THE PLAYLIST
Peace Piece/ Kum Jam Gud Kwam
On the back of their winning Live in Levi’s Live on Stage contest, emerging pop five-piece Peace Piece have dropped their first single, Kum Jam Gud Kwam [Definition], a feel-good jam that will instantly boost your mood. Starting off with jaunty keyboard keys, frontwoman Orawee “Hawa” Choochuen then chimes in with her delightful vocals, singing about how it’s better not to try to put any label on two people whose feelings are mutual. And while all the musical elements come together like a match made in heaven, it’s actually the trumpet that steals the show here.
MIA/ Platforms
Earlier this year we heard CanSeeCanDo and Gold, MIA’s first new music since 2013’s Matangi. Now the British-Sri Lankan provocateur has shared another new tune called Platforms. As expected, the song is quintessential MIA that features her trademark jittery beat over which she chants, “The tech dudes are the only ones having a good day/And talking is cheap/’Cause they make it easy.” There’s still no news when she’s going to release her next album, but we’re hoping it will be some time this year.
Brandon Flowers/ Still Want You
It looks like Brandon Flowers’ sophomore solo album, The Desired Effect, is shaping up to be one of this year’s best, thanks to a string of stellar, 80s-inspired singles like Can’t Deny My Love, I Can Change, and the latest one, Still Want You. The song finds Flowers reassuring his loved one that he will still want her despite unfortunate occurrences like climate change, debt, nuclear distress, hurricanes or floods. We love the call-and-response chorus where the soulful backup singers readily chant back to the Killers’ frontman.
Muse/ Mercy
Mercy is the third single to be taken from Muse’s forthcoming ninth studio album, Drones, following Psycho and Dead Inside. The track is an epic piano ballad that wouldn’t feel out of place being played live at a stadium. “Help me, I’ve fallen on the inside,” frontman Matt Bellamy croons in the opening verse before letting out an anguished wail, “Show me mercy, from the powers that be/Show me mercy, can someone rescue me?” Anthemic and full of dramatic emotions, this is a classic Muse that should appeal to the group’s long-time fans.
Shura/ 2Shy
Shura’s 2Shy has arrived like a breath of fresh air especially in the age where oversized confidence and inyour-face attitude dominate pop music. Here, Londonbased singer-songwriter and producer Shura gives us an endearing narrative about the socially awkward who are afraid to make a move on a crush. “It’s taken me so long, maybe I’m just too shy to see it/We could be more than friends, maybe I’m just too shy,” she sings over the soothing melody with synth pads gently weaving in and out. The whole thing oozes the delicate sentimentality of the late 80s-early 90s R&B sound, making us feel a touch nostalgic.