You may not believe it, but we are still in the first month of 2021. Lots of important events have already taken place such as another national lockdown, the US Capitol Riots and finally the Presidential Inauguration in the United States, it feels like this year is going to bring some big changes. One thing that won’t change is our love for music and sharing our favourites with you. These are our favourite releases this week.

Editor: Megan Hofman

Rose Gray – Dancing, Drinking, Talking, Thinking (The Blue Line)

East London based artist Rose Gray released her debut mixtape ‘Dancing, Drinking, Talking, Thinking’ today and we are very excited. It feels like an ode to a mixture of 90’s dance music and 00’s indie-pop. Especially now that clubs have been closed for what feels like years, it’s very nostalgic. If you put this record on, close your eyes and turn up the volume, the music will do its work and transport you to a world where clubs are open and COVID does not exist, what a dream. Listening to ‘Same Cloud’ for the first time makes you question if Lilly Allen made a secret guest appearance, but no it’s Rose Gray. She has an incredible vocal range which is done justice on this Mixtape, especially on ‘Save Your Tears’ and the heartfelt ‘Billy’. If you are sick of closing your eyes while dancing in your living room, you can also take a look at the incredibly trippy video for ‘Easy’ which is definitely a vibe. All we can say is, when is the next release? The world is ready for more Rose Gray. 

https://www.instagram.com/rosegray_/

Words: Megan Hofman

RHODES – Smile ft. Deepend & YouNotUs (Columbia)

You know when you hear a song for the first time and are already singing along to it? ‘Smile’ is such a song. It makes you want to go for a drive with the windows down while blasting this tune. Even though ‘Smile” was written a while ago the lyrics couldn’t be more relatable to the present. 

“I need your smile, I’ve been losing my head now for a while, I’d do it over and over again, for your Smile, you make it all go away just for a while” 

Aren’t we all a little bit lost at the moment? Someone’s smile, even through FaceTime, can make you feel a lot better. RHODES has been very open to his fans about his struggles with mental health especially when releasing his EP ‘I’m Not Ok’ in 2020. ‘Smile’ seems to follow from that, into a world full of positivity and optimism. 

For this release, RHODES teamed up with Dutch DJ Deepend and German DJ and producer duo YouNotUs. Which might be the reason you immediately want to dance while hearing this song.  While ‘Smile’ does have a different sound than most of his previous releases, one thing that’s not differing is his vocals. RHODES has one of those voices you can pick out in thousands, crystal clear, laced with vulnerability. It’s what makes RHODES, well RHODES. Via his Instagram stories, he shared that he’s been working in the studio on a new album and we can’t wait to hear it. Hopefully ‘Smile’ will bring everyone a little bit of positive energy to start this year with optimism for what’s to come.

https://www.instagram.com/rhodesmusic/

 Words: Megan Hofman

LILHUDDY – 21st Century Vampire (Geffen Records) 

Lil Huddy aka Chase Hudson, one of Tik Tok’s most famous content creators with a following of almost 30 million, released his debut single “21st Century Vampire” this week. The song is dominated by the sound of E-guitars and loud drums, common for the punk-rock vibe he is going for. His voice is drowned in autotune yet sounds surprisingly good. Lyrically, Hudson talks about his problems with Insomnia and therefore being a night owl – something he previously discussed in several interviews. Some people might also say he “shades” Tik Tok colleague Josh Richards with the lines “I’ll make your boyfriend cry”, as Hudson tried to pinch Richards’ girlfriend before – but that’s a different story. The music video to “21st Century Vampire” plays perfectly into Hudson’s punk-rock aesthetic as well, portraying him as a vampire on his nightly hunt, in black ripped jeans with multiple chains around his neck. It’s a catchy song and better than one had expected from a boy coming from a lip-sync app, and I’m sure we will hear more of him in the future, not just on Tik Tok. 

https://www.instagram.com/lilhuddy/

Words: Victoria Madzak