Celeste: Strange

Haunting and delicate, Celeste’s “Strange” spotlights the artist’s vocal prowess atop a sparse, string-adorned instrumental. It’s cinematic and utterly heartbreaking upon closer listening. “Isn’t it strange? / how people can change / from strangers to friends / friends into lovers / and strangers again,” she sings. The accompanying video, has its highs and lows—the camera zooms and then recedes, sometimes cutting to black in a …

Tiwa Savage: 49-99

Nigeria-born Tiwa Savage offers a poignant single about the plight of citizens from her home country in “49-99.” The title references Fela Kuti’s 1978 song “Shuffering and Shmiling,” which addresses the lack of resources in underserved communities—especially with the line “49 sitting, 99 standing” about riding the bus. In contrast, Savage’s tune is about coming up, garnering the notoriety and means to make change for …

M83: Temple Of Sorrow

To accompany the new song “Temple of Sorrow,” by M83 (aka French musician Anthony Gonzalez), a nine-minute film—part one of three, written and directed by Bertrand Mandico—takes viewers along the Nirvana Queen’s wild and mystical quest for autonomy. Mandico’s three-part story Extazus is inspired by music from Gonzalez’s upcoming instrumental album DSVII (set for release 20 September) and certainly reflects some of his inspirations: ’80s-era soundtracks from …