003: R&B Recs for Defrosting
Amine’s new track ‘Familiar’ is out now and winter’s making their way out, thank god
One thing about me: it’s never too early to prepare for summer. It’s been sunny for one day where I live and the wind is still biting, but I can see summer coming back and Amine’s new release sums up how I feel for beating another round of seasonal depression.
In tandem with the release of Amine’s ‘Familiar’, I’m dropping a ‘rapid fire’ list of all the music artists and tracks I’ve been loving for this time of the year. It’s full of bouncing, soulful, groovy sounds, encapsulating a chill, warm summer day on the west coast, from sunrise to after the club at 7am.
Amine’s ‘Familiar’: it has a bounce that’s reverberating and leans into what defines music in the 2020s: mixing the general tenets of rnb, house, hip-hop, rap and an undertone of soul, which makes my personal favorite blend. It’s feels fresh and a perfect intro into the warmer summer months, and it’s what I imagine El Rio feels like on a hot summer Saturday.
Kaytramine’s Self-Titled Album: Nothing to really say that hasn’t been said, and that it’s a great primer for Amine’s upcoming release. ‘4EVA’ and ‘Rebuke’ defined summer for 2023, reminiscent of long, carefree days by the pool and tanning under the sun.
Azchike x Sam Gellaitry’s remix : another blend of Hip-Hop and House, Az Chike is a rising face in West Coast hip-hop, co-signed by Kendrick Lamar with his appearance at the Kendrick & Friends show last year at the Kia Forum and surprising the masses with his feature on the GNX album. @uncle.kizzy on Tiktok and Soundcloud finds the perfect track that complements Az Chike’s cadence and flips it into a track that makes you wanna blast this with the windows down as you breeze along a coastal sunset.
Joyce Wrice & Freddie Gibb’s ‘On One’: with bouncy strings and Wrice’s smooth vocals, ‘On One’ feels like a day party essential to bring in the lax vibes and understated confidence.
Jacob Dior: Becoming a staple in Brooklyn DJ community, Jacob Dior understands what ‘cunt’ sounds like. Mixing the tracks of some of the most iconic black women artists in the game right now, Jacob Dior has an ear for club tracks and blends them seamlessly into the night. His blends of Beyonce’s most iconic tracks on Renaissance and Cowboy Carter create an entirely new experience that pre-games her upcoming summer Tour.
lovie.world: //Theee woman of her craft and making space for black women in the New York nightlife scene, lovie.world is a DJ in every form — radio DJ, vinyl DJ, DJ historian and educator, recurrent host on Residential Advisor, and co-founder of the party series Soul Connection — Lovie calmly stands in her work in house music and lets her work speak for itself. She keeps her audience informed and grooved in, all while giving her own commentary on current music trends and culture on her personal channel and RA.
Janet Jackson’s ‘Someone to Call My Lover’ : currently trending on Tiktok, this song is a y2k classic. I think of how Janet was 24 years old when she made this and the carefree attitude that comes with that era. I happily reminiscence the level of silly that comes with clinking the 3rd round of mimosas with the homies during Sunday brunch.
Sounds of Blackness’s ‘Optimistic’ : As the namesake says, this is an upbeat and nostalgic track that encourages radical joy.
Alana Maria’s ‘Nobody Else’ : A new artist highlight, ‘Nobody Else’ is dreamy and a new spin on old school R&B. This song captures the moments before the sun sets and makes it feel like the beginning of something new.
Jcksn Ave’s ‘Nothing to Lose’ : Another 90s-adjacent R&B track to listen to during sunset, this track also captures new feelings that are as effortless as a gentle ocean breeze.
Nao’s Jupiter: released 7 years after ‘Saturn’, Nao returns with an album that reflects on her ever-changing and transformative journey in love and life. With the name of her album associated with abundance and joy, Nao comes back with the perspective as a mom and as a recipient of wonder for her world. This album has a light sense of R&B, and gives reverence and hope for a bright future. ‘Light Years’ and ‘Happy People’ are on my current rotation but I can feel that the rest of the album will soon follow.
That’s it for now! Thank you for reading~~ I have another issue dropping on Sunday that’s less bound to time, but I wanted to get this out as a head start for the warmer months! Let me know if you would like to see more shortlists like this one, and I’ll catch ya on the next one:)