Beyond DJ Khaled, Olivia Rodrigo and Karol G, here are noteworthy releases by Miguel, Bonnie McKee, Taliar Mar, Josh Makazo and more
Olivia Rodrigo is batting 2 for 2 so far as she gets us ready for her GUTS LP. “bad idea right?” is the follow-up to her #1 smash “Vampire” and shows yet another side of the artist who seemingly is living up very nicely to her the next Alanis Morissette mantle.
Meanwhile, DJ Khaled is back with “another one” – this time featuring a who’s who of hip-hop — Lil Baby, Future and Lil Uzi Vert who let us know why they’re “Supposed To Be Loved.” The single is the first release from Khaled’s upcoming album ’Til Next Time.
But the week’s big release is Karol G, who has been dominating the charts lately and her Manana Sera Bonito (Bichota Season) LP is likely to blow up with nearly every unreleased single from the batch a banger. “Mi Ex Tenia Razon” is my personal fave but get ready for a number of tracks to chart and her domination to keep us moving all throughout the rest of the year.
Beyond these surefire hits, here are the songs that deserve a little more attention – the SHOULD-BE hits if you will. Here are this week’s #HitsOfTomorrow.
More than ten years after “Sure Thing” released originally, Miguel scored a pop #1 with the single thanks to TikTok. But I’d argue the app was just icing on the appreciation cake for the singer who was an early genre-busting talent. Today, the music landscape has become far more accepting of multi-hyphenated, multi-format artists and to that extent, Miguel, who had been a star on the R&B charts never achieved the mainstream success he so richly deserved. “Number 9” proves to be the perfect new era single for the artist as the single masterfully infuses the singer’s style with an updated panache (and guest feature from Lil Yachty) that hopefully won’t just climb the urban charts but also Top 40!
Speaking of 10 years ago, there was nobody hotter than Bonnie McKee back then. The so-called secret weapon behind the biggest hits for Katy Perry, the songwriter tried her own hand at pop stardom but sadly it died away very quickly thanks to a flop debut single. But what’s old is new and McKee is embracing the newfound re-appreciation for the era and her unmatched ability to make a pop record. We thought the debut single “Slay” from her soon-to-be-released LP Hot City was a bop – now comes the title track and let’s just say, it’s pop perfection. McKee always knew how to Max Martin (yes, I’m using the talent as a verb here) her way to a jam and adds just the right amount of her personality into the mix to make it sound like her own and not just a songwriter demo. I really hope radio embraces McKee cause lord knows she’s given them hits! They really need to return the favor and make this a smash!
Much like songwriters, often featured artists in house/EDM cuts get the short end of the stick. Their records become huge successes but those opportunities don’t always parlay into solo careers. Thankfully we’ve seen RAYE break free from the genre world and I hope the same goes for Talia Mar who releases her best single to date with “Forget About Your Ex.” After already being part of two huge singles with Sigala (“Stay The Night”) and Nathan Dawe (“Sweet Lies”), this single feels like the perfect vehicle to launch the talent in the top ranks of the mainstream Top 40 as well as global pop playlists. The single is both smart and sexy, making for a combination we often feel fits the genre but there are too few artists at the moment that actually are offering this. While her single “Self-Portrait” was a great introduction, this is the single that should make the talent a true star!
Speaking of stars, I love that music is very quickly (in the grand scheme of things) becoming a global sonic melting pot of sorts. Artists can literally be anywhere, influenced by anyone and now, have the platforms to record exactly the type of music they want regardless of their background, race, gender, language, etc. I point this out because lately, some of the best R&B to come out hasn’t been from the U.S. and surprisingly not even from the U.K. (though there are still so many underrated artists there!) but now from Asia. Case in point, Josh Makazo. The world as a whole may not know his name yet but the minute you hear “Sights,” the young artists’ collab with Jean Seizure (another name we may not know) you know this is special. Classic R&B has always been about a mood and creating a feeling. The breathier vocals here help to delineate the sound from the vocal histrionics that too often overshadow the meaning behind the songs. A welcome addition to the soul world, programmers take note!
Speaking of soul, this A Colors Show performance and song release by Montreal-born, Paris-based singer/songwriter Charlotte Cardin was absolutely necessary. Giving us one of the best vocal performances of the year, this is truly an unbelievable showcase for the talent who shined on her Phoenix LP but the album didn’t become the juggernaut it deserved to be. I really hope those who take a listen or better yet, just see her performance here will be astounded by her vocal control and well, true singing can and does exist still and if marketed right, it can be a big hit too! Stellar.
Even More Hits!
Listen To #HITSOFTOMORROW Playlist on Spotify!
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