FanLabel’s editorial team is busy, but not so busy that we couldn’t rally among us to share what we’re listening to (and why) this week. And then, that of course turned into a contest in the FanLabel app. Jump over to the FanLabel app to play for Royalties! Check out our staff picks below!
Cara:
- “Somebody Else,” The 1975
The 1975 is always in heavy rotation on my playlist, and with the band’s new album, “A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships,” mere months away from release, I’ve been spinning my all-time favorite song of theirs quite frequently. - “Follow Your Fire,” Kodaline
On this nostalgic track, the Irish rock band sings about chasing your dreams. The track will be on their soon-to-be-released album, “Politics of Living.” - “The Night We Met” feat. Phoebe Bridgers, Lord Huron
Yes, I’m a sucker for a good Netflix show, and I’ve been playing this song on repeat ever since binge watching the second season of “13 Reasons Why” in a 72-hour timeframe. - “You’re Somebody Else,” flora cash
Not to be confused with my first selection, this husband and wife indie/folk-pop duo produce some of the most harmonious, angelic tracks to ever surge through my earphones. A sound likely to appeal to fans of Bon Iver or Lana Del Rey.
Lara:
- “A$AP Forever” (feat. Moby), A$AP Rocky
One of my favorite A$AP Rocky songs! I love the sample of Moby’s “Porcelain” that he uses for the track and I think he does a great job with it. - “Drugs,” Days Away
This electronic song has a dreamy feel to it. I’ve been listening to it non-stop for the past couple weeks. - “Coo Coo Coo,” Santigold
I just recently discovered this artist after she dropped an album at the end of July 2018. Her sound has elements of electronic music and dancehall in it and it has a sunny and happy feel to it. - “Watch Me,” Jaden Smith
The first time I heard this song one of my friends played it for me. I asked them who the artist was and I was shocked! Last time I heard anything about Jaden Smith was the “Karate Kid” movie, but he actually makes good music these days.
Baylie:
- “Melanin Man” (feat. Masego), Brasstracks
I love the jazziness of this song, especially paired with Masego’s voice. I discovered Masego and after looking deep into his music, I found this song. You can’t go wrong with Masego!
- “Spitshine,” Smino
“Spitshine” was the first song I had ever heard by Smino. I was at a party
with some friends and when it came on, I immediately ran to the person DJing and asked what the song was. His voice was so unique that I knew I had found one of my new favorite artists. - “1998 TRUMAN,” BROCKHAMPTON
This is my favorite of the three singles BROCKHAMPTON recently released. The transition from rapper to rapper creates a vibe that is constantly changing and keeps the listener intrigued. Keep an eye out for BROCKHAMPTON, they are a very different and talented group. - “Kites,” N.E.R.D., Kendrick Lamar & MIA
This song is definitely weird, but that is what I love about it. I discovered it on a playlist that my friend sent me. The strangeness of it and the featured artists immediately caught my attention and I couldn’t stop listening.
Ryan:
- “Alone Together,” Dan + Shay
I have been listening to Dan + Shay since their first album, “Where It All Began,” in 2014. Now, thanks to the song “Tequila,” the duo is finally getting the national recognition it deserves. “Alone Together” is one of my favorite tracks from their new self-titled album. - “Elevate,” Drake
Now that the hype over Drake’s “Scorpion” album is starting to finally (slightly) die down, it makes it a little bit easier to sit back and appreciate each song on the album. There is a line in the “Elevate” track that really sticks with me: “I wanna thank God for workin’ way harder than Satan. He’s playin’ favorites, it feels amazin’.” I feel like that something’s to remember when you’re going through a tough time. - “Flare Guns” (feat. Chelsea Cutler), Quinn XCII
Being from metro Detroit, I always take an interest in artists from the area. Quinn XCII is a Detroit artist who is on the rise. The narrative of the song, which focuses on the internal struggles of wanting to contact somebody that you know you shouldn’t, is quite intriguing. Couple that with the strong vocals by Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler, add in a smooth beat, and you have a fantastic song. I was hooked after the first line. - “pity party,” lovelytheband
Generally I’m not into this kind of melancholy tone in my music choices, but lovelytheband got on my radar with their big hit, “broken,” and now the band is following that up with “pity party.” This new track solidifies the group’s unique sound. Lovelytheband isn’t afraid to talk about mental health and wellness, and this track is no different.
Rich:
- “The Sun” (feat. Graham Candy) by Parov Stelar
Some song discovery comes through friends, some through recommendations by algorithms like on Pandora or Spotify, or you discover it on a cool playlist. In this case, i am embarrassed to admit, I heard the song on a Transitions Sunglasses commercial on TV. But I love the song! - “Living It Up” by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley
I got hooked on this song when FanLabel ran the “The Marleys Music Dynasty” contest that featured Bob Marley’s extraordinarily talented family of musicians, each creating their own Reggae sounds. Jah! I love the positive, resilient, buoyant vibe of this song. - “In The End,” Linkin Park
As much as most of my music makes me happy, this tragic song makes me sad and angry. And of course, it all became more than a song given the heartbreaking ending of Chester Bennington’s life. Even though I don’t live life in the dark places this song takes me to, it is somehow therapeutic just to get life off of your chest with Linkin Park’s help. - “Gravity (Live)” by John Mayer
If I ever had a shot to be a legit music artist, it would be a highpoint to have my career lead me to this night, performing this song exactly this way. Free, gorgeous, soulful expression.
And for your full streaming pleasure, here’s a Spotify playlist of this week’s staff picks (Note: this playlist will be updated regularly and may not reflect the picks in this blog post in the future):
