Friday can only mean one thing: a weekend of social distancing while wearing a mask. While practicing the proper safety behaviors is a must-do, so is enjoying yourself. Pour yourself a glass of refreshing rosé, turn up your speakers, and savor this week’s Sound Bite. Whether you’re listening to the newest banger from alt-pop goddess beabadoobee, or basking in the raspy vocals of Billy Raffoul, this weekend should be spent with good tunes.
We’ve also included new music from Kiiara, Social Animals, and blackbear. See below for all five songs.
1. “i feel 2 much” by blackbear
Singer-songwriter and producer blackbear released three new songs today. The trilogy of tracks will be featured on the artist’s upcoming album due out on August 21. “i feel 2 much” is a smooth song with a slow build-up into a rhythmic chorus. This one should be kept on repeat.
2. “Something to Keep Me Awake” by Social Animals
The latest single from Social Animals was recorded pre-quarantine in Chris Carrabba’s home studio. The song has a passionate tone that is almost on the verge of feeling desperate for hope. Carrabba added backing vocals on the song, creating an even more emotional vibe. “Every morning when I wake up in this strange new world we live in, I have to find new ways to stay motivated and keep myself awake. It’d be easier to sleep through it. But that simply isn’t an option. So we’re not going to ‘wait until this blows over’ to share this with you, because it shouldn’t just blow over. We need to sit with our situation, and find out what really matters to us and how we can help. Stay safe out there,” singer and guitarist Dedric Clark says.
3. “Care” by beabadoobee
The newest single and music video from this songstress is shimmery and saccharine, while maintaining beabadoobee’s charismatic edge. “This song has end-of-a-90s movie vibes, like you’re driving down a highway. It is pretty much me being angry at society, or people around me who I just don’t think know me and don’t care. I don’t want you to feel fucking sorry for me. I just want you to understand what I’ve been through. I never expected to be making the first video from my album during a pandemic! I was so lucky to be locked down with the bedroom guys, it feels like it turned out as one of the most personal, real videos I’ve made,” beabadoobee says.
4. “Nobody Here (But Us)” by Billy Raffoul
If you don’t swoon when you hear Billy Raffoul’s vocals, I can’t help you. The singer’s romantic growl is enthralling while his lyrics are consistently captivating. “Nobody Here (But Us)” feels like a love letter to falling in love and forgetting about the entire world around you.
5. “I Still Do” by Kiiara
Kiiara’s new song “I Still Do” is a hypnotic bop, punctuated with electro-pop moments. The music video features Kiiara’s alter-ego called Lil Kiiwi, a representation of the singer’s younger self. Of the song, Kiiara says, “’I Still Do’ is about questioning why I have love for someone, despite the situation. The truth is that I just cared and I still do.”
