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 saw the release of Zayn’s new album, another song from The Chainsmokers and a vulnerable single from Reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny. Check them out:
Pop
Zayn – Let Me
Zayn’s latest album, “Icarus Falls,” was released on December 14th, sprawling 27 songs in an experiment that lasts an hour and a half. That sounds insane, but the songs aren’t particularly long and the album is clearly split in the middle, with one half featuring lighter and more romantic songs than the other. “Let Me” was the first song released in promotion of the album, back in April, and it’s the clear stand out. A breezy and kind of cheesy song, “Let Me” is romantic and pleasant even if at times it can be as ridiculous as its music video (very). Zayn is a talented performer, a pop star with a powerful falsetto and a career that could take him anywhere.
EDM
The Chainsmokers – Hope (ft. Winona Oak)
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The Chainsmokers’ latest single is a collaboration with Winona Oak, a Swedish singer who’s a relative newcomer with no records of her own. Her presence is the best part of the song, elevating it with her haunting and beautiful voice. “Hope” doesn’t break new ground for The Chainsmokers but it does provide a welcome change of pace. It’s, dare I say it, a pleasant auditory experience.
Reggaeton
Bad Bunny – Solo De Mi
Bad Bunny is an interesting character, a young reggaeton singer who’s capable of being vulnerable and genuine in an industry that’s not known for treasuring those sensibilities. Reggeaton’s popularity has been steadily growing in North America, giving Latino artists the opportunity to experiment with music and produce different type of songs. Still, the formula is pretty strict: Reggeaton singers are tough guys and they sing about sexy girls. While Bad Bunny is most definitely a part of this group, he also capable of discussing breakups and sadness, of wearing nail polish and being unapologetic.
