Listen Up

From funk by the late Fela Kuti to a jubilant pop track and a haunting hip-hop song, a few of our favorite tracks from the week

Fela Kuti + Roy Ayers: 2000 Blacks Got To Be Free (Edit) Originally released in 1980 but taken out of print in 1989, “2000 Blacks Got To Be Free” first appeared on Music of Many Colors, a collaborative record between Fela Kuti and Roy Ayers. The two toured together, and sought to put a capstone on the experience with this release. Mixing Ayers’ vocals and …

Little Dragon: Tongue Kissing

Along with their 2020 tour announcement, Little Dragon has released “Tongue Kissing,” a song the Swedish band says is about facing one’s demons. “Forever broken minds, so unified / take me apart, take me apart” frontwoman Yukimi Nagano sings over the layered but laidback beat. Altogether it’s as whimsical, mellow and glittery as fans have come to expect from the electronic act.

Perfume Genius: Pop Song

The delicate new “Pop Song” by Perfume Genuis (aka Seattle-based Mike Hadreas) is actually quite experimental, ethereal and not quite a pop track at all. The tune is from The Sun Still Burns Here, a touring dance and music project that Hadreas created with choreographer Kate Wallich and her company YC. Textured and layered, the song features minimal vocals, but when his delicate falsetto appears …