Chance The Rapper, Same Drugs
In a soft pink studio, with a 70s style TV sheen, Chancellor Bennett offers a rework of his modern piano ballad, this time with a life-size puppet, complete with flapper headpiece and yearning angelic vocals courtesy of Eryn Allen Kane. The video premiered live on Chance’s Facebook account earlier this week, but you can watch the video and its hearty snowstorm ending here in preparation for a weekend of similar weather.
Hercules & Love Affair, Controller ft. Faris Badwan
Andy from Hercules & Love Affair has teamed up with Faris from The Horrors on a disco-house party tune about intense sub-dom sexual role play. “I wanted a vocalist who flirted with the darkness,” says Andy. “”I agreed to work with Andy on the condition that he would take me on a tour of Ghent’s S&M clubs,” says Faris.
Dirty Projectors, Cool Your Heart ft. D∆WN
The second video and single from Dirty Projectors’ new album is the stop-start but soulful Cool your Heart featuring vocals by D∆WN that are co-written by Solange. Watch to find out exactly what it is that they’re walking towards along that long dark road. Some would say that the video a visual metaphor for frontman Dave Longstreth’s journey after his break-up from ex DP vocalist Amber Coffman. Some wouldn’t bother reading into it.
Courage x Lao Ra, Wild At Heart
This one gives us an overwhelming urge to go an watch Drive for the hundredth time. A joint effort from London producer Courage and that great Colombian singer we told you about last year called Lao Ra, it’s synth-y and beautiful.
Solo 45, 5ive ft. Stormzy
Thankfully not about the hair-gel lacquered 90s bad boy pop group, 5ive opens with surveillance state visuals and brings a horse onto the estate echoing Dizzee’s Sirens. Closer to death metal than your usual 140bpm grime beat, the frenzied end to this video calls for all-out war. Bring five guns, five and whips and let it ring.
Marika Hackman, Boyfriend
Yes, Marika! Now performing with very awesome The Big Moon as her backing band, in her new single she ridicules all the men who think that girls liking girls is just a dream, just a bit of fun, just something for them to get off on. “Boyfriend is payback for all those times I’ve been interrupted mid-snog by some seedy wanker asking to join in,” she confirmed.
Grimes ft. Janelle Monáe, Venus Fly
After roles in Hidden Figures and Moonlight, two of contemporary American cinema’s most challenging and important films, Janelle Monae dives into the dressing up box with Claire Boucher for this anthemic new Grimes video. Yes, we know it surfaced on Tidal last week, but it’s just been uploaded to YouTube and the whole world can enjoy it. Equal parts fairytale and nightmare, Boucher’s big ideas get the big budget treatment, complete with real flaming swords and oil baths. Someone give her the green light for a feature film!
AJ Tracey, Luke Cage
Following a string of internationally shot promos for tracks off his Lil Tracey EP, AJ heads to the Big Apple to riff on the Marvel/Netflix hero in the character’s hometown. Hoodie down over his face, he’s taking his Anglo attitude stateside and we’re fairly sure he ain’t really tryna stop right now.
School of X, Words
Meet Rasmus. Rasmus is MØ‘s drummer. He also happens to be very talented, very handsome and in the early stages of launching his solo project, School of X. We’re into it.
Avelino feat. Stormzy and Skepta, Energy
Tottenham’s Avelino only went and got both Stormzy and Skepta on his new track. That’s like scoring a shiny Charizard in your first pack.
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn and Tom Ivin