The Monday Playlist: George Ezra, Florence + The Machine, Baby Queen and more!
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Hello and welcome to your weekly roundup of the best new songs from the past seven days.
I’m writing this to you from Sunday morning feeling a little fragile because I had the privilege of seeing Baby Queen in Glasgow last night (who conveniently has a new song out this week) and it really was one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to - if you ever get the chance, you absolutely have to see her.
My thoughts are too raw to give you anything else so here are this week’s new tracks - hope you find something you like!
The Monday Playlist on Spotify | 2022 Week 16 archive playlist
Release by 220 KID + ÁSDÍS - a moody EDM banger that has a perfect build and an impeccable bridge, you absolutely need this on your workout playlist
Words (feat. Zara Larsson) by Alesso - some people really just *get* dance pop music don't they? The gravitas that Zara Larsson brings to a song like this is unparalleled; excellent hook, big summer song for the genre
Colours Of You by Baby Queen - my entire weekend consisted of listening to and seeing Baby Queen live and watching the sweet-and-gentle first season of Heartstopper so this is the perfect meeting point of a perfect weekend. ‘I speak in grey to match the shade on the inside of my brain/I decay when my tongue touches the edges of your name' is such a beautiful opening line
Mama Said by Bow Anderson - Anderson has such a vocal talent it's nice to hear her slow things down a little and really dig into it; a really gorgeous melody on this one
P.G.N.L. Conor Maynard - still feels slightly embarrassing to admit to liking a Conor Maynard song, but this is a smooth lil RnB song and the chorus is really good so what can you do but simply be honest about it!!
Milk & Honey by Danielle Apicella - something about this specific slow opening guitar line and how it sets up Apicella to go wherever she wants with the song vocally with lots of little runs and vocal licks is so so satisfying, her voice is the real honey of this song
2step (feat. Lil Baby) by Ed Sheeran - thought Sheeran’s last album was decent if a bit choppy in its contents trying to be cute-n-folksy and cool-n-edgy simultaneously, so I'm glad he's put a bit more focus into 2step because it hits the same way as the likes of You Need Me
Free by Florence + The Machine - Florence has been on her laurels for a few years releasing trademark but forgettable songs, so getting Jack Antonoff in the writers room was inspired; you can really hear the Bleachers elements coming through - her best song in ages
Green Green Grass by George Ezra - having seen Ezra play this live a couple of weeks ago I was expecting the big band version he did on tour but instead he's given us something a bit more ~pop~ which, after initial reservations and many listens I have decided absolutely slaps - wouldn't be surprised if this is named official song of the summer
The Season by Oli Fox - another buoyant summer of love anthem, the crash of sound in the prechorus is perfect hype and that bridge is pure endorphins
antidote by Oliver Keane - a perfect dose of pop angst, the way Keane kicks it into gear for a moment in the second half is excellent
Bad Life by Sigrid + Bring Me The Horizon - this really does just sound like Sigrid doing a cover of a 00s rock song, the pop music industry’s sudden embrace of Being Me The Horizon wasn’t on the bingo card but we approve if it gives us the likes of Bad Life
Could I Live With Being Fake by Tom A. Smith - I think this is a good teen-angst little alt-rock song, I am just b e g g i n g young artists to spend a bit of time coming up with a decent stage name