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.
This week was a great one for music, with Rosalia releasing her trailblazing new album, Ariana Grande gifting us her latest single, and Sufjan Stevens reminding us that he’s still got a bunch of songs up his sleeve. Check them out:
R&B
Rosalia – Pienso En Tu Mirá
Rosalia’s voice can blend into different genres. She doesn’t sound out of place on a Reggaeton track or on songs that follow the typical patterns of Spanish music, filled with castañuelas, stomps and the cutting sounds of clapping palms. Her music can make you think of Drake while also reminding you of Rosario Flores, which in theory shouldn’t work but it does. “Pienso En Tu Mirá” is a delirious tale of jealousy that blends a deep R&B sound with Spanish soul, all backed up by Rosalia’s powerful and expressive voice. It’s my favorite song of an incredible album. El Mal Querer, the singer’s second record, was released on November 2 and it’s simply an embarrassment of riches.
Pop
Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
Related: This Week’s Music: Carly Rae Jepsen, Cardi B, Boygenius Release New Songs
It’s hard to find new words to describe one of the year’s most beloved singles. Despite the fact that “Thank U, Next” has been out for less than a week, the public acclaim of the song is unlike anything else out there, inspiring hundreds of memes, Instagram videos and celebrity reactions. Ariana Grande’s latest is a breakup song that takes the high road, choosing self-love and gratefulness over pettiness and hard feelings. She’s such a badass that she manages to look classy while calling out all of her exes by name, concluding that she’s always had what she needed in herself.
Indie
Sufjan Stevens – Lonely Man Of Winter
Indie king Sufjan Stevens is back with a single that’s been waiting around since 2007. “Lonely Man Of Winter” was composed for Alex Duffy, winner of Xmas Song Xchange Contest, who played it for fans on exclusive listening parties throughout the world. The song is now available on vinyl and digital, and it features a bunch of trademark Sufjan Stevens details like mentions of the devil, Christmas, and the inclusion of his beloved piano and guitar arrangements. “Lonely Man Of Winter” won’t get Stevens any new fans but for his longtime followers it’s a song that’s lovely and comforting.
