“What are we listening to right now?” – A Swalsh Playlist
Steve Lacy - N Side
It’s a good time to be a Steve Lacy fan right now. While it’s been over two years since the release of his Demo, his star has not dulled. He has produced for Kendrick Lamar (won a Grammy for it) and Solange, sang hooks with Tyler, the Creator and Kali Uchis and was even featured on a recent Vampire Weekend single ahead of their long-awaited fourth album. He also toured the country with The Internet in support of their Hive Mind album and produced Ravyn Lenae’s 2018 EP, Crush. What makes fans so excited about this output, is Lacy has not even turned 21 yet.
However, with N Side, Lacy fans are approaching what they have really been waiting for, a debut studio album. The single is the perfect transition song for Lacy going into his debut album. Steve Lacy’s Demo had a lot of appeal because of its simplicity and strong hooks, as well as Lacy’s beautiful instrumentation. Lacy’s output has been pure gold up to this point, and in many different lanes. N Side brings all these elements together, great guitar work, smooth production, and a repetitive hook that sticks flawlessly to your summer stroll.
Anderson .Paak - Make It Better (feat. Smokey Robinson)
Anderson Paak has taken up a lot of my content creation energy recently, but I can’t really get away from this song. Make It Better was the headlining single for Ventura and set the tone for an album that put Paak back in the hearts of his rap-skeptical fans. It’s a funky slow jam about mending a relationship on the rocks. The theme and sound of the song go directly against the braggadocious, horny energy that filled up much of Oxnard, Paak’s previous album release.
My favorite part of this song is the inflection in Paak’s voice in the last hook, when he accents the word “memories”, I immediately knew Ventura was going to be the return to form I and many others were looking for. That may be a slight exaggeration, that moment of realization happens about 20 seconds later with the string quartet outro to finish the song. The whole structure of Make It Better is an example of the originality that brought fans to Paak in the first place. If you’re looking for some new Anderson Paak songs for these beautiful spring afternoons, Make It Better is your best bet.
Lizzo - Cuz I Love You
This song is the closest I’ve ever got to being punched in the face. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about Lizzo going into this new project. I had heard her name come up plenty of times, and I saw that she was headlining Capitol Hill Block Party, a Seattle summer music festival I have frequented in the past. On a walk to go re-up on some supplies for my skin care resolution, I heard Tempo with Missy Elliott. With just the impression of that song, I thought she was a rapper that knew how to harmonize.
After hearing the opener to her new album, I knew that wasn’t the case. The song begins with a half-sing/half-scream “I’m CRYIIIIIIN!” before she sings the titular lyric and introduces the resounding horn and bass instrumental that pushing forward her wonderful vocals throughout the track. I have listened to this song at least five times a day since it came out, and still feel the need to fist pump every time the chorus comes on. The song structure pays off again at the end of the song, when she sings the “Cuz I love you” one final time, but instead of being boosted by those horns and drums, she holds her own, as her voice rises to a level more powerful than it’s been up to that point.
Smino - Coupe Se Yern
I think I’m addicted to Smino. Since his album NOIR came out in November, he is my go-to artist when I just need one or two songs to play on a ride to class. This is weird, because I never really listen to his albums front to back (which is my favorite way to listen to artists). I was introduced to Smino after his BlkSwn album. Anita was the song that stuck out to me and kept me around the album until NOIR. He came out of the Chicago scene, and that influences his sound, but he also has more of the southern sound than his Chicago contemporaries (Saba, Noname). He sings a little more than them, and just seems to be less weighed down by the social justice themes common in Chicago rap (this could be because of Smino’s true hometown, St. Louis).
I love Saba and Noname, and I think the cultural context of Chicago violence and corruption adds to their work, but the fun that Smino has in his raps makes him incredibly charming. For example, on Coupe Se Yern, he raps “Fuck it I'm hungry, let's cook sum' / Asparagus make my piss stink, but it's good for 'em.” This is line doesn’t even crack his top ten. I don’t even know if he is a clever lyricist half the time, but he raps with more charisma than 95 percent of rappers.
J Hus - Did You See
This is not a new song. Did You See is the lead single J Hus’ 2017 album, Common Sense. However, it needs to be noted that J Hus is now free. After a stay in jail for a 2018 knife charge, J Hus returned to the stage just a few weeks ago, with who else but “London’s own” Drake. Just hours after his release, Drake helped put J Hus back into the public eye.
Did You See is a track that puts J Hus’ famous hip hop/afro swing hybrid sound on display. In what might become a theme for these playlists, the song has an incredibly sticky hook. “Did you see what I’ve done? / Came in the black Benz, left in the white one” is a motivational phrase that deserves nothing less than unlimited replays. This rings true for much of the Common Sense album, and makes his next album one of the most anticipated releases of the next seven decades.