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Jay-Z, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys… who released the best track of the week?
This Friday, some of the biggest names in hip-hop, cloud rap and R’n’B seem to have got the word out to make their comeback with a bang. A round-up of the day’s mainstream titles that were well worth the wait.
1 – The new Jay-Z western
The discreet Jay-Z returns with two tracks, Guns Go Bang (rapped with Kid Cudi) and King Kong Riddim (featuring Jadakiss, Conway the Machine and BackRoad Gee). These effective and conquering tracks appear on the soundtrack of the western film
The Harder They Fall
. The film, co-produced by Beyoncé’s husband, will be available on Netflix on November 3, and includes songs by Koffee, Fatoumata Diawara and Lauryn Hill on the soundtrack. All good reasons not to miss this Tarantinian feature starring Idris Elba.
2 – Alicia Keys’ clean, retro soul
This Friday, the velvet-voiced singer shares not one but two versions of her new single, Best of Me. Heralding her forthcoming album, Keys, due December 10, this sensual, stripped-down, downtempo soul track evokes a cross between Sade and Solange more than the rest ofAlicia Keys‘ repertoire. A pleasant surprise, even if it’s not quite the Best of the interpreter of the moving If I Ain’t Got You.
3 – Lil Uzi Vert’s emo rap
There’s no stopping Lil Uzi Vert. This year, the Philadelphia rapper has collaborated with Justin Bieber, Trippie Redd, Pi’erre Bourne and Meek Mill. But this week, he sings solo on his new single Demon High, which seems to pay homage to Halloween, a few days before the bloody holiday. Very pop (and tinged with emo rock influences), catchy and playful, this more mainstream incursion than usual hints at a whole new color in Vert’s universe.
4 – A$AP Rocky’s intimate pearl
In addition to finally making his first-ever mixtape available on streaming platforms this week, fashion icon and charismatic rapper A$AP Rocky releases the best song of a particularly busy Friday of major new releases. Sandman, a sublime, haunting and melancholy synthetic ballad with uplifting lyrics, augurs well for the future album from the man who forms a power couple with Rihanna. The album, entitled All $miles, has no release date yet, and will feature a much-anticipated collaboration with Morrissey.
5 – A$AP Ferg and Pharrell Williams’ gleaming hit
Legendary producer duo The Neptunes (aka Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) team up with rapper A$AP Ferg on the overpowering Green Juice. And Pharrell Williams doubles up with his own voice on this futuristic production, which could serve as the soundtrack to the next installment of the Matrix saga. Evoking a mix between Daft Punk, The Weeknd and DMX, A$AP Ferg’s muscular, spectacular hip-hop score is an instant classic.
