Happy Friday! It’s January 8, 2021 and this week we got five amazing picks for you to check out. There’s fresh tracks from pop star Zayn, Grammy-winning rock band Kings Of Leon, 10x Grammy winner Taylor Swift, Grammy-nominated EDM duo Galantis with TikTok star JVKE & indie pop band London Grammar. All that and more in this week’s New Music Friday post here at Philip’s Music Corner.
“Vibez” by ZAYN
27-year-old singer-songwriter Zayn Malik released his latest single “Vibez,” which is the first for this year and follows last year’s release, “Better.” His highly-anticipated new album, Nobody Is Listening drops next Friday. In this song, he’s just straight up vibing (pun intended) with his girlfriend, Gigi Hadid. But for listeners/fans alike, the sensual feelings can be directed to your own respective lover. I thought the song’s lyrics were carefully thought out. It’s very intimate, passionate, and will fuel future healthy love-making sessions for days to come. A snippet of the chorus goes like this:
Don’t keep me waiting
I’ve been waiting all night to get closer
Yeah, you already know I got it for you
You know the vibes, know the vibes, put it on ya
If it movin’ too fast, we go slower
The music video opens up in a theater as if we were watching a Broadway play. It starts off with Zayn alone in a bedroom then he gets up to go for a drive in a mock mini car. It then cuts to Zayn on a treadmill walking through an imaginary forest filled with fireflies surrounding him then cuts to him on a boat named the S.S. Malik. He meets a friendly whale then goes back on land to sit on a couch which transitions back to the bedroom with another clone of Zayn watching from the theater seats. Very imaginative and an interestingly produced video. The description for the video recommends you to watch and listen to the video via headphones for a more immersive experience. How do you like the video? Share your feedback in the comments below.
Anyways, this song would make a perfect choice for your Valentine’s playlist(s) this year and beyond. It also would work well for your date night playlists. Enjoy!
You can expect a total of 11 tracks to be a part of the first time dad’s new album. Also, expect tour dates to be released once the pandemic clears. Visit his official website to stay updated on all the latest news.
“The Bandit” by Kings Of Leon
Nashville-based rock band Kings of Leon have emerged from their five year long hiatus this week with the announcement that their upcoming eighth studio album titled, When You See Yourself will be releasing on March 5th. Two new singles dropped yesterday afternoon giving fans a sampling at what’s to come.
There will be 11 new tracks on the new record. Lead single, “The Bandit” is what I would like to highlight this week. This black-and-white music video shows the band jamming out to the rocking new track. It’s another solid song from the Grammy-winning band if I do say so myself. I love the guitar melody/chord progressions. It really drives the song’s lyrics and Caleb Followill’s leading vocals.
This track was produced by Markus Dravs. For those who don’t know who Dravs is, he helped produced hit songs like “Paradise,” and “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay as well as “The Suburbs,” and “Reflektor” by Arcade Fire just to name a few.
On KOL’s Twitter page, they released the full track list plus the album art and in case you wanted to know how those look like, feel free to click here.
“it’s time to go” by Taylor Swift
Alas, the bonus tracks off Taylor Swift’s latest album, evermore are out! “it’s time to go” is about her past relationship with her old record label, Big Machine Label Group and the recent public drama surrounding her masters of her first six albums which were acquired by Scooter Braun and then later sold for profits without her consent. As we speak, she’s in the process of re-recording all her old albums so that she can claim the upper-hand again.
It’s also about when you have that gut feeling to leave, you have to listen to yourself and do so. It’s not a weak move, rather it’s the opposite as the 31-year-old sings, “Sometimes giving up is the strong thing/Sometimes to run is the brave thing/Sometimes walking out is the one thing/That will find you the right thing.”
This can also apply to a dead end job, a bad boss, a sour relationship with a friend, partner, etc. You know when your time is up in these situations and you have to cut them out of your life.
Sonically speaking, the track fits well with evermore‘s overall aesthetic. The National’s Aaron Dessner once again helped co-wrote the track with Swift and I give them both kudos for creating another smart song that’s smooth to the ears.
Feel free to check out “right where you left me,” the second bonus track off the deluxe edition of evermore. According to her Instagram post, that track is all about “a girl who stayed forever in the exact spot where her heart was broken, completely frozen in time.”
“Dandelion” by Galantis & JVKE
Swedish EDM group Galantis joins up with rising artist and TikTok star, JVKE in “Dandelion.” This is a song for those who fell in love but was dumped suddenly. The love you had was sadly just a temporary phase much like the life cycle of a real life dandelion flower. Dandelions go from flower to seeds and then disperse away with the wind in a relative short period of time.
See the chart below if you’re curious to see visuals:
Aurally speaking, the song still has an up tempo beat to it despite the heartbreaking verses. Love the overall production of this track. If you love any of Galantis’ previous work such as “Runaway (U & I)” or “Bones feat. OneRepublic,” you’ll likely enjoy this one too. It’s expected that this track will appear on Galantis’ fourth studio album which currently has no release date. Hopefully we will hear more from the hitmakers soon.
As far as JVKE’s talents, I give him props for expanding his career outside the TikTok realm by collaborating with the likes of Galantis. I wonder who he will work with next?!? What direction does he take as he enters his 20s soon? The 19-year-old artist has the potential to be the next Surf Mesa or Surfaces in my opinion.
Visually, the accompanying music video seen above shows JVKE vibing along some trippy backgrounds featuring planets, dandelions, butterflies, dolphins and more! Love the cool graphics and the colors used all throughout! How about you?
This song will definitely be on repeat for a long time! The whistling is soooo infectious! 😃
“Lose Your Head” by London Grammar
Indie pop group, London Grammar released the third track off their upcoming third album, Californian Soil. It’s called “Lose My Head,” and it’s quite an impressive track to hear.
It’s very lofty, ethereal, and pleasant for anybody to hear despite the dark undertones in the lyrics. The song itself is great for easy listening playlists, for those wake up in the morning playlists, meditation session playlists, and sitting by the fireplace kind of playlists!
Lead singer Hannah Reid stands aboard a makeshift sailboat in a sparkly outfit in the music video seen above. I love the use of the shimmery tarp-like fabrics to make it seem like she’s out in the ocean. The color scheme reminds me a lot like Taylor Swift’s Lover artwork.
From 2:45 and on in the video, it gave me chills as Reid gets swept into the proverbial “sea.” From my interpretation, this represents the risks of jumping out of your comfort zone. You don’t know what’s out there. Sometimes it can be rewarding but in this scenario, you’re left struggling. What that struggle truly is can vary depending on the listener.
I highly recommend you give this song by London Grammar a listen. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of their new album when it drops on April 9th!
That wraps up this week’s post! Thank you all for reading another edition of New Music Friday. If you liked what you read, kindly click on the follow button down below. Also if you like, please support my work by donating to my Paypal. I truly appreciate it!
Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings about any of these picks in the comments box down below! Cast your vote on the songs featured this week by giving them a thumbs up or a thumbs down. As always, stay safe and happy listening!
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