it, check out the previous edition of best tracks of the week right here.
