Hits Of Tomorrow – A Weekly Rundown of the ‘Should-Be’ Hits

The fifth month of the year comes close to an end with a number of new collaborations and a lot of preview singles from upcoming summer albums. This week’s new releases include the latest from blackbear featuring Machine Gun Kelly on “gfy,” Kanye West with XXXTentacion on “True Love,” and one that seems nearly 20 years late in the form of Sean Paul and Gwen Stefani on “Light My Fire” featuring Shenseea.

Beyond these noteworthy releases, here are a few other tracks that deserve our attention.

“POTION” – Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa, Young Thug

So the question here would be, why would one of the world’s biggest DJ/producers working alongside pop’s biggest star and one of rap’s most talented and chart-successful artists need any additional attention and a feature on #HITSOFTOMORROW? The answer is because this laid-back summery track by Calvin Harris is not at all what you’d expect to hear on radio these days, and similar to his previous “Funk Wav Bounce 1,” “Potion” is also a little disco, a little offbeat, but oh so what we actually need. Dua Lipa is ever-reliable but her collaborations have been a hit or miss – sometimes they work really well, for example “Cold Heart (PNAU Mix)” with Elton John, and at times they fail spectacularly (“Demeanor” with Pop Smoke). The surprise package here is the recently arrested Young Thug who actually owns the track – his presence elevates “Potion” to another level. The track may start strong but will likely stall given that it is not what you expect from any of the artists featured despite them being in their sort-of wheelhouses. It is a grower and, hopefully, we’ll get a chance to experience a lot more of the track (and Harris’s forthcoming album) this summer!

“I JUST CALLED” – NEIKED, Anne-Marie, Latto

I can’t say I’ve been waiting for this my whole life but, truth be told, since I was a kid and listening to Stevie Wonder’s classic “I Just Called To Say I Love You,” the easiest thing as a sarcastic child to do then was switch “love” with “hate.” “I Just Called” goes ahead and does the switch, and hearing Anne-Marie politely sing the now-vengeful lyrics adds an element of nostalgic cheese that’s been missing from radio as of late. Of course, Latto, the queen of cheesy nostalgia, joins in on the jam making the track stand out even more. Anyone over 40 with either cringe or laugh, while anyone below that age will likely just find the track enjoyable and, well, on point. This is likely to be an even bigger hit than “Better Days” – you can just tell.

“DANCE FOR YOU” – Empress Of

One of the most consistently interesting young artists of late is Empress Of and “Dance For You” certainly has us excited for her upcoming EP “Save Me” coming out in June. “I made this [song] in Minneapolis with BJ Burton,” Empress Of expressed in a statement, adding, “‘Surrender to me like this’ is a touching lyric for me because I’m not hurt over this person anymore. I’ve come out the other side.” The single is everything we love about the artist – and who doesn’t love a break-up anthem on the dance floor? If there’s any justice, the track will break through and enjoy a much-deserved Top-40 run.

“DON’T FORGET” – Sky Ferreira

We don’t get new tracks from Sky Ferreira very often. In fact it was three years ago when she first teased a return with “Downhill Lullaby.” But it seems that her much-delayed album “Masochism” is finally ready to go and we are thus presented with the second single, “Don’t Forget.” The track is stuck in the 1980s, which at the moment may feel cliché and overdone, but Ferreira has been ahead of this revival trend for her whole career! This isn’t synth-pop lite, this is full-fledged retro-pop. While it may not be her best work, it’s an indication of what lies ahead, and to be honest, the track is far superior to the many ’80s rip-offs that have infiltrated Top 40 of late. Would much rather have Ferreira find a home there than the next Ed Sheeran track!

“ON & ON” – Superorganism

Superorganism are building from one strength to another in anticipation for their upcoming full-length LP World Wide Pop with another single “On & On.” After preview tracks “Teenager,” “It’s Raining,” and “crushed.zip,” this fourth release is actually the band’s strongest. The track works because there is a breezy feel to it despite the heavy lyrics that reflect on one making the same mistake again and again, as if on loop. In a world where Glass Animals have become a one-year-plus Top-10 holdover, there is just no reason why this infectiously catchy single can’t break out and keep charting on and on… and on.

“HYPOCRITE” – CHANKA

Singer-songwriter/electronic producer CHANKA delivers a knockout with “Hypocrite.” At a time when so many artists are trying to fit into an expected mold, particularly young Asian ones, it’s a refreshing left turn the Hong Kong native offers us on the dark but pulsating single. As refreshing as the artist is, it will be equally refreshing to see the single not only chart high on the dance charts but also find a home on Top 40. There’s no reason why this can’t fit between Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish.

“THE ONE” – M.I.A.

Recently born-again Christian M.I.A. is back, previewing her sixth LP Mata with the single, “The One.” The artist has been sharing nuggets over the past few years and even scored her first number-one single featured on Travis Scott’s 2020 hit “Franchise.” The new single is a solid effort by the artist, even if it doesn’t reinvent the wheel. A week after the return of Santigold, it’s nice to see some of the OG bad asses of the previous decade return to their mantles. The track has the energy needed to return the artist to the charts, but truth be told, a killer remix with perhaps a guest MC verse could really help the song find that extra bit of love.

On the cusp!

“OFF THE RIP” – NafeSmallz

“BABA (Toma Tussi)” – Russ Millions

“DO IT BETTER” – Felix Jaehn, Zoe Wees

Listen To #HITSOFTOMORROW Playlist on Spotify!