A leap year is an oddity if you ask me. We add an extra day to the calendar every four years to maintain some sort of balance in the world but in reality, mercury is in retrograde and everything is upside down. Nevertheless, 2020 has brought us another leap year and in turn, babies everywhere born on February 29 will have a lifetime of missed birthdays. So, let’s celebrate those leaplings (yes, that is a thing) with a cool playlist.
A collaboration between Justin Timberlake and stunner SZA has been released as the first official single and music video from the upcoming film Trolls World Tour. The film’s complete soundtrack will be released March 13 and with artists like HAIM, Anderson .Paak, and Mary J. Blige dotting the track listing, we’re ready for some bangers.
Off of an extended EP from electro-pop band CLAVVS we found a new favorite track in “Dark Thoughts,” offering listeners a relatable narrative with lush musicality. With a new track from indie-pop band Magdalena Bay, a song from Tchami, and a new release from Phoebe Bridgers, this week’s Sound Bite is complete. See below for all five tracks.
1. “Airplane” by Magdalena Bay
The new single from Magdalena Bay will be featured on their upcoming EP, A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling, slated for release on March 13. “Airplane” is a bittersweet love song about the feelings you have when your life moves on without someone in it. The band combines a cool DIY vibe with a catchy pop-centric sound, creating a truly unique identity for themselves. Catch Magdalena Bay at SXSW this year before they join Kero Kero Bonito on tour in April.
2. “Dark Thoughts” by CLAVVS
The Brooklyn-based indie pop duo known as CLAVVS released an extended EP for their project No Saviors earlier this week. The two new tracks featured on the track listing are “Half Moon” and our personal favorite, “Dark Thoughts.” The latter plays like a love letter written to the challenge of moving forward and not harping on past moments you cannot change. “For a long time, I wrote about the past and wanting to change it. I wrote about my fascination with the future. It was like I couldn’t bare to just let things be,” writer/vocalist Amber Renee says. “I’ve done a lot of introspection. Now I’m more present.”
3. “Ghosts” by Tchami feat. Hana
Paris-born DJ and producer Tchami has released two singles off his upcoming debut solo album, set to be released later this year. “Proud” and “Ghosts” were released together and definitely have similarities to them but “Ghosts” stands out to us with an airy female vocal twirling throughout. The song’s hypnotic kick drums and glittery synths add texture and depth to the song. Tchami will be performing at Ultra Music Festival Miami in March, Coachella Arts Festival in April and EDC Las Vegas this May.
4. “The Other Side” by SZA and Justin Timberlake
The upcoming sequel to Trolls is set to be a stellar musical adventure. The first official single for Trolls World Tour is “The Other Side” by SZA and Justin Timberlake, and while the song itself is energetic and exciting, the accompanying music video is a visual gem. Embracing the playful edge that Trolls is celebrated for, the video pays homage to nostalgic hip-hop music videos from the 1990s and showcases the duo through a fisheye lens. “The creative process of working with Justin Timberlake and the team was filled with such excitement. It’s an energy you can feel in both the song and music video,” SZA says.
5. “Garden Song” by Phoebe Bridgers
“Garden Song” is the first new solo release from singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers since her debut album Stranger In the Alps in 2017. The highly anticipated song does not disappoint. The intimacy of the singer’s vocals are the focal point of this track, delivering poetic lyrics about loss and hope. The music video, directed by Bridgers’ younger brother Jackson Bridgers, is a stunning example of how creative and cheeky the singer can really be. Catch Phoebe Bridgers on tour with The 1975 and The National later this year.
