Baloji: Spoiler

An adroit convergence of funky jazz, French folk and traditional African music, “Spoiler” represents everything wondrous about Congolese-born, Belgium-based musician Baloji. It’s a powerful, playful track with plenty of appeal for its upbeat nature alone. That said, a thorough look at the (subtitled) lyrics reveals the song’s greater depth. “Spoiler” hails from Baloji’s forthcoming EP 64 Bits & Malachite, released 4 November on Bella Union.

Caroline Smith: Trying Not to Love You

The very talented Caroline Smith (who appeared on the super-catchy “Let ‘Em Say” with Lizzo) has just released new song “Trying Not to Love You.” The track includes gentle handclaps, smooth vocals and the frequently sampled “Woo! Yeah!” drum break—a commonly used sample that contains James Brown’s “Woo!” and Bobby Byrd’s “Yeah!” (That sample features in Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It)” and ultra-famously Rob Base …

Ms Lauryn Hill: Rebel/Hard to Say

With a new version of her 2002 song “Rebel/Find it Hard to Say,” Ms Lauryn Hill has returned and the track is sadly more relevant than ever. The song originally appeared on Hill’s MTV Unplugged 2.0 album and was a tribute to Amadou Diallo—an unarmed black man who was shot by four NYC police officers in 1999. The song is truly stunning, but full of …