ListenUp
A beautiful tune by Blood Orange, mesmerizing music from Muna Ileiwat and more
Muna Ileiwat: Baby
Hypnotic, methodic and measured, London-based Muna Ileiwat’s “Baby” is a slow-burning tune that builds beautifully—layer upon layer. With a sharp staccato rhythm at times, the song is balanced with Ileiwat’s smooth and seemingly effortless vocals.
VRWRK: Different Crowd
London electronic trio VRWRK offers another taste of their forthcoming debut album On The Outside with the video for “Different Crowd.” From the sun setting over the video’s rooftop location to the track’s soothing, soulful beat, every sensory component works together for a narrative about change. The music is more than beautiful; it’s also smart—which might just pertain to the fact that the band members are psychoanalysts by day.
Blood Orange: Charcoal Baby
Unsurprisingly, Blood Orange’s new track “Charcoal Baby” (from the album Negro Swan) is a sublime, atmospheric song that progresses with gentle beauty. The enthralling track—written by Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes) and Porches’ Aaron Maine—sounds similar to the unconventional R&B of 2016’s Freetown Sound, with some jazzy horns and guitars. The Crack Stevens-directed video is a split-screen creation that reflects the song’s spoken-word introduction about family in a super-charming manner.
Sam Spiegel feat. CeeLo Green, Theophilus London + Alex Ebert: To Whom It May Concern
Some 15 years in the making (and unveiled after a two-year hiatus), Sam Spiegel’s “To Whom It May Concern” features superb contributions from some epic talent, including CeeLo Green, Theophilus London and Edward Sharpe’s Alex Ebert. The song was originally intended to be a N.A.S.A track in 2003 but didn’t come together. Slowly, Spiegel picked up the key collaborators and the result is funky, smooth and deliriously fun.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
