Each week, check out 10 recent releases to add to your Spotify Playlists. Plenty of different vibes curated for various moods. Each week the list will consist of artists you may have already heard of or new ones to watch out for. Expand your music palette and check out the new singles below.
1. Natalie Imani – Sweet Dreams
Singer/songwriter Natalie Imani recently dropped her first single of the new year, and this one is for the lovers. “Sweet Dreams” captures all the feels of a woman completely smitten with her beau. The Eugene “ManMan” Roberts-produced track features a sample of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin’s classic “Day Dreaming” and captures all the reverie and romance of one so enthralled by their lover that all the rules of the game become null and void.
Spread the love and listen to Natalie Imani’s “Sweet Dreams” below, and be sure to add the track to your collection from your preferred digital platform.
2. Ashleigh Smith – I Can Love You
Songbird, Ashleigh Smith returns with her first single of 2022, “I Can Love You.” The singer blends soulful production with her jazzy style of singing for “I Can Love You.” Accompanying her is creative piano, laying chords and arpeggios beneath her honeyed vocals alongside light touches of bass and drums.
Allow Ashleigh Smith to show you what love can really be like when you press play below.
3. Khruangbin & Leon Bridges – Chocolate Hills
Leon Bridges and the eclectic trio, Khruangbin have come together once again releasing their second collaboration, the EP Texas Moon. The five-song collection followed their first link up on the EP Texas Sun, which the two acts released in February 2020. Leon’s vocals and Khruangbin’s instrumentals fit and flow together oh-so smoothly. That smoothness is heard on the single “Chocolate Hills,” the standout cut from Texas Moon.
Watch the “Chocolate Hills” music video below.
4. Maeta – Frank For You
Maeta had a banner 2021 thanks to the release of her denut EP Habits. And like most habits, the singer/songwriter has been hard to shake ever since we first heard her unique spin on modern R&B. She is showing no signs of slowing down with the release of her single, “Frank For You.” Producer Monroe provides the musical backdrop for the occasion, giving a melancholy, guitar-driven sound to the tune that sets the scene for what’s to come.
Listen to “Frank For You” right here and watch the track’s lyric video below.
5. Tank And The Bangas – Stolen Fruit
Tank And The Bangas upcoming album, “Red Balloon,” won’t be arriving until May, but they’ve been dropping singles all of February and now they have dropped off their latest single, “Stolen Fruit.” “Stolen Fruit,” produced and co-written by Austin Brown, looks to the painful past of Black people in the Americas for inspiration. But instead of focusing on the lasting trauma of then, it instead looks to the triumph that we come from.
Listen to “Stolen Fruit” right here and watch the touching visual for the song below.
6. Morray ft. Cordae – Still Here
Their individual artistries have captivated not only the attention of fans but respected Rap icons, Morray and Cordae, are two artists on the rise who have been applauded for their ever-growing catalogs, and now the pair unite for their single, “Still Here.” The two shine on the track where they reminisce on the battles they’ve faced in life. Although Morray and Cordae have vastly different sounds, their lyrical subject matter is quite similar. We hear just that on “Still Here” as they share a musical space where they speak about preserving through multiple storms.
Listen to “Still Here” and check out the video below.
7. Blxst ft. Zacari – Sometimes
Blxst is a staple on the West Coast but 2021 was a definitive year for the singer. It seems like a new album roll out could be coming soon. Today, he delivered his latest record, “Sometimes,” featuring TDE’s own, Zacari. The Jahaan Sweet and Sevn Thomas-produced song offer a familiar California bounce that can easily translate into being a summer smash. Meanwhile, Blxst and Zacari’s boastful lyrics also reflect on their fast-paced lifestyle often conflicts with life at home.
Listen to the new single from Blxst and Zacari below.
8. Khalid – Last Call
Rising singer and songwriter, Khalid, has had a very successful career since he broke onto the music scene in recent years. His body of work has done fantastic numbers, especially for a young breakout artist, eventually going double platinum before he even turned 21. Now, on the 5th anniversary of “American Teen,” Khalid is back with a new effort. “Last Call” shows Khalid reflecting on his path to greatness, some of the dealings of the industry, and his intention going forward.
Listen to “Last Call” and check out the music video here.
9. Omerettà The Great ft. Latto – Sorry NOT Sorry (Remix)
Latto jumps on the remix to Omerettà The Great’s controversial single, “Sorry Not Sorry.” If Omerettà The Great pissed people off with the release of her latest single, “Sorry Not Sorry,” then Latto is going to get them back in their feelings with her remix of the song. A few weeks ago, the Atlanta-based rapper dropped off her new single, calling out people claiming ATL by naming different zones on the outskirts to claim that they’re not from the city. “College Park is not Atlanta, Lithonia is not Atlanta, Clayco is not Atlanta, Decatur is not Atlanta,” raps Retta on the track. Latto went a little further than Omerettà on the record, name-dropping people and asking how they’re “not Atlanta” if they helped shape the city’s culture.
Listen to the new remix below.
10. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie ft. B-Lovee – Hit Different
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has been a vital member of the Bronx Hip-Hop community for years and on his latest single, he’s collaborating with one of the borough’s hottest rising talents, B-Lovee. The up-and-coming drill rapper shines on A Boogie’s latest effort, “Hit Different,” which is officially out now alongside a cinematic music video. The song starts off with a menacing verse from B-Lovee before A Boogie takes over with his signature melodies in the chorus.
Listen to the new single and watch the new video below.
