Dawn Richard: Nostalgia

From Dawn Richard’s sixth solo LP, Second Line (a nod to the parades of her hometown, New Orleans), “Nostalgia” celebrates dance music of yesteryear, while remaining sonically contemporary. Written and produced by Richard (along with production from Ila Orbis), the song’s pulsating, wobbly bass line is balanced by spacey synths and ad-lib-style vocals. The album as a whole, Richard says, is “a movement to bring pioneering …

Gavin Turek feat. bLAck pARty: SLIDE

Singer-songwriter Gavin Turek has teamed up with singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer bLAck pARty (aka Malik Flint) for a duet called “SLIDE” that meshes together their lush disco and tropical funk styles seamlessly. Of the R&B tune, Turek says, “As an artist, it’s too easy to get discouraged by rejection in this process. Time continues to escape regardless, and you must choose to slide into the next …

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Powerful hip-hop, uplifting pop, French disco and more new music from the week

Little Simz: Introvert Little Simz (aka Simbiatu Ajikawo) makes a powerful return with “Introvert” from her upcoming album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. “I’m not into politics, but I know it’s dark times,” she raps over an expansive orchestral opening before the dramatic song explodes into a soaring political anthem. Exploring inner turmoil and exterior catastrophes, “Introvert” triumphs with arresting moments about identity, unity and …