Tag Archives: song-to-know

Early on Adele‘s new album 30, she highlights voice memos from her son, Angelo, where he’s asking her some big questions about life. On “I Drink Wine,” it’s her turn. In posing those questions, Adele has written one of the best songs of her already-storied career, a gorgeous power ballad …

When the producer Quantic and the Colombian singer Nidia Góngora connected for Curao, an album-length collaboration from 2017, the result was a low-key triumph. Ping-ponging tracks like “Que Me Duele?” rushed breathlessly towards the dance floor, while quieter moments like “Maldito Muchacho” left room for Góngora to showcase her formidable …

This week Bob Dylan turned 80, and singers and musicians have been covering his songs for roughly 60 of those years. Still, it’s always a treat when someone digs a little deeper into Dylan’s catalog than “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” or “Like a Rolling Stone.” On her new collection of …

The DJ-producer Rich Medina serves up a mellow call-to-arms for dancers in “This Thing,” a collaboration with Jimpster that zips and flutters like a brisk summer breeze. Jimpster excels in this zone: His 2018 remix of Peter Matson’s “Roma Norte” achieved a similar blend of propulsive and soothing, with intricate …

As soon as Moneybagg Yo’s latest song opens with a four-count, you know it’s a Neptunes-produced track. The duo of Pharrell and Chad Hugo have a storied list of past collaborations, ranging from Britney Spears to SZA, and the way their sound merges with the Memphis rapper’s on “Certified Neptunes,” …

Rubén Blades, the singer-songwriter behind some of the greatest salsa of all time, attempts a bold merger on his latest album, Salswing!, moving between the strutting, brassy sheen of swing and the driving, blasting, hyperkinetic salsa that made him a legend. In the liner notes accompanying the album, which Blades …

Jayda G adds a fresh sheen to the classic sounds of Nineties Basement Boys productions — think Ann Nesby and Sublevel — on “All I Need,” a springy collaboration with James Ford. The single follows last year’s “Both of Us,” a piano-house juggernaut that would have surely been playing on …

Haviah Mighty’s “Obeah” explores the spirituality of that Caribbean practice — describing the bad energy one might catch from a jealous friend. A true storyteller, Mighty introduces the listener to a cast of characters over the course of the song: the omnipotent narrator warning the protagonist of the ire of …

Fleetwood Mac‘s The Dance gets all the (well-deserved) attention for being Fleetwood Mac’s best live album. But the band’s first live release, 1980’s Fleetwood Mac Live, is overdue for some rightful acclaim of its own. Ahead of an upcoming deluxe reissue, let the band’s live take on “Rhiannon” show you …

Joeboy has a knack for the sticky, sub-three-minute single — see his breakout hit “Baby” from 2019, and last year’s “Call.” His voice is not overpowering, but it quavers effectively to communicate longing. And the singer maximizes the impact of his harmonies by picking beats with just a few musical …