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

Beyond star collabs by Nicki Minaj and Kim Petras, check out new music from Jackson Wang and Ciara, Bree Runway and Khalid and more

Published by

Amit Vaidya

April 22, 2023

April showers in a lot of biggies this week. First off, we have The Weeknd who is ready to unleash a whole new era thanks to the upcoming HBO series The Idol. Teaming up with Future on the track “Double Fantasy” is an exciting start for the superstar as the track nicely fuses the old The Weeknd with the modern one in the best possible way.

This isn’t the only superstar collaboration out. After her smash Number One collab with Sam Smith, Kim “Unholy” Petras is back, this time working with Nicki Minaj. They team up for “Alone,” the umpteenth single of Minaj’s to rely on a previous hit smash and very much in step with the latest trend of sampling a Nineties house/club track. This time it’s Alice Deejay’s classic “Better Off Alone.” The result is middling but likely to still zoom up the charts.

The better option is actually Rita Ora’s latest, which flips Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You.” Her version “Praising You” actually got the thumbs up from the DJ himself and thankfully is even featured as a credited artist on the track. Do check it out.

Beyond that, we have Raye release a remix of her next viral hit “Flip A Switch” with current Top 10 hitmaker rapper Coi “Players” Leray. Her added feature will likely help the track get more traction at Top 40. Ironically, 070 Shake who featured on Raye’s smash “Escapism” is now featured on Christine and the Queens’ latest “True Love.”

While these all are surefire hits, let’s get to the songs that deserve a little extra attention — the SHOULD-BE hits of the week. Without further ado, here is this week’s #HitsOfTomorrow.

“Slow” – Jackson Wang, Ciara

On their own, both Jackson Wang and Ciara are stars with huge followings. Truth be speaking, we never really thought to put these two artists in the same sentence let alone the same track. But sometimes when two worlds collide, it works. Ciara used to be a mainstay on Top 40 while Wang finally had a breakthrough last year with “Blow.” “Slow” offers the chance for both artists to score an actual blockbuster hit. If their debut at Coachella of the single is any indication, we’re likely to see this global collab become a much-deserved global hit for the twosome.

PS. We need a music video, now!

“Be The One” – Bree Runway, Khalid

Speaking of collabs, Bree Runway finds the perfect partner in Khalid for “Be The One.” Lately Khalid hasn’t seen the same level of success that propelled him to a reliable hitmaker status early on in his career. But if you look back at the several years, Khalid may be one of the best duet partners an artist could ever ask for, be it Billie Eilish, Normani, Shawn Mendes, Logic… the list goes on. Hopefully, Runway benefits from this and the single becomes the hit it deserves to be. Last year’s “Somebody Like You” slipped under the radar (even though featured here on #HitsOfTomorrow) so let’s hope “Be The One” is THE one that gets the artist that much-deserved big hit and takes Khalid back up to the top of the charts.

“Worth It” – Colbie Caillat

There are so many artists that come and make such a massive impact in a short amount of time, you almost wish that weren’t the case, because you want to ensure that they have longevity in the game. “Bubbly” hitmaker Colbie Caillat is one such incredible talent who’s been laying low for some time but hopefully with the release of “Worth It,” she’s officially back and radio and programmers don’t take her hiatus as a reason to relegate her to older formats, because the single is as Top 40 as it gets. Always housed in melody, the track is the perfect reintroduction of the artist to a new generation and it’s definitely worth us giving Caillat the praise and the welcome back she deserves.

“London Bridge” – The Teskey Brothers

Since their Grammy nod in 2020, The Teskey Brothers have garnered international attention for their very soulful, bluesy, southern rock, Americana sound. That continues with the release of their London Bridge EP and the title track has all the makings of a big hit for the two brothers from Melbourne, Australia. At a time when Top 40 is embracing Morgan Wallen and Hardy, The Teskey Brothers feel like the most appropriate sonic evolution for the format as “London Bridge” is nothing short of excellent. They’re already hitmakers on AAA, but this is a global-sized hit and it deserves play on multi-genre formats, period.

“Never Dance Again” – Kelli-Leigh

What happens when everyone is dancing to and singing along to your songs but they can’t say your name? Kelli-Leigh has worked with everyone in the dance world from Duke Dumont and Jax Jones (“I Got U”) to Secondcity (“I Wanna Feel”) and her voice has captured our hearts every step of the way. But since releasing her solo efforts and establishing herself, radio has been absent. Much like RAYE finally breaking free last year with “Escapism,” Kelli-Leigh deserves that same level of breakout and here’s hoping “Never Dance Again” offers that chance for the most talented singer. Taking us back to Nineties with an instant house classic, the song should connect much like her other guest features have, here’s hoping programmers give this powerhouse the chance she has EARNED.

Even More Hits!