Listen Up

From melancholy to ethereal, defiant to sultry, our favorite new music

Anderson .Paak: King James Anderson .Paak‘s third album Oxnard was just released in November and he’s already sharing new music from his fourth record Ventura. The first song from the LP, “King James” is an ode to LeBron James and his dedication to giving back to underserved communities. It also mentions Colin Kaepernick kneeling, the possible border wall, gun violence and more. While the subject …

Anderson .Paak: King James

Anderson .Paak‘s third album Oxnard was just released in November and he’s already sharing new music from his fourth record Ventura. The first song from the LP, “King James” is an ode to LeBron James and his dedication to giving back to underserved communities. It also mentions Colin Kaepernick kneeling, the possible border wall, gun violence and more. While the subject matter sounds heavy, it’s …

Little Simz feat. Little Dragon: Pressure

From Little Simz’s new record Grey Area (out today) comes “Pressure”—an impressive track that showcases Simz’s versatility over a double-edged beat. She enters the piano-backed track voraciously, then the beat changes—drums, distorted vocals and heavier bass kick in—and Simz shines through it. “Take a walk in my shoes / Or any other young black person in this age / All we ever know this pain …