Steve Lacy released his debut album today. Both stylistically and thematically diverse, Apollo XXI is an impressive opus that dives to the depths of the young musician’s self. The record’s second track, Like me, stands out for its honesty as well as the fact that it’s technically three songs in one. “It was kinda like a middle finger to the people who were like, you can’t make this song longer than three minutes and I was like alright I’ll give you nine minutes, how’s that?” Steve said of this week’s playlist opener in his recent cover feature with i-D. “It’s basically my journey, my sexuality. But in a very fun and witty way, it’s not really that serious, it’s not super sad. I think it’s my journey, it’s an expression of how I feel right now.”
Also in the mood to share is bedroom pop dream Clairo. On her new single Bags, the 20-year-old recalls trying to find the right time to discuss her sexuality. It’s the lead single from her debut album, Immunity, out 2 August, which she’s anxious to share with the world. “The whole record is really just things I never thought I would tell anyone,” she told us this week. “I was given a platform and even if I’m still figuring my sexuality out, I need to be open and I need to let the world know that whatever they’re feeling, in their small town, lots of other people are also feeling.”
This side of the Atlantic, Norwegian angel Lil Halima just released a very nice EP called for the bright days, whose sweet single who do u love bags top spot in our hearts. Elsewhere, FlyLo and Denzel Curry’s surprise collab on old school Black Balloons Reprise fucking rules. It’s one of the highlights of the former’s new album Flamagra, out today on Warp, which quietly boasts features from Thundercat, Tierra Whack, Toro Y Moi, David Lynch, Solange and more across 27 whole tracks.
Also on the playlist are quality new tunes from London psych rockers Doobie Fontaine, Hackney collective NSG, Japanese jazz head Kan Sano, eternal emo S.T Manville, guitar-toting Dubliner Sorcha Richardson and plenty more where that came from. Get stuck in, kids.