This week's hottest new sounds...
KREPT & KONAN
Ban Drill (Virgin EMI)
Krept & Konan limber up for LP 2 by addressing censorship of drill, the genre now at the heart of UK rap’s growth. Their booming, fresh bars shine new light on a complex issue.
Contact Kate Head
kate@stokedpr.com
LYKKE LI (FEAT. LIL BABY & SNOWSA)
Sex Money Feelings Die (RCA)
A starring voice on Mark Ronson’s new LP, Lykke Li is even more effervescent on this, the first cut from her upcoming EP, Still Sad Still Sexy.
Contact Olivia Warnford-Davis
olivia.warnford-davis@sonymusic.com
POLO G (FEAT. LIL TJAY)
Pop Out (Columbia)
Polo G is a big new voice coming out of Chicago, and this three-minute stormer is a centerpiece of the rapper’s debut album Die A Legend.
Contact Taponeswa Mavunga
taponeswa.mavunga@sonymusic.com
WILDWOOD KIN
Never Alone (Sony)
Never Alone’s harmonies will sound great floating into the Glastonbury air this week, as Wildwood Kin prepare to release their self-titled new album.
Contact Kat Bawden
kat@dedikatedpr.com
FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB (FEAT. ANDERSON PAAK )
Giannis (Keep Cool/RCA)
Freddie Gibbs’ blazing vocals come thick and fast here, as Anderson Paak brings melodic relief via a hook you’ll want to hear again and again.
Contact Ben Harris
ben@runmusic.co.uk
MAX POPE
6AM (Caroline)
This new kid on the indie block is a former gardener, and his sun-baked new single rolls past like a lazy day pottering about on a sit-on lawnmower.
Contact Jodie Banaszkiewicz
jodie@staygoldenpr.com
TAYLOR SWIFT
You Need To Calm Down (Republic)
That sound in the distance? Keyboards clacking in response to Taylor Swift’s sugary new single, a takedown of online bullies starring Katy Perry in the video.
Contact Kate Head
kate@stokedpr.com