Rufus Wainwright: Trouble in Paradise

“Drum beats herald a romp through the inner mind of a bob-haired fashion doyenne on her drive from the town to the country,” Rufus Wainwright says of his single “Trouble in Paradise.” The clever track is a taste of the artist’s forthcoming album, expected out in 2020—his first in the pop genre since 2012’s Mark Ronson-produced Out of the Game. With production by Mitchell Froom, …

Clipping: All In Your Head

Off the trio’s most recent album, There Existed an Addiction to Blood (out 18 October on Sub Pop), Clipping’s (aka LA-based rapper Daveed Diggs and producers William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes) “All In Your Head” references the horrorcore genre, while being both enthralling and unabashedly artistic. There are moments of spoken word samples, chaotic and glitching drums and bass, and then a gospel-like breakdown that ushers …

Rex Orange County: Face To Face

From Rex Orange County’s forthcoming album Pony (out 25 October) comes “Face to Face,” a winding combination of verses, bridges, and hooks that swell into a cheerful pop tune. The crescendo occurs slowly, but picks up as the track’s pace does. The British artist (aka Alexander O’Connor) speeds up his vocals as drums and synths kick in, along with a resonator and O’Connor’s ad-libs.