It’s September which means it’s time for the September mixtape!
We’d have loved to have included some material from Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ album but unfortunately it is not available to share. Still, here’s twenty tracks we have been loving listening to in this past month.
It’s the 1st of July which can only mean one thing… the July mixtape is here!
This month’s is mostly an R&B affair but with the odd curveball thrown in…
Shura follows huge summer smash ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ with a gentler yet still funky track from upcoming album ‘Nothing’s Real’. ‘Make It Up’ is evidently inspired by 80’s synthpop and at times mirrors the likes of Haim and MUNA.
Adele does what she does best – powerfully delivering a piano ballad – on this beautiful track from platinum selling album ’25’.
Slick and smooth track from neo-soul guru Maxwell, taken from upcoming album ‘BlackSUMMERS’ night’.
Campsite modernise and re-energise Aaliyah’s 2001 R&B smash into an EDM/tropical house track. It’s not necessarily the most innovative of re-workings but it works well and serves well in regards to the feel-good factor.
Irish duo All Tvvins return with this huge, catchy pop-rock track. Slick production and an electrifying chorus result in this energising track.
In one of the most unlikely combinations of the year, American rock band Imagine Dragons team up with rappers Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa on this R&B/Rock track, lifted from the soundtrack of Suicide Squad.
Funky disco-flavoured track from Australian electronic music group The Avalanches. Frisky bass lines, glistening synths and distorted vocals give this a late 70’s disco feel.
Fierce alternative R&B/neo-soul track from Berhana. The minimalist backing track works perfectly with the rich vocals.
Brilliant Caribbean-infused R&B track from American R&B duo Nina Sky. Buoyant percussion, squeaky synths and slick production result in a huge summer smash hit.
Miguel still proves to be one of the world’s most underrated R&B artists. Fusing his rich tone with retro-inspired guitar riffs, dreamy layered harmonies and a frisky rhythm section, Miguel flirts with both metaphorical and literal references to drugs.
Gorgeous, eerie electro-ballad from All Saints’ comeback album. Distant twinkling pianos, tribal percussion and infinitely reverberating vocals all result in a very special, substantial ballad.
Another gorgeous ballad from the band’s comeback album, although this time it is a pure and raw piano ballad.
R&B/Hip Hop elements all evolve into a quirky alt-R&B track with a brilliant chorus where giggling synthesisers and thunderous percussion soar.
Utterly brilliant comeback single from JT. Piano chords and finger clicks evolve into a fantastically catchy disco-pop Summer smash. One of the best songs of 2016 so far.
Moody and brooding with stuttering percussion, pitch-moderated glitchy vocal samples and crashing synths, resulting in an utterly brilliant Pop track.
Gentle 808 percussion, jittery synthesisers and monotone vocals result in this brilliantly frank yet emotional 80’s-influenced pop track. Clearly influenced by the likes of The Blue Nile and Madonna’s ‘Crazy For You’, it’s just brilliant, particularly during the breakdown on which Matt Healy sings She said “I’ve been so worried ’bout you lately, you look s**t and you smell a bit”. The intertextuality/references to the band’s previous works ‘Robbers’ and ‘The City’ are also incredibly clever.
Danish teenage band Liss are quickly taking the world by storm, largely propelled in the UK by being championed by Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac. Their music straddles various genres such as synthpop, alt-R&B and neo-soul, often with a very care-free tone. This track is no exception.
Catchy Pop-Rock track with energising guitar riffs and a brilliant chorus.
Great track with a very retro-vibe.
Smooth and soulful acoustic track by UK vocal group Mic Lowry. Perfect breezy harmonies carry this lovely track.
Brilliant psychadelic pop track from Prince’s 1985 ‘Around The World in a Day’ album. Live instruments such as sweeping strings, acoustic guitar strums and Middle Eastern Cymbals form the backdrop whilst Prince’s almost-spoken vocals perform the narrative. Beck’s live cover is included below due to Prince’s copyright associates re-emerging to make his music impossible to find online once again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JJw9xwdjW4
Psychaedlic, funky pop track, also from 1985’s ‘Around The World in a Day’. Eeerie, detuned synthesisers howl over a tinny piano sound, fierce percussion and a tight bass line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBKikjTHo-g
Schmalzty, soulful and superb; Prince at his best. Written for then girlfriend (and future wife) Mayte Garcia, this was to amazingly be his only UK Number One single. His vocals are flawless throughout, mainly performed in a stable falsetto but occasionally drifting into a rich baritone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmFlr6xRcA
Prince’s impeccable falsetto vocals drift over futuristic synthesisers, a saxophone and twinkling pianos on this gorgeous slow-jam-influenced jazz ballad. Prince always possessed the ability to straddle various genres of music and this is a reminder of his impeccable ability to do so successfully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAluL631Ygk
Absolutely stunning ballad which closes his 1986 ‘Parade’ album perfectly. Performed in just one take, it’s beautifully raw – you can hear the squeak of the piano stool, the odd vocal imperfection and the organic sound of a live acoustic guitar and piano. The song has become all the more poignant since his death and is now largely considered by many fans as a eulogy written by the man himself thirty years too early. Lyrically, it covers the death of Christopher Tracey, the main character from Prince’s film ‘Under the Cherry Moon’ and with lyrics such as ‘I used to cry for Tracey cos he was my only friend, those kinda cars don’t pass you everyday’, it truly is beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X0LYVZm5qc
One of Prince’s signature tracks, the fantastically rousing ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ is the opening track to Prince’s 1984 album and film of the same name ‘Purple Rain’. Growling guitars and signature 80’s synthesiser shimmers drive this piece of pop heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ebPrVf4go
Seemingly an attempt to mirror the success of earlier guitar-heavy tracks such as ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘Guitar’ is one of Prince’s more underrated album tracks. Taken from 2007’s ‘Planet Earth’, it features an incredible guitar riff which is prominent most of the way through the track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgPjINdENAk
Widely criticised by many fans and critics alike, many overlook how clever and ahead of its time this song was. Lyrically documenting a loner browsing online for company, it’s somewhat sad yet its funky R&B track and glitchy computer sounds lifts its spirits. Also features the incredible Kate Bush on backing vocals.
Prince always had the ability to make the best slow jams. This is one of his most underrated from 1995’s ‘Emancipation’. Released in the midst of great media interest relating to his battle with his record label, his name change and relationship with Mayte, ‘Somebody’s Somebody’ got somewhat lost as a track in Prince’s discography. Despite this, it’s one of his best; a moody R&B ballad which encapsulates the loneliness of 2am perfectly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6zDFBwsXBc
Sometimes there is no need for polished production, excessive instruments, multiple chord changes or multi-layered vocals and this track emphasises this. An absolutely stunning ballad from Prince’s self-titled second album, this track utilises only two chords, created by gentle acoustic guitar strums and twinkling pianos. By its finale, eerie synthesiser sounds creep in to make it way ahead of its time, something else Prince always managed to do in his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4xrNUxuanw
Not to be taken too seriously, this quirky but brilliantly catchy piano pop track was featured on critically acclaimed “Sign O’ The Times” before being featured in an episode of The Muppets. Simple, sweet and happy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7Js9I9tRs
Clearly proud of this song upon its release, Prince hailed it as the next ‘Purple Rain’. It did not achieve status as one of Prince’s best known but fared relatively well on the charts. It’s a great Pop track with meaningful lyrics and a catchy refrain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwB6C1BWmqQ
Whilst never appearing on a Prince album (except for a Greatest Hits compilation), ‘She’s Always in My Hair’ became one of Prince’s best-loved songs. A fierce rock and roll track complete with guitars, staccato organs and a great beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Z3c5RmWfI
Another track from both the film and accompanying soundtrack ‘Purple Rain’, this is Prince at his best. Unsettled percussion and multi-layered synthesisers perform its backing track whilst Prince delivers an energetic vocal delivery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qpOI92q6EU
Infectiously catchy disco-stomper; the epitome of 70’s disco music. Taken from second album ‘For You’, it is one of the first Prince tracks to showcase his brilliant falsetto vocals, a trait which would be featured in many of his latest works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN6mDCEB6vY
Perhaps Prince’s most underrated song, this gentle pop-rock/country-influenced track was the only single from 1996’s ‘Chaos and Disorder’. The album was released simply to fulfil Prince’s contractual obligations with Warner Brothers in the midst of their infamous feud, yet it contains a strong collection of Prince tracks. The track’s instrumentation is gentle and sweet yet upon closer inspection, the lyrics have a darker and more sexualised tone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9_aauED3Ys
Another brilliant track from the ‘Parade’ album. An introduction of wailing guitars and impatient percussion evolve into a catchy funk-rock track which is based around a piano chord sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KExTY9k_gj4
A joyful and spiritual single from ‘Lovesexy’. In-keeping with the album’s uplifting, religious tones, ‘I Wish U Heaven’ features elements of rock, pop, dance and gospel. Quirky production elements and Prince’s gorgeous falsetto vocals make this one of his best, yet most underrated works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObzoKryyAi8
Uplifting rock ballad which features New Power Generation member Rosie Gaines sharing vocals with Prince. Unlike a lot of Prince’s work which focussed on lust and sex, this ballad instead refreshingly explores love itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZCfu18lSl4
Of course, this playlist would not be complete without Prince’s signature track. And what a song this is. It’s easy to classify songs as huge as this as ‘overrated’ but this gorgeous Rock ballad lives up to its reputation as one of the best ballads of all time. Recorded live at a benefit concert, it was later added to in the studio and became the track loved by all today. It was to become a staple of Prince’s live shows, perhaps its most notable moment was at the Super Bowl XLI’s half time show when it was performed during a downpour.
Prince once explained the meaning of “Purple Rain” is as follows: “When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue= purple… purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABd-cCcIxk
Ex member of The Wanted, Nathan Sykes returns with another brilliant single from his upcoming début album. Featuring rapper G-Eazy, ‘Give It Up‘ is a huge, catchy R&B track with funky guitar riffs and slick production.
Swedish producer Alesso returns with this huge club track. Featuring vocals from African-Norwegian duo Nico and Vinz, (best known for their number one smash ‘Am I Wrong’) it’s a low-key, chilled-out approach to club music through its avoidance of loud synths, instead utilising wailing guitars in a similar fashion to Robin Schulz’ remix of Mr Probz’ ‘Waves‘.
Brilliant psychedelic rock track, featuring baroque-pop and experimental rock influences by British super-group The Last Shadow Puppets. The chorus avoids making a big deal out of itself, yet is effortlessly catchy.
Another dramatic and massive pop track from All Saints. Taken from their new album ‘Red Flag’, luscious harmonies soar over orchestral riffs and thunderous percussion.
Irish Singer-Songwriter/YouTube blogger Bry releases this euphoric pop-rock track, the first single from his début album.
Brilliant electro-pop track from Texas musician Chelsea Lankes. Sugary, almost-whispered vocals over distorted guitar riffs evolve into an infectiously catchy chorus.
South-London singer-songwriter Raye returns with this massive R&B track comprised of electro-elements, hip-hop beats and sweeping strings. Both the track and her vocals are often reminiscent of Rihanna at her best.
Soulful and uplifting track comprised of funky guitar riffs and plenty of brass instrumentation. Brilliantly catchy.
Gentle and relaxing acoustic-based track by English singer-songwriter Ben Watt. Released ahead of his upcoming album with the same title, it is a collaboration with fellow musician Bernard Butler.
Canadian music producer Kaytranada teams up with Californian singer and rapper Anderson Paak on this alternative R&B/neo soul fusion. Utilising hip-hop and soul, it’s a chilled out track with a retro vibe.
Every Friday, we are adding three tracks to our Feel-Good Friday Spotify playlist. The aim? To create a definitive playlist featuring the best uplifting, feel-good tracks in the world!
Check here every Friday to check any additions!
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Brilliant hip-hop/Gospel fusion from 2012 UK X Factor runner up Jahmene Douglas. This is his first original composition (début album was an amalgamation of cover versions) and is from his forthcoming second album, on which he has reportedly collaborated with a range of established names.
Fizzy and uplifting R&B track from hit songwriter Babyface and El Debarge (of Debarge fame). It’s a cheery and catchy with lovely lyrics.
Gorgeous R&B ballad which closes Babyface’s latest album, the brilliant ‘Return of the Tender Lover’ (hence why it’s our album of the week!). Gentle piano arpeggios and Babyface’s silky smooth vocals layered into luscious harmonies remind us of his forte to write brilliant songs, particularly ballads.
Brilliant down-tempo progressive R&B track abundant with squeaky synths and wailing guitars. Rihanna at her best.
Lovely pop-rock ballad comprised of Keating’s powerful vocals, sweeping strings and acoustic guitars with a gorgeous chorus.
Catchy electropop track built of various sounds and instrumentation.
Brilliant and catchy R&B track emphasising what Timbaland does best. Fun and mechanical production elements and punchy percussion compensates for its repetitiveness and simplistic nature.
Stunning and haunting acoustic-based ballad which evolves into an electrifying climax.
Ethereal and dreamy Pop ballad from London-based band Jarbird.
Laid-back and minimalistic electropop influenced track. Catchy, funky and an enthralling listen.
Here’s February’s mixtape!
Australian songstress/hit songwriter Sia delivers a hot new Pop track co-written with none other but Mr Kanye West. Relatively jovial and laid back compared to Sia’s other works, this is a catchy chilled-out track with bizzarely, hospital-like beeping, rich harmonies and a seriously funky bass line.
Raleigh Ritchie delivers another hit, this time aided with a rap from Stormzy. Warm synthesisers, Ritchie’s rich vocals and catchy dance beats carry this utterly brilliant R&B track.
Cool, chilled-out synthpop track from American duo Chairlift. The care-free, minimalistic production and Caroline Polachek’s syrupy sweet vocals are perfect.
‘Keeping Your Head Up’ marks a significant musical departure for Birdy, best known for her haunting, heartfelt piano ballads. Channelling Foxes, ‘Keeping Your Head Up’ is a catchy dance-pop track full of hand claps, catchy piano riffs and an irresistibly catchy hook.
Co-written with Howard from Disclosure, this chilled-out house track mirrors 70’s Pop with lushly layered harmonies, rich gospel-like vocals and squeaky synthesisers. It’s a different side to Frances but one which works beautifully.
Hot, idiosyncratic club record featuring a reggae-like bounce, clinking synths and a devilishly catchy chorus.
The King of Cool, Prince released ‘HitNRun Phase 2’ in December. This is its funky opening track featuring polished brass elements, raw acoustic guitar strums and a dirty rhythm, it’s Prince at his best.
Chic legend Nile Rodgers lends his production to funky jazz/R&B fusion. Mvula’s pure, soulful vocals are perfect as always and lushly layered into a glorious wall of sound over Rodgers’ funky guitar riffs.
The second single from The 1975’s upcoming second album ‘I Like it When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It’, ‘The Sound’ is a huge tropical-house influenced Pop track. Incessantly catchy with a brilliantly buoyant Chorus, it’s one of the funkiest and catchiest Pop tracks in a long time.
Sultry electropop track with an insanely huge Chorus. Clearly influenced by 80’s Pop, it’s cool, brilliantly layered and an overall huge song.
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