From Omah Lay to Santigold, plus a comeback from N-Dubz
Another week, another slew of new releases, but of course, we’re all merely guests this week as the show really belongs to Harry Styles, who’s definitely become not only the most successful former One Direction member, but this generation’s boy-band breakout – the new Justin Timberlake. While the former N’Syncer went the R&B route, Styles is more rock and roll, and this bodes well for the artist as there are few stars out there for a stadium crowd. It helps that Harry’s House is a stellar follow-up record to his great Fine Line LP from 2019. “As It Was” is already a global smash and by the looks of it, “Late Night Talking” will soon follow. Of course, the best track on the album hands down is “Daydreaming” – it’s his best work to date. While Styles will shoot straight to the top, here’s a look at the other releases this week and the singles that deserve our little nudge as they SHOULD BE hits on this week’s #HITSOFTOMORROW.
Country-pop is back with a bang and you wouldn’t have thought that Rina Sawayama, the Japanese-British pop star, would be the one to take us back to the glory days of Shania Twain in the second half of the 1990s. But with a playful nod at the start (she says “Let’s go girls”) this super-energetic track has all the ingredients to not just continue to make Sawayama such an incredible standout but also the next big superstar. The song is glittered with pop-culture references featuring everyone from Paris Hilton to Princess Diana. This is pure pop perfection and “This Hell” is the summer jam that’s fire!
Just as the charts start to send Doja Cat’s already iconic “Woman” down the charts, we now have Nigerian superstar Omah Lay back after his collaboration with Justin Bieber on “Attention” with his own single that’s also called “Woman”. Afrobeats is continuing to make strides across the globe and on the charts, and there is no reason why Lay’s latest effort won’t make a big impact as the lyrics, an ode to the lady in his life, are heartfelt and the beat, well, is simply what we need this summer.
German producer Roosevelt teams up with the legendary Nile Rodgers of Chic for what they’ve billed as a tribute to Studio 54. “Passion” has everything you need to get onto the dancefloor and also to keep you bopping listening to the radio. Roosevelt’s Polydans LP last year was a disco revelation and he continues that here. Rodgers’ involvement reminds us of his work with Daft Punk a few years back, and we’ll be lucky if “Passion” goes the way chart-wise that “Get Lucky” did!
In what seems like after ages, Santigold returns with her first new material since 2018 and boy, is it worth the wait. In a statement, the artist spoke about her absence from the scene and why she called the new single “High Priestess” – it’s about her greatness. The song sonically pushes the boundaries of what we’d expect from the singer, and with a more futuristic sounding punk vibe, we are simply loving it.
Miles away from Miley Cyrus’s “Malibu”, Aussie Will Hyde takes the same title and creates his own moment in the coastal town. The song is catchy from the start of the beat and builds from there – by the time we reach the first chorus, we’re singing along, feeling the same “déjà vu” the singer sings about – as if we’ve known the song for more than one listen. If there’s justice, Hyde’s “Malibu” will explode on the charts and become the global smash it deserves to be.
Quite possibly the most instant hit of their career, ASTRO’s “Candy Sugar Pop” harkens back to the days of the early aughts when N’Sync ruled the charts. This single is incredibly infectious and is perfect for the summer when we get our sweet tooth on. While there has been a steady slew of stellar K-pop releases that could breakthrough on the global charts, this single stands the best chance as it plays very high on a nostalgic sound that is perfect at the moment for global radio.
Comeback Of The Week!
After an 11-year hiatus, N-Dubz is back. While news just broke this week about the reunion and an upcoming arena tour, they’ve also dropped their first new single with “Charmer”. While the band was often maligned critically, they managed a string of hits that have kept fans humming along for years now. The new single adds Afrobeats to the mix, making it feel more updated, a good sign that what’s to come is not more of the same but an evolved group where the sum of their individual successes and failures results in a memorable second inning.
On the cusp!
Listen To #HITSOFTOMORROW Playlist on Spotify!
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