V’s New Music Round-Up

Here are some of the best and biggest releases of the week

Hello and welcome! Are you already regretting not living the holiday break to the fullest? Do you need the dose of a new playlist to usher you back into normalcy (well, pandemic normalcy)? Then welcome to V’s new music round-up, where we tune you into some of the week’s biggest and best releases, whether they be singles or albums.

Here are this week’s top picks:

“Vibez” by ZAYN

Zayn Malik makes his way back to the musical stratosphere with “Vibez,” the second single off his upcoming album, Nobody is Listening. ZAYN embraces some very smooth, very lush production on the new track, giving himself a song that wouldn’t be out of place on any 2020 chart top ten with a beat that just sticks to the back of your brain.

“right where you left me” AND “it’s time to go” by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s evermore is the gift that keeps on giving, with these two bonus tracks finally being released on streaming. “right where you left me” continues on the Americana journey of the parent album and takes you through an emotional and vivid storyline. And while that continues on “it’s time to go,” the track sees Taylor embracing more modern sounds, almost sounding like one of the 80s disco driven tracks of the past year. Two more solid offerings!

“Best Friend” by Saweetie ft. Doja Cat

The two prettiest bad girls of pop-rap, Saweetie and Doja Cat, come together for this best friend anthem that simply screams “make me a TikTok challenge!” The differences in their voices and flows are extremely apparent, but that enhances the song by allowing them each to shine in their own moments and pump each other up.

“drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo

17year-old Disney star Olivia Rodrigo speaks to her age group with her new track, but that isn’t a bad thing. It’s a story of heartbreak, sadness, and anger that many people could relate with and told simply over a simple piano-driven beat (yes, a beat with a piano). What the track truly does is allow for Rodrigo’s vocals to shine and provide the perfect showcase for the evocative powerhouse she can be.

“Love Is Back” by Celeste

From one second of this song, you know this is going to be R&B gold. Celeste’s vocals layer on, rich as always, but as the track continues to go on, it takes so many turns; going from a signature R&B sound, to reminiscent of Back to Black-era Amy Winehouse, to bringing in the horns and sounding like a Bond theme. The song keeps things interesting as it keeps playing, making for a great and continually engaging listen.

“Into You” by Melanie C

Sporty Spice Melanie C’s latest single is the kind of instant throwback we need (and deserve) in this time. It’s evocative of all the best bits of early and mid-2010s Europop and dance-pop, the kind that shot artists like Avicii and Jess Glynne to the top. And it brings the signature vocals that have always kept her music interesting, not to mention the fact that it makes us miss the dance floor.

“Talk You Down” by Charlotte Lawrence

While Charlotte Lawrence’s newest track is also evocative of the 2010s like the one above it, it brings in an element of late 2010s-early 2020s to make more of a fusion. It embraces the atmospheric, almost reverberating sound of 2020s mainstream with the upbeat melodies and pumping beats that people loved about the decade past, not to mention a voice to match.

“Use Somebody” by DVSN

Canadian duo DVSN’s newest offering is a cover version of Kings of Leon’s Grammy-winning smash hit. But it also mashes it up with their other big hit, “Sex on Fire.” Together, through some holy production magic, they produce a song that can only be described as pop for the bedroom, a synth-driven track that embodies the romantic vibe of modern-day high school (think “Riverdale”).

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