#HitsOfTomorrow: A Weekly Rundown Of The ‘Should-Be’ Hits

Beyond Travis Scott and NewJeans, we tune into the latest from Snoh Aalegra, Stormzy and RAYE, Chelsea Collins and more

Published by

July 22, 2023

#HitsOfTomorrow: A Weekly Rundown Of The ‘Should-Be’ Hits

Summer is pouring us big new singles! In fact, we haven’t had such a rich string of new releases in one single week all year! Starting us off is probably the most interesting of collabs between three giants of music – Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd come together for “K-POP.” Does the track deliver? Well, it won’t really matter cause this going to blow up before the end of this sentence.

Of course, the K-Pop genre itself isn’t going to be streamed away by that hip-hop collab, as we get the latest from NewJeans, who yet again prove why they’re one of the coolest girl-groups. “Cool With You” is another likely smash for the band.

Besides this, ZAYN marks his return with “Love Like This” – will the former One Directioner make it back to the top? Hard to gauge with this single which sounds more like a teaser for a new era than first single, but then again, you never know. The same cannot be said for two big hitmakers from two very different genres.

Chris Stapleton returns with “White Horse” – probably his strongest lead single yet and given the love country songs have been getting at Top 40, maybe Stapleton finally lands a shot at a bonafide smash solo hit on mainstream playlists. Ditto for A$AP Rocky who releases “RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n)” with Pharrell Williams. The song is instantly memorable thanks to its loose interpolation of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Beyond all these hot singles, we also see the release of Ice Spice’s LP Like…? which will likely zoom up the charts, much like her single with Nicki Minaj “Barbie World” already has. The parent album for the newly released stellar Barbie film also will chart high thanks to the already mentioned hit as well as Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” and Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” Other standouts from the album include Lizzo’s “Pink” and Sam Smith’s “Man I Am.”

With that said, with so many releases this week, some attention then must be paid to those that deserve a little extra attention – the SHOULD-BE hits of the week. Here are this week’s #HitsOfTomorrow.

“BE MY SUMMER” – Snoh Aalegra

We’ve not heard much new music from Snoh Aalegra since her 2021 Grammy-nominated LP Temporary Highs In The Violet Skies barring her cover of the late Bobby Caldwell’s “Do 4 Love.” So the summer just got that much more enjoyable thanks to her new release “Be My Summer.” While no official announcement is there yet for the start of a new era – even if the single proves to be a holdover till then, we’re loving it. Aalegra continues to showcase her rich vocals with a style that feels a bit more mature and more sophisticated – something that helps her tracks to sound more limeless than timestamped. Here’s hoping the single gets buzz going again for the talent as she’s truly one of the brightest spots we have in modern R&B!

“THE WEEKEND” – Stormzy, RAYE

While RAYE has made a name of her own this past year thanks to “Escapism,” I have to be honest – I was missing this version of RAYE – the one who’d jump on feature and steal the show. The good thing now is that we know her name (I always did but now collectively we all do), her collabs are also stepping up and she gets a partner in Stormzy to equal the gravitas the singer brings to every table. “The Weekend” is likely to be an instant smash in Europe but I have a feeling this single might prove to be massive across the pond and globally. Stormzy has yet to parlay his enormous success into the U.S. and this single feels like the perfect marriage between his and RAYE’s styles but also with a universal enough back and forth that Americans eat up. While neither artist needs that market, it still does carry that weight of “made it everywhere” and both these artists deserve that attention!

“VOICES IN MY HEAD” – Vicetone, Chelsea Collins

Dutch duo Vicetone have been busy releasing tracks off their EP Departing Reality with the final single, arguably the best one, being saved for last. “Voices In My Head” features the highly underrated Chelsea Collins on vocals. The single smartly blends the duo’s summery melodies with Collins’ understated but compassioned vocals. What results is a standout collab that deserves attention beyond just dance playlists but at Top 40 and on every mainstream summer playlist. This is a winner.

“ROOM” – Jeremih, Adekunle Gold, 2 Chainz

Afrobeats collabs have become as commonplace these days as K-pop ones but the good ones, they stand out not because of the players involved but because the artists do their homework and everyone sounds authentic without feeling like they are jumping onto a “scene.” Such is the case for Jeremih’s “Room” with Adekunle Gold and 2 Chainz. Individually they’ve all had their hits but together, they come together to create a vibe that is both instantly memorable but also instantly identifiable by the artists. Seduction has never sounded this smooth or international and we dig!

“WAITING FOREVER” – ODESZA, Yellow House, Preston.

ODESZA seems to be doing no wrong lately and this somewhat of a surprise EP Flaws In Our Design as a collab with Cape Town-based songwriter/producer Emile van Dango aka Yellow House proves to be yet another feather in their cap. Highlight of their work together is the track “Waiting Forever” featuring Preston. The single is an instant bop and if radio took notice, this could be a global smash for the artists. I still don’t understand why their recent tracks have failed to get attention on mainstream playlists but they really deserve our attention and this single needs to get featured fast, it’s that good!

Even More Hits!