Listen Up
Songs with pop flair and soul this week
Black Pumas: Colors
Pulled from Black Pumas’ self-titled debut album, the retro-tinged “Colors” describes the lovely details of everyday life, while focusing on celebrating all the hues within. “I woke up to the morning sky, first / Baby blue, just like we rehearsed,” frontman Eric Burton sings, as the Kristian Mercado-directed video rolls along. The video, shot in the Bronx, aims to “explore the idea of the Bronx as a living garden, always growing, always moving forward, and finding a cinematic landscape in places people often ignore,” Mercado explains in a statement.
St.Arnaud: The Introvert
From Edmonton-based St.Arnaud’s debut album The Cost of Living, “The Introvert” colorfully (and accurately) describes the attributes of the title character. With sing-song pop flair and jangling folk inflection, the song chugs forward. Its music video, directed by Liam Prost, was shot entirely in a home bathroom and mirrors the joy that the band brings to their live performances.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel.
