I love when artists from different genres and backgrounds come together to create music, especially when the pooling of their collective talents and imagination results in glorious sonic alchemy. One of the finest examples of this in recent memory is “New Gold”, a brilliant collaboration between virtual band Gorillaz (fronted by British singer-songwriter and producer Damon Albarn), Australian alternative psychedelic music project Tame Impala, and American rapper Bootie Brown (aka Romye Robinson). The deep, pulsating beat and lush, intricate synths by Albarn, producer extraordinaire Greg Kurstin, and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker create a magical backdrop for Albarn’s and Parker’s dreamy vocals and Brown’s flawlessly rapped verses, all of which not only complement each other beautifully, but also create a palpable sense of excitement and energy. The song is a gorgeous feast for the senses, and ascends to the #1 spot on my latest Weekly Top 30.

Co-written by them all, the song’s lyrics speak to the ephemeral and often unfulfilling things too many people indulge in, expressed in the chorus “New gold, foolish gold, everything will disappear.” They rely on self-delusions or any number of palliatives, rather than face their problems in a realistic way, whether it be the ultimately self destructive overuse of cosmetic surgery that often ages poorly, abuse of party drugs that destroy the user’s mind, or endless social media drama, wasting time on online content lacking any real value or engaging in online arguments that only serve to make us feel more isolated than ever.

In other chart developments, Young the Giant‘s poignant and lovely “The Walk Home” enters the top 10, and two songs make their debut: “The Way” by American alt-rock band Manchester Orchestra, at #29, and “In My Head” by Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Arizona-based singer-songwriter Kailee Morgue, at #30.

1. NEW GOLD – Gorillaz, Tame Impala & Bootie Brown (3)
2. TROPIC MORNING NEWS – The National (1)
3. GHOSTS AGAIN – Depeche Mode (4)
4. TRANSMITTER – Sea Power (2)
5. FLOWERS – Miley Cyrus (6)
6. PEPPER – Death Cab for Cutie (5)
7. LOVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE – Fall Out Boy (7)
8. SOFTEN – Alex Southey (9)
9. BLUEBELL WOOD – Frank Joshua (10)
10. THE WALK HOME – Young the Giant (12)
11. KID – The Revivalists (14)
12. I WANT YOU DEAD – Two Feet & Allie Cabal (13)
13. BACKPATTERS AND SHOOTERS – The Zangwills (8)
14. PAID OFF – Oli Barton & the Movement (15)
15. WOLF – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (16)
16. EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (23)
17. THE PERFECT PAIR – beabadoobee (19)
18. NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (20)
19. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (11) 21st week on chart
20. GO DOWN RIVER – The Heavy Heavy (21)
21. DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (22)
22. ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (24)
23. PAGES – White Reaper (17)
24. ANGELICA – Wet Leg (27)
25. 1982 – Morgendust (28)
26. RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (29)
27. LEAVING – Au Gres (30)
28. YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – Darksoft (18)
29. THE WAY – Manchester Orchestra (N)
30. IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (N)