This Week’s Music is a weekly column that discusses the weeks’ best, worst, and most interesting songs. We try to select songs of different artists and genres to keep things interesting and to please a variety of music fans.
In this week’s column, we highlight the latest singles from two major pop stars and the release of a rock song from the veteran band Foxygen. Check them out:
Pop
Khalid — “Talk”
Khalid is one of our most interesting singers, releasing chart toppers that have more meat to them than the average pop song. The 20-year-old performer has had contributions with Billie Eilish, Normani, and more, so it wasn’t surprising then when he announced that Disclosure was producing his latest single. “Talk” is moody and entertaining, showing off Disclosure’s cool rhythms and Khalid’s always welcome voice. Although there’s nothing wrong with the song, I can’t help but wish that it worked harder or offered something more ingenious.
Ariana Grande — “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored”
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Ariana Grande’s last album Thank U, Next was released six months after Sweetener, the record that awarded her the title of 2018’s pop star of the year. Grande’s personal and public life have been well documented in the media and in her music, making Thank U, Next an album that people will speculate and mull over until their heads fall off. Still, none of this distracts from the fact that Grande is doing the best work of her career, finding new and darker ways of making pop songs. “Break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored,” is just as daring and fun as its name—if you’re still unconvinced about Ariana Grande, give it a listen.
Rock
Foxygen — Livin’ A Lie
“Livin’ A Lie” starts off like a lot of indie songs from bands made up of white guys, until it moves on and does something different. The sound becomes expansive and the song sprawls, with voices and noises popping up in different parts, resulting in something rather unexpected. Foxygen is always looking to push the envelope and weird you out, in a good way. Their sixth studio album titled Seeing Other People is slated for release on April and it’ll be worth a listen.
