Each week, I go through Genius’ album lists and listen to anything I find interesting. Then, at least twice a month, I’ll go through their singles list, updated daily, and make playlists of a bunch of new releases. I also find music through Spotify, on Twitter and on music blogs.
This month was packed with releases from a lot of heavy hitters. One person in particular, who I stan very hard, put out a TON of content. Whenever this person releases, I tend to spend the next week or so listening to nothing else but, which was most definitely the case this time. However, there was a lot to go around so I had some catching up to do. Songs by Remi Wolf, glaive, Blu DeTiger, Alice Phoebe Lou and more that aren’t included here are included in my Spotify playlist below, so enjoy!
P.S. I hate myself for leaving “Leave The Door Open” off this list. Bruno and Anderson had the best performance of the night at the Grammys and, like most people with ears, I’m utterly obsessed with that song and just the pairing of those two together in general right now.
Top 10
10. “How Great Thou Art” – Carrie Underwood
It took 10 years for Carrie Underwood to give us a studio version of her take on this iconic hymn as part of her new My Savior record. She originally performed the song with country music legend Vince Gill at the 2011 installment of the ACM’s and received a well-deserved standing ovation from her country music peers.
“How Great Thou Art” is a classic. It is one of those songs that has been covered by a million artists, and there’s really no wrong way to go about it. You can go big with it, keep it tender or stay somewhere in the middle as long as you can emulate the message of praise and adulation. Underwood, of course, sings the living crap out of it like only she can. This new version is a note for note replica of the 2011 performance, minus Vince Gill’s involvement (regrettably, I might add. He sounded great on it), but Underwood’s voice has only grown more powerful in the decade since. Parts of her tone that were troubling during her time on American Idol and in the early stages of her solo career have matured perfectly. The result is a spellbinding performance by the reigning queen of country.
9. “Amen”- Tom Grennan
Move over Lewis Capaldi and James Arthur, there’s a new British stud with a killer voice aiming to make waves in the US. This foot-stomper of a track, off Grennan’s record Evening Road, is about owning up to past mistakes and believing in whatever it is you want to believe in in order to move forward; “I don’t go to church but, amen. Everybody hurts but, amen.” He acknowledges bad decisions and feelings of loneliness, but he knows there is always something out there for him, and everyone, to pull you up out of the darkness.
He may not go to church, but he’ll certainly take you there with that voice of his. He’s got range and grit for days and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from him soon.
8. “CRY”- Jon Batiste
While you can normally catch Jon Batiste keeping the music alive on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, he’s vying for some time in the spotlight with recent solo record, WE ARE. “Cry”, a soulful, socially conscious track with a rocking blues guitar solo in the latter half from the Stay Human front man, is the standout on the record and one that, I think, echoes the sentiments of a lot of us over the course of this last year; “Why sometimes does it feel like all I wanna do, all I wanna do is cry, cry, cry?” We’re all human, and there’s truly only so much we can take.
7. “Rolls Royce Umbrella”- Clever ft. Chris Brown
I’ve been obsessed with Clever ever since I heard his guest verse on Justin Bieber’s Changes track “Forever”. His rasp and range are undeniable. He’s accompanied by Chris Brown on this cut off his new record, Crazy (one of my favorites of the year so far, I think), and as much as I wish he had picked almost anyone else, the pair sound pretty incredible together. Clever and Brown, who put much more effort into this feature than he did on Jack Harlow’s record at the end of last year, flex their lifestyles and trade adlibs; “From the debts due to JetBlue, to burning fumes on private jet fuel….from a court case to court side sitting in a box to them box seats.”
The real meaning behind all the flexing isn’t lost, though; “Champagne showers can’t make flowers bloom. But the champagne keeps raining on my Rolls Royce umbrella.” As rich as you are, money doesn’t always buy happiness. But it’s still nice to see it flowing in.
6. “Joyride (ándale)”- Jvck James
This 20-year-old kid from the UK does Khalid better than Khalid himself. This bouncey R&B track, off James’ Joyride EP, which sounds like the hip-hop sister track to Marshmello and Halsey’s “Be Kind”, shows the up-and-comer nailing a Khalid-accessible beat and showing off his pipes. He sings about showing off his new ride to a new girl and he’s curious if she can, metaphorically, ride with him; “All of these flashing lights, girl, can you handle? Cause I can’t read the signs and you can’t read my mind.”
5. “This Ain’t Love”- Giveon
Silky-smooth R&B from the man with, arguably, the most unique voice in the genre right now and who, very recently, scored a #1 Billboard hit with a feature on a track by a certain someone you’ll see later on in this list.
Honestly, the dude can sing. He’s still in the beginning stages of his career, but his runs are as fluid as, dare I say, R. Kelly? The track is about coming to the realization that his lover isn’t in it for the long haul but settling for something a little lighter; “If we feel the same, it ain’t nothing wrong. You don’t need the pain, let’s just keep it fun.”
4. “Lemon Pepper Freestyle”- Drake ft. Rick Ross
Just when the world thinks that Drake might be slipping even the tiniest bit, he comes back with Scary Hours 2, a three-pack of songs ahead of his new studio album, Certified Lover Boy. The three tracks debuted in the top three spots of the Billboard Hot 100, a feat only accomplished by The Beatles and Ariana Grande. While “What’s Next” is seemingly the most relevant, you can’t deny this freestyle track from the dynamic duo of Drake and Rick Ross. In my opinion, they work better together than Drake and Future.
These two have tons of history, most recently trading features on “Money in The Grave” and “Gold Roses” but this has to be one of their most prolific yet. It is yet another victory lap for Drake, who, for me, is at his best when he shoots off the cuff like this; “I did brunch with the judge we appearin’ before. Private villas only, I don’t go near a resort. We want everything galore, not just Lira Galore.” He jokingly acknowledges his status as a sex symbol and cultural icon when discussing going to parent-teacher conferences for his son, Adonis; “Parent-teacher conferences wives get googley-eyed regardless of what they husbands do to provide. Askin if I know Beyonce or Nicki Minaj…..of course.”
3. “White Dress”- Lana Del Rey
I’ve finally decided that “White Dress” has just narrowly beat out “Dark But Just A Game” as my favorite song off Del Rey’s new record Chemtrails Over The Country Club. It just may be the most riveting listen of the year so far across the board.
Jack Antonoff hit the nail on the head, once again. At this point, can you even try and deny putting his name up there with the Max Martin’s or the Pharrell’s of the world? I don’t think you can. To be able to capture Lana’s sound and her words so brilliantly is just such a feat. “White Dress” sees Del Rey reflecting on life before fame, when she was “listening to White Stripes when they were white hot” (excellent) and questions whether or not it was all worth it. She gave up the simple life working as a waitress on Long Island, New York (I’m probably a little too far out east on the island to have even been remotely close to her in those days) to be a star, and while most people would die for that chance, she seems to regret the decisions she made. Or at least, still, be questioning if she made the right one.
The “Men In Music Business Conference” line is repeated so frequently and sung without a hint of sarcasm that I think we all went and looked it up, itching to see what this apparent life-changing event was when it reality it is just a dig towards the industry itself. She convinces you even more when she says “I felt seen.” That’s just like, real, isn’t it? No? Well damn.
What was real was her time before the prying eyes of the spotlight; “It made me feel, made me feel like a god. It kinda makes me feel like maybe I was better off.” For an artist of this caliber to not want any of it, it really makes you think. What have we done? And who is to say she won’t just disappear?
2. “Hold On”- Justin Bieber
After “Anyone” topped my list back in January, I wondered, ahead of the release of new album Justice, if Bieber would even be able to come close to matching that incredible track. With “Hold On,” he may have done it.
The most striking thing about this new track is the vocal production. I cannot recall a song in Bieber’s entire discography that so perfectly showcased even the tiniest facets of his voice. It is the crispest, cleanest vocal on the record by far and easily his best vocals altogether since the journals era.
While, at the surface, this track may appear to be just another Changes-era ode to wife Hailey Baldwin, I think it goes much deeper than that. It’s about wanting to be there for someone in their darkest hour; “Midnight till morning, call if you need somebody. I will be there for you.” Hell, it’s about us all needing that connection as well. The song hints at the sadness and desperation we all feel while trying to lift someone up, only because we crave that kind of connection just as much.
“I know how it feels to be someone, feels to be someone who loses their way.” He may have fallen, but Bieber has risen up out of the darkness and is, seemingly, the best he’s ever been. We all can get there, too.
- “This Is Heaven”- Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas wasn’t even halfway through his debut performance of this song on SNL in late February before I was craving the recorded version. “Jealous” is great and may be the biggest hit he’ll ever have as a solo artist, but THIS is the gospel-tinged music he should be making for the rest of his career.
Beautifully penned, Jonas professes his love for his wife, actress Priyanka Chopra, through the lens of his faith; “Every kiss with you it’s like a prayer falls from my lips, now I’m a believer.” It is a perfect mix of pop, soul and, thanks to a chill-inducing saxophone solo in the bridge, jazz. Easily the strongest song off Jonas’ new solo record, Spaceman, by a wide margin, it contains both the vocal and musical qualities that are consistent throughout the project.
Like Bieber, Jonas may be peaking vocally. This is a bold statement, but it may be his best performance since “When You Look Me In The Eyes.”
You can stream all of the above tracks now, wherever you stream music- and be sure to listen to my full Best of March 2021 playlist, linked below.
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