Song Of The Summer?: Chance The Rapper, Jonas Blue

A month or so I was asked what I thought the song of the summer would be. Obviously I didn't have a clue. However, over the past 30 days some clear frontrunners have emerged. Let's take a look.

Chance The Rapper - No Problem

There's something about Chance The Rapper that makes it seems as though he's always having the greatest time ever and the video for 'No Problem' doesn't even begin to showcase that. This clip is packed full of cameos which is cool. Who doesn't love a cameo filled video? Ya, that's right nobody. DJ Khaled who has clearly never listened to the song before is probably the best/worst one, I reckon. Not only does 'No Problem' feature quite possibly the best hook of Chance The Rapper's career it's also probably the best rap hook of the season. And you know when even Lil Wayne's verse is stellar that this is an absolutely excellent song.

Jonas Blue feat JP Cooper - Perfect Strangers

No, Jonas Blue, real name Guy James Robin, I have not forgiven you for that atrocious 'Fast Car' remix. I mean, I should have known, never trust anyone whose full name is compiled of three first names. However, with a little help from Ellie Goulding, I've full on fallen in love with 'Perfect Strangers'. I've gotta be honest, JP Cooper, who I've been a fan of for a fair while as well probably had a pretty large hand in making this banger as banging as it is. I think this is the song I'd most like to be the song of the summer. I'd also quite like to hear it in a club. Reckon I could tear up the dancefloor to it.



My final choice was going to be Disclosure's 'BOSS' but it's not available on a platform that everybody can stream for free so that's kind of the end of that. Should have checked before planning all of this really, but that's just another insight as to how slack I am as a human.

Mabel: Real R'n'B Royalty

I'm not sure I even really know where to start with this. This post about Mabel was always going to happen this week but I had no idea that Miss Mcvey was literally just about to drop a brand new single too. If the stars have never aligned for WIIHAMB before, they bloody well have done now. But let's take this chronologically.

I went to The Great Escape the other month, I know, I haven't really talked about it much... and on the Friday night I saw Mabel Mcvey live for the first time. It was really great apart from the loud and obnoxious group of tipsy industry types stood behind literally talking the entire way through her set, but that's not Mabel's fault. I'd heard whisperings on Twitter that there was a cover amidst her live show and I can't remember if I'd seen what it was or not prior to Mabel diving straight into Destinys Child's 'Say My Name' but the atmosphere in the room when she did was excellent. Not only are Mabel's vocals perfectly suited to a song like this, there are just enough instrumental adjustments to the track itself "bringing it into 2016".



Also during Mabel's set at The Great Escape she played a song and I was like, "damn, I sure hope this is a single because this is great." And then a couple of weeks ago this (mildly peculiar) video featuring Mabel and the song I'd thought was an absolute belter alongside a collaboration for Tate Modern. This artsy stuff is all well and good, but it's just not for me. However, I have since been reassured time and time again how fucking incredible this song I don't even know the title of is. Obviously it's so cool that an artist like Mabel has seen the opportunity to be involved in a project like this one; but damn this song deserves to be pushed and shoved to the mass market. Which, of course, could still happen but I'm very concerned that it's going to be left behind forever.



But all is never lost because, as I said at the start, Mabel has just put out her brand spanking new single 'Thinking Of You'. It's definitely not my favourite of her tracks, but the calibre of Mabel's music at this stage in her career is so high, pre-listening to it that just gives you some kind of idea as to how good this is. The video is nice too; it's such a stark contrast to Mabel's only other "proper" music video ('Know Me Better' which was all in black and white), the pastels and just generally more fun and warm kind of feeling that comes across from this video is super nice. It's probably fair to say that Mabel is on a pretty nice trajectory upwards from hereon in and it's only a matter of time before she's dominating airwaves across the globe. I'm excited and you should be too.



P.S. OMG her hair is still so absolutely glorious.

Three Become One: Kudu Blue, Thomston, Holychild

Songs for your listening pleasure.

Kudu Blue - Call Out

Oh hey there new fave band Kudu Blue. (That's like my tenth new fave band this year, isn't it? What can I say, I get around.) Kudu Blue are from Brighton and there are five of them and they're just quite good, aren't they? Like, when you listen to their new single 'Call Out' there's absolutely nothing about it that couldn't be an absolutely huge radio hit. Kudu Blue's vocalist whom I only know (know is a stretch, I read it on the internet) as "Clem" is once again so stellar on this throughout. Genuinely stick this in a bag with Fours for bands I'm most excited about doing things over the next six months or so. However the heartbreak starts at the point where their music is available on Deezer so I don't have the ability to listen to these songs at my heart's content. Good things come to those who wait though, I guess... (EDIT: Subscribed to Spotify for three months at 99p this morning, didn't I? Great work.)

Thomston - Float

Love of my entire life Thomston is back again. We can assume that 'Float' is being taken from Thomas Stoneman's forthcoming debut album can't we? Like, obviously, it definitely is. I don't know what it is about Thomston that I personally find so captivating but there's something and whatever that something is, it's present in every single track he brings out. 'Float' sounds serene and pure and packed full of nautical references which always work well in songs like this. I really can't wait for Thomston to come back to the UK and/or to release his album because both of those things would be so wonderfully excellent.

Holychild feat Kate Nash - Rotten Teeth

Holychild just released an EP, and I'm not a massive fan of it but this song is absolutely excellent and in stark contrast, I'm a massive fan of it. 'Rotten Teeth' is an excellent continuation of the songs on Holychild's debut album which was one of my favourites from last year. I never really thought that there was a place for Kate Nash in music in 2016 but it would appear I was incorrect because this collab is pretty perfect. In true Holychild style the video is absolutely nuts as well... like so nuts I'm not sure watching it in the office would be widely approved of. Catchy as fuck, this, though.