ListenUp
Ethereal offerings from Massive Attack, The White Stripes and De La Soul, and more music this week
Mac Miller feat. Anderson .Paak: Dang!
Thanks in no small part to a sublime hook from Anderson .Paak (whose gorgeous LP Malibu was released in January), Mac Miller’s new track “Dang!” is probably his best yet. The super-groovy tune (which is the lead single from his upcoming record The Feminine Divine) taps into some timeless funk to deliver a summery, breezy vibe. The colorful, retro-tinged Rex Arrow-directed video sees the duo attempting to get their respective girlfriends back and—spoiler alert—there is a happy ending.
Massive Attack: The Spoils
In Massive Attack’s just-released, John Hillcoat-directed video for “The Spoils,” Australian actor Cate Blanchett’s beautiful face decomposes in front of your eyes—eventually resembling something discovered in an ancient tomb. The slow-moving, haunting video is a perfect match for the song, which features vocals from Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. Written by Daddy G and Stew Jackson, the track is undeniably Massive Attack—mesmerizing sounds from an outfit that’s been keeping us entranced for decades.
De La Soul feat. Little Dragon: Drawn
From their upcoming album and the Anonymous Nobody comes De La Soul’s lush “Drawn,” featuring Gothenburg-based Little Dragon. In what might seem, at first, to be an unexpected collaboration, the two blend their familiar styles to create something very dreamy and smooth—delightfully harking back to De La’s hippie-laden early days. The album (their first as a trio in over a decade) will also feature guest spots from Jill Scott, Damon Albarn, Snoop and more.
The White Stripes: City Lights
Out on 9 September, the 26-track double LP Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016 will be a trove of unreleased music spanning the acclaimed musician’s entire career. Released today, “City Lights” offers a glimpse at what’s to come. Originally written as a White Stripes song for 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan, the track was revisited in 2015—much to our delight. It’s thoughtful, dreamy and filled with the concise lyricism we’ve come to love from the dynamic band.
18+: Drama (Babyfather Meditation Mix VIP)
In “Drama,” the lead single off of the their album Collect, Honolulu-based Samia mutters sweet phrases sporadically between Berlin-based Justin’s measured raps. Together, they make incredibly sexy tunes—full of space and sweat to grind to—under the name 18+, and Dean Blunt’s still newish Babyfather chose this track to be their first-ever remix. The “post hip-hop group’s” Meditation Mix VIP adds a British accented stream-of-consciousness voiceover to this drowsier—yet just as seductive—version of the track. Don’t miss out on Babyfather’s very short North American tour in September.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found inListen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
