Oh, Frank. You went and did it, didn’t you? We were just about holding it together over here and you had to go and put those acoustic pieces of heaven on streaming platforms. First heard on Frank’s blonded radio show at the tail end of 2019, only fans dedicated enough to pre-order the vinyl had the pleasure of listening for a second, third and fortieth time. Until now. Flexing his Spanish skills across “Cayendo” and getting real reflective on “Dear April”, these are emotional drops befitting of the times. RIP to what would’ve been a Coachella headline set to rival all others.
Also on the playlist this week are three clear highlights from Headie One’s GANG EP with producer Fred again: collaborations with FKA Twigs, Jamie xx and Sampha. Talk about versatility! Yves Tumor’s wonderfully chaotic new album Heaven to a Tortured Mind is out today too. The tracklist jumps from lo-fi R&B to rock, funk and warped indie; lyrics dancing evocatively around the subject of sexuality. We’ve stuck the Kelsey Lu-featuring “Romanticist” here for you, but highly recommend listening to the full album, where you’ll also hear vocals lent by Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming.
Yaeji put out her debut mixtape WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던 yesterday on XL Recordings. The Brooklyn-based self-taught producer has described each track as a look into her diary, with inspiration pulled from all angles — from the Korean indie music she grew up on in Seoul to late 90s hip-hop and 00s R&B. Elsewhere, Rina Sawayama has written a beautiful and much-needed ballad dedicated to our chosen families. “I wrote this song for my chosen family, my gorgeous group of queer friends I now call family,” she shared on Instagram. “Pixels I hope this gives you joy and healing like it did for me.”
Of course there’s also Troye Sivan’s “Take Yourself Home” (so much more than just good advice in our current climate), Drake’s TikTok bop “Toosie Slide” and a track from Empress Of’s new album I’m Your Empress Of. Not enough for you? You’ll also find new music by Lindsay Lohan (yes, really), Celeste, duendita, Thundercat, Miink, Manga Saint Hilare and plenty more.