Saya Gray: SHALLOW (PPL SWIM IN SHALLOW WATER)

Without a hint of percussion, “SHALLOW (PPL SWIM IN SHALLOW WATER)” by Japanese-Canadian singer and musician Saya Gray proves itself stirring and powerful. The song changes cadence often over its 3:50-minute lifespan, with Gray altering her voice from speak-singing and soft cooing to flawless falsetto, up to soaring high-pitched squeaky vocals. This self-recorded tune is the artist’s debut solo song—minimal but textured.

Nils Bech: Foolish Heart (2019)

Starring Silas Henriksen of Norway’s national ballet, the official video for Norwegian singer-songwriter and performance artist Nils Bech’s “Foolish Heart (2019)” swells with instrumental warmth that dresses an intimate physical performance. The track appears on Bech’s latest album, also named Foolish Heart, out today. Its melancholic lyrics address the heartbreak Bech felt at the end of an eight-year relationship. In fact, it was the first …

Zella Day: My Game

From Zella Day’s forthcoming EP, Where Does The Devil Hide (due 28 August), “My Game” is retro-inflected delight. Produced by Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys), the track is “a disco game board with a pair of cherry red dice rolling in my favor,” according to Day. With plenty of disco influence, a touch of Motown, and nods to the ’60s in the video, “My …