Every week, seemingly a gazillion songs release on streaming services. From Soundcloud and Bandcamp exclusives to the endless array of songs on Spotify and Apple Music, it’s a lot to take in. Additionally, some of the tracks aren’t nearly as good as it should be. Who wants to waste their time sifting through records in fear that some aren’t very good. How can one possibly have the time to even do it?
This is where Noisey has you covered. We’re saving you time in the playlist department to narrow it down to the three most essential songs in hip-hop and R&B you should hear. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite artist or album in the process.
3 of The Best New HIP-Hop Songs of the Week
Cardo Got Wings x Rio Da Yung Og- “know he dead”
What makes Rio Da Yung Og one of the greatest rappers in the world is because he doesn’t overthink it. His off-the-cuff stream of consciousness over Cardo’s chilling Halloween chord stings oscillate between screw-faced intensity and absolute hilarity. “They wanna program you…” he tosses off in one line before immediately disposing it for callously linking up with a woman. “Lil Ron did not kill his self, the police did,” he chillingly raps before asking about lean. Rio is the kind of rapper who could actually freestyle for hours, not the memorized Funk Flex, Sway in the Morning verses.
Sexyy Red- “Is You Coo”
People give Sexyy Red a lot of strife for the kind of music she makes. People have called everything, from deeply derogatory slut-shaming to a literal CIA psyop. Admittedly, her music is staggeringly simple; raunchy, confrontational in her confidence, and parading in money showers. Sure, Sexyy Red knows the anatomy of a hit song; sticky adlibs and her addictive refrains sometimes play primitive but never the less swirl around the brain in its ignorance. But there’s a certain intangible quality to Sexyy that makes her music irresistible.
“Is You Coo” defines it– her music is powerful. Not powerful as in profound and moving but like how a tank can obliterate a house. Her sexual liberty and confidence is explosive, even more explicit because of her deranged yelling throughout the whole record. “Pretty b***h but I got some loose screws/Don’t get beat up like your mama used to” is hilarious but also strangely empowering. Unapologetic gets tossed around a lot but Sexyy Red really embodies it. She will fight anyone with something slick to say to her.
Mariah Carey- “In Your Feelings”
35 years into it, Mariah Carey could’ve very easily rested on her laurels. Lots of veterans in the music industry tend to wind down and reflect on their legacies, if they even record new music at all. Making records like Butterfly, Daydream, and The Emancipation of Mimi certifies the legacy. Mariah could kick her feet up and cash those “All I Want for Christmas is You” checks.
The other side of the coin involves shamelessly trend-chasing for validation or maybe just another paycheck. She could’ve very easily tried to assimilate to what new artists were doing and come across disingenuous or their experimentation half baked.
“In Your Feelings” avoids these trappings, retreating inwards with her boyfriend Anderson .Paak for an outing of luscious traditionalist R&B flair. Anyone fawning for more Silk Sonic with .Paak and Bruno Mars should fall over themselves for what Mariah accomplishes. Her voice is as divine as ever, even indulging in some humor. The way she compresses “I think you might be getting a little bit tooooooooooo in your feelings” is beautifully loose and cheeky. Mariah can come off very measured in her records, so it’s always refreshing to hear her sense of humor come out like in her “Obsessed” music video.
Additionally, what the hell happened to bridges? Are people really into snappy TikTok songs with a simple pop song template? Or do people not have any other choice because the market doesn’t account for them? Regardless, Mariah, ever the purist, soars here, breathy scats and adlibs, sparkling chords, twinkling strings, akin to old Philadelphia soul records. Mariah’s instincts are still sharp, even in the legacy portion of her career.
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