ListenUp
New music by Four Tet, Johan + Vic Mensa; Kesha makes her triumphant return and more in this week’s music
Kesha: Praying
Her first single in nearly five years, “Praying” marks a glorious return for Kesha. The ballad highlights, first and foremost, the singer’s dynamic, powerful vocals (sometimes only with light piano accompaniment). This is a beautiful demonstration of a talent that’s finally broken free. Jonas kerlund directed the colorful, oftentimes surreal music videomuch of it shot at Salvation Mountain. Altogether, it’s refreshing to have music from Keshaand for it to match expectations. The song will appear on her new LP Rainbow, out 11 August on Kemosabe/RCA.
Four Tet: Two Thousand And Seventeen
Talented musician/producer Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) has debuted a new single, “Two Thousand and Seventeen,” on Annie Macs BBC Radio 1 showthe first new tune we’ve heard since 2015’s Morning/Evening. The beautifully moody and rolling song is clearly reminiscent on his earlier work. It builds gently and contains an atmosphericalmost meditativevibe that’s quietly infectious. Further, Hebden says he’s been working on a lot of other new music, so there’s more to look forward to.
Johan feat. Vic Mensa: High in the Woods
A new take on his 2016 track, Boston-based singer and multi-instrumentalist Johan’s “High in the Woods” now features Vic Mensa. Co-produced by RHYE’s Robin Hannibal, the dark and sultry song employs some whispery vocals, shiny falsetto, and a very slinky bass-line to great effect.
Cut Copy: Airborne
A dance track brightly incorporating psychedelia and disco attributes, “Airborne” might be the first track off of electronic act Cut Copy’s forthcoming album. From a catchy chorus to a thoughtful bridge and spacious outro, the tune delivers much of the band’s signature splendor. There’s no date yet for the album, but it will be released by Astralwerks.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen.
