I love synthpop songs with a good dance groove, and the collaborative single “Essence”, by young Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci and Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, fits the bill quite nicely. The mesmerizing song holds the #1 spot on my chart for a second week. The Foo Fighters‘ exhilarating “Rescued” remains at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Sliding into third place is the beautiful “Leaving” by Michigan singer-songwriter Au Gres (aka Joshua Kemp), and “Why” by supremely talented British alt-rock band Future Theory moves up to #5. Olivia Rodrigo‘s biting “Vampire” (pun fully intended) enters the top 10 at #9.
Two wonderful songs make their debut this week. Entering at #28 is the hauntingly beautiful “Daylight” by American singer-songwriter David Kushner. A relative newcomer to the music business, in just a year and a half, his songs have already racked up more than 725 million streams on Spotify alone, thanks to some of them going viral on TikTok (a platform I rarely look at, but is far and away the most popular for young people). In an interview with webzine Paper, Kushner remarked “TikTok has played the biggest role in my music career. It started as a fun thing. I definitely had not planned to market my music. …after writing “Miserable Man”, I decided to just leak the song on the platform. I didn’t expect that the next day I’d wake up to a couple hundred thousand likes. Not even a few weeks later, “Mr. Forgettable” did the same thing. At that point, I knew that TikTok would be a powerful tool to be able to connect with new people.” Released in April, the gospel-like “Daylight” has already been streamed over 387 million times on Spotify.
The second debut is “I Don’t Believe In You” by Texas-based singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, entering at #30. The powerful song, which I reviewed a month ago today, is a reimagining of the original track written and performed by Jr Moz Collective (aka singer-songwriter Mike Mosley, who played guitar, bass and synths on the track, with drums by Paul Prater).
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (1)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (2)
LEAVING – Au Gres (4)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (3)
WHY – Future Theory (6)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (7)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (8)
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (10)
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (11)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (5)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (9)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (12)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (15)
STUCK – 30 Seconds to Mars (16)
PUPPET SHOW – Beck Black (17)
SAY YES TO HEAVEN – Lana Del Rey (21)
KID – The Revivalists (13)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (14)
EMPTY NEST – Silversun Pickups (18)
SPELLBINDING – The Smashing Pumpkins (23)
BONES – HEALER (24)
WALK THROUGH THE FIRE – The Frontier (25)
ORBIT – Gooseberry (26)
OVERRATED – dwi (27)
LAST TIME EVERY TIME FOREVER – Grian Chatten (28)
CALL ME WHAT YOU LIKE – Lovejoy (29)
GOOD VIBRATIONS – MISSIO (30)
DAYLIGHT – David Kushner (N)
DUMMY – Portugal. The Man (20)
I DON’T BELIEVE IN YOU – Brian Lambert & Jr Moz Collective (N)
After a long, steady climb up my chart, I’m happy to announce that “Essence”, the stunning electro-pop collaboration between young Danish DJ and electronic house music producer Refeci (aka Victor Cornelius Tommerup) and Canadian-American singer-songwriter and musician Shimmer Johnson, has reached #1. They’ve each released an impressive amount of music both as solo artists and in collaboration with numerous musicians and vocalists. Refeci composed the mesmerizing and sensuous music, while Shimmer wrote the lyrics that speak to the importance of having faith in ourselves to forge our own path: “Don’t ever ever doubt your life.Make a wish and just believe. Find the path that’s right. It’s the essence of life.” It’s Shimmer’s second song to top my chart, her first being “Starts With You” early last year.
In other notable changes this week, “The Narcissist” by Brit pop band Blur enters the top 10 at #8, and “Psychos” by American singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis leaps 10 spots to #10. Three songs enter the chart, the first of which, “Vampire”, by 20-year-old Southern California-based singer-songwriter and actress Olivia Rodrigo, debuts at #11. Released on June 30, the heartrending song debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, her third single to do so (the others were her 2021 monster hit “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U”). “Call Me What You Like” by British indie rock band Lovejoy, enters at #29, and “Good Vibrations” by Texas duo MISSIO (which I recently reviewed) enters at #30.
ESSENCE – Refeci & Shimmer Johnson (2)
RESCUED – Foo Fighters (1)
RESCUE ME – Dirty Heads (4)
LEAVING – Au Gres (5)
NOT STRONG ENOUGH – boygenius (3)
WHY – Future Theory (7)
PINEAPPLE SUNRISE – Beach Weather (9)
THE NARCISSIST – Blur (12)
IN MY HEAD – Mike Shinoda & Kailee Morgue (10)
PSYCHOS – Jenny Lewis (20)
VAMPIRE – Olivia Rodrigo (N)
HELLO – GROUPLOVE (15)
KID – The Revivalists (8)
EAT YOUR YOUNG – Hozier (11)
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE – Joy Oladokun & Noah Kahan (17)
Austin, Texas-based duo MISSIO, made up of singer-songwriter and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler, have been one of my favorite music acts for the past five years. Not only do I love their great songwriting, edgy, thoroughly original sound that’s an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes, and Matthew’s beautiful emotive vocals, I also have mad respect for them. With an openness and honesty shown to their fans they’ve affectionately dubbed the ‘MISSIO Mafia’ (of which I proudly consider myself a member), they exude a genuine coolness, yet aren’t afraid to share their anxieties and vulnerabilities.
I’ve written about them numerous times on this blog, and in fact, featured their hauntingly beautiful “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” exactly one year ago today, as one of my entries of a 30-day song challenge I did last July. Today, I’m thrilled to share their latest single “Good Vibrations“, along with a terrific video that dropped last Friday, June 29th.
MISSIO has consistently produced an exceptional catalog of music, beginning with their brilliant debut album Loner in 2017. They’ve since followed with three more studio albums, The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 3,100 views, making it my most-viewed album review ever), Can You Feel The Sun in 2020, and VILLAIN last September (which I also reviewed). In 2020, they also dropped a gorgeous soundtrack album for their film Love Me Whole. Several of their songs have charted on my Weekly Top 30, three of which – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – reached #1. This past February, the guys released an EP I Am Sad, featuring six deeply impactful songs touching on anxiety and emotional pain, then followed in early June with their mellow trip hop single “Easy”, which along with “Good Vibrations”, will be included on their forthcoming fifth album.
According to the guys’ discussion of the song on their first episode of #MissioMonday, livestreamed this morning on YouTube, “Good Vibrations” started out as a demo written by Matthew a few years ago. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, and also had misgivings about releasing it, given the fact it shares the same title as the iconic Beach Boys song. But he thought that, given all the bullshit and negativity bombarding us these days, we could use a little more love and positivity. Besides, their drummer Jaydon really loved it, exclaiming “That’s a hit!”, so they decided to record and release it as a single. David also noted that he’d be honored to have their song even mentioned in the same sentence as the Beach Boys’ classic.
One of the many things I love about MISSIO’s music is that no two songs sound alike, and that’s especially true with “Good Vibrations”. The song hits hard, fueled by a powerful synth bass groove and Jaydon’s muscular drumbeats. It’s not a dance song per se, but I defy anyone to sit still when hearing it. My entire body is bopping to the beat as I write this review! To my ears, the song has a few echoes of 80s songs by Depeche Mode and Thompson Twins, but still sounds exciting and fresh. The combination of those heavy, pulsating beats, explosive percussion and colorful spacey synths create a bold, cinematic backdrop for Matthew’s sultry, impassioned vocals as he sings “What you need, What you need is my love. And some good vibrations.”
Jaydon is correct in his assessment of “Good Vibrations”, as MISSIO has another hit on their hands.
For the wonderful music video, they wanted to have a good time, so gathered a few skater friends together and shot the video at a skate park in San Marcos, Texas. The video features Matthew and David, along with skaters Kat Frances, Mason Lapena and Abel Rodriguez, and was directed by Matthew, filmed and produced by Ima Leupp, and edited by Joe Hassage.
Not a lot of big changes on my latest Weekly Top 30. The Killers remain on top for a third week with “boy”, and Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Here to Forever” holds at #2. It’s interesting that the top two artists have rather malevolent-sounding names, yet make such lovely music. Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit” inches up a notch to #3, and Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” moves into 4th place. Spoon continue their rapid climb up my chart with “My Babe”, jumping five spots to #5, and indie pop duo Cafuné‘s “Tek It” inches up to #6. Granfalloon‘s wonderful “Please Write Responsibly” moves up two spots to #7, and The 1975 finally enter the top 10 with their cerebral “Part of the Band”. In contrast to last week’s jackpot of six new entries, only one song makes its debut this week, the beautiful “Weird Goodbyes” by The National featuring Bon Iver. Such a marvelous melding of two distinctive voices!
BOY – The Killers (1)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (4)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (5)
MY BABE – Spoon (10)
TEK IT – Cafuné (7)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (9)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (6)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (11)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (14)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (8)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (15)
SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (17)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (12)
PARTY4ONE – dwi (20)
GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (19)
SISTERS – pMad (22)
WET DREAM – Wet Leg (24)
BITTER – Wild Horse (23)
THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (25)
THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (26)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (13)
SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (27)
WHITE HORSES – Art Block (28)
CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (29)
I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (30)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (16)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (18)
WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (N)
A particularly exciting Top 30 chart this week, with lots of movement and a ton of new music. The Killers keep a firm grip on the #1 spot for a second week with their hopeful anthem “boy”, and Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Here to Forever” advances to #2. “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy moves up two spots to #4, and Beach Weather‘s dreamy “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” jumps five spots to #5. Entering the top 10 are “Please Write Responsibly” by Granfalloon, from his wonderful album Calendar, which I just reviewed, and “My Babe” by Spoon, leaping 10 spots to #10, the highest upward mover for the second week. God, I love Spoon, and love that song!
A whopping six new songs enter my chart this week, more than I can remember in a very long time, and interestingly, four are by British acts. Beginning at #25, they are in order: “These Are the Days” by Irish band Inhaler, fronted by Elijah Hewson, the heartthrob son of U2 front man Bono Hewson; “The Echo” by immensely talented British singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, a hauntingly beautiful song I was alerted to by fellow blogger Robert Horvat (Rearview Mirror); “Spit of You” by British singer-songwriter Sam Fender (the guitars are absolutely gorgeous); the achingly beautiful “White Horses” by British singer-songwriter Art Block, who’s similarly-titled EP I reviewed last month; “Crest of the Wave” by British band Foals, one of my current top 10 favorite bands who can do no wrong when it comes to music; and “I Like You (A Happier Song)” by Post Malone & Doja Cat, currently at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’ve had several songs by the great Post Malone on my chart, but this is the first appearance for Doja Cat.
BOY – The Killers (1)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (3)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (2)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (6)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (10)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (5)
TEK IT – Cafuné (8)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (4)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (11)
MY BABE – Spoon (20)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (12)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (7)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (9)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (18)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (17)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (14)
SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (19)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (13)
GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (21)
PARTY4ONE – dwi (22)
WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (15)
SISTERS – pMad (26)
BITTER – Wild Horse (27)
WET DREAM – Wet Leg (30)
THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (N)
THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (N)
SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (N)
WHITE HORSES – Art Block (N)
CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (N)
I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (N)
“Am I a villain or a saint?” MISSIO asks on the title track of their brilliant new album VILLAIN. It’s an aural and emotional roller-coaster, encompassing the yin and yang of evil and goodness that exists within most of us. As regular readers of this blog know, I’m a huge fan of the Austin, Texas-based duo, which consists of singer-songwriter and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler. On the strength of their exceptional music catalog, as well as their honesty and openness with their fans and followers, they’ve earned a place among my favorite music acts of all time, and I’ve featured them several times on this blog. Their edgy, thoroughly original sound is an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes. Matthew’s beautiful, deeply emotive vocals add to their distinctive sound that’s totally unlike any other act.
David Butler and Matthew Brue
Beginning with the release of their debut album Loner in 2017, they’ve consistently put out a tremendous amount of outstanding music, including their magnificent second album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 2,900 views, making it my highest-viewed album review ever). They released their gorgeous fourth album Can You Feel The Sun in October 2020, and their fifth and latest album VILLAIN dropped September 23rd. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my own Weekly Top 30 chart, with “I See You” also being my #1 song of 2019 and #10 of the entire decade of the 2010s.
Though most of MISSIO’s songs are inspired by personal experiences, both good and bad, VILLAIN is perhaps their most deeply personal and introspective: “This is the first album we’ve chosen to release independently, and we poured our hearts into it. We always aim to write vulnerably about what we are feeling in the moment, and honestly, the last few years have been filled with a lot of difficult moments for us. Therefore, this album was written and inspired from some of the darkest spaces / heaviest emotions that we’ve experienced. It’s an album cultivated over hundreds of hours of internal/external dialogue within ourselves and each other about the meaning of the world and our place in it.“
The ten tracks touch on such topics as the conflict between good vs. evil, feelings of self-worth, anger and resentment, and the need for love and acceptance. The title track “Villain” seems to encapsulate all of these: “Complicated and a mess, slightly OCD. Take for granted many things that mean a lot to me.I know, I’ve got a lot to learn. I was raised as a scorpion. Being pulled by the moon in a high tide. That’s why I’m broken. I know, this hurts a lot. It’s not my fault it never was. And I know, I’m tough like stone. But right now, please hug me, I feel alone.” Musically, the song alternates between pensive, atmospheric moods and urgent, beat-driven grooves, nicely conveying the inner conflict touched on earlier.
Here’s a video, released in January 2023, of MISSIO performing the song.
On the menacing trip hop song “Demons“, Matthew starts off lamenting of his shortcomings “I feel I am letting go. And that makes me angry because I’m not who I want to be. It seems like I’m fading. And that makes me terrified because I’m not who I want to be.” But then he seems to take on the persona of the devil as he malevolently snarls, perhaps in reply to himself “Ay boy, what the fuck you think you’re doing here? This is Hell, don’t you know that you were coming here? I’ve been playing with your demons all day.”
MISSIO summon their inner beast on the bombastic “Say Something” and “#gimmeakiss“, which according to Spotify streaming stats are two of the most popular tracks on VILLAIN. Both tracks last barely two minutes, but blast through the speakers like a sonic battering ram of grinding industrial synths and pummeling beats. It’s clear the guys had a lot of fun recording these bangers, which are more frantic than their usual style, and both need to be played at full volume!
“I Wanna Fight And You Know It” is an eerie, aggressive song in which Matthew speaks to his darker, more combative side: “People tell me that I may be the disease. Like I’m the crazy bitches in the sea. Maybe all of ’em are right when it comes to being shady. I wanna fight and you know it. I got my fists up tonight and you know it.” And on the anthemic “We Are Who We Are“, Matthew addresses the importance of being true to ourselves, and accepting our imperfections in order to live a life that’s honest and real: “Why do we try to live a lie? It isn’t worth it. Who you tryna please? ‘Cause if it’s me, it isn’t working. We are who we are. That can be hard to accept. We are all fucked up human beings.”
One of the more enjoyable tracks on the album is “Does Anybody Love Me“. I love the infectious upbeat vibe and hearty piano and bass-driven groove. The lyrics speak to overthinking and worrying too much about what others think of you, but also cognizant of the fact that many others do the same: “Does anybody love me? I don’t know. Is everybody lonely? I think so.”
The final three tracks on VILLAIN are more contemplative and melodic, beginning with “Failure to Comply“, a beautiful, powerfully moving song about a narcissist who’s unable to love or show empathy toward others: “What is it you’re looking for? What is it that leaves you wanting more? Will you ever fight for me? Will you ever love someone other than you?” The mournful piano and dramatic, sweeping instrumentals are gorgeous, as are Matthew’s deeply heartfelt vocals. My favorite song on the album, it’s spent the past three months and counting on my Weekly Top 30.
“Picture in My Pocket” is a beautiful love song, with a languid, almost jazzy feel. The warm piano keys, subtle percussion and strummed guitar are positively sublime, and Matthew’s gentle vocals have an enchanting ethereal quality as he softly croons “Hang on to love if it’s real. I want to believe. I have this picture in my pocket of a peace I won’t grieve. And then I saw you. And you saw me. And suddenly the world wasn’t as bad as once before.”
VILLAIN closes on a positive note with the stunning and cinematic “To the Universe“. The lyrics speak to living life with an open mind and an open heart, unafraid to take chances and follow your dreams: “Open your mind to ideas that you don’t like. It’s a beautiful world if you quit puttin’ up a fight. You can let your walls down and be who you want to be. ‘Cause it’s a beautiful world, you can scream it when you don’t believe. To the universe, to the universe. It’s where we’re headed.”
Their previous albums are all so exceptional, I wasn’t sure how MISSIO could possibly keep matching their quality, let alone top them. But how shortsighted and wrong I was to doubt them, as once again they’ve gifted us with a phenomenal album in the form of VILLAIN. Every single one of its tracks is outstanding, which is not something that can be said about very many albums. I remain a faithful and devoted fan.
I’m happy that The Killers are still together and making music more than 20 years after their formation, and their latest single, the beautiful, uplifting anthem “boy”, takes over the #1 spot on this week’s Top 30. About the song, band front man and vocalist Brandon Flowers said: “This was the first song written after we had to cancel the ‘Imploding The Mirage’ tour due to the pandemic. I had recently moved back to Utah and started to make trips to Nephi, where I grew up. I found that the place I had wanted to get away from so desperately at 16 was now a place that I couldn’t stop returning to. I have a son approaching the age I was at that time in my life. With ‘boy’, I want to reach out and tell myself – and my sons – to not overthink it. And to look for the ‘white arrows’ in their lives. For me now, white arrows are my wife, children, my songs and the stage.”
In other chart developments, Måneskin‘s “Supermodel” inches up a notch to #2, while Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Here to Forever” moves up three spots to #3. I can’t get enough of Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, which enters the top 10 at #10. The biggest upward mover is “My Babe” by Spoon, jumping seven spots to #20. And the lone debut this week is the delightfully delicious “Wet Dream” by quirky English duo Wet Leg. I couldn’t stand “Chaise Longue” but really like “Wet Dream” a lot.
BOY – The Killers (2)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (6)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (1)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (7)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (10)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (4)
TEK IT – Cafuné (9)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (5)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (14)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (12)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (13)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (8)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (11)
WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (15)
SEASICK – The Rare Occasions (18)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (21)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (22)
There are a ton of really outstanding songs out now, and I have to say that, having grown up during the 60s and 70s – which many consider to be the greatest years for music – I honestly never imagined I would still enjoy hearing new music at my advanced age in the year 2022. It keeps me hopeful about the future of music! Now, let’s get to the highlights of this week’s Top 30 chart. I love every song on this list, and wish I could place them all in the top 5. The haunting and topical “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE spends a second week at #1. The Killers‘ inspiring anthem “boy” closes in at #2, while Måneskin‘s “Supermodel” holds at #3 for a third week.
Entering the top 10 are “Here to Forever” by the ever brilliant Death Cab For Cutie, climbing five spots to #6, and “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy, leaping eight spots to #10. British artist Granfalloon‘s delightful “Please Write Responsibly” and The 1975‘s enthralling “Part Of The Band” both climb four spots to #12 and #13, respectively. And Beach Weather continues their rapid ascent up my chart with their marvelous “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, climbing seven spots to #14. Three songs make their debut this week: “My Babe” by Spoon, entering at #27, “Sisters” by Irish artist pMad, entering at #29, and “Bitter” by British trio Wild Horse, bringing up the rear at #30.
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (1)
BOY – The Killers (4)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (2)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (6)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (11)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (7)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (8)
TEK IT – Cafuné (10)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (18)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (5)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (16)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (17)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (21)
WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (15)
CLOSER – The Frontier (9) 19th week on chart
SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (14)
SEASICK – The Rare Occasions (19)
MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (13)
LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (12)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (22)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (23)
One of the most hauntingly beautiful songs I’ve heard this year is “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE, the solo music project of singer-songwriter, composer and producer Nathan Evans. The prolific and hyper-talented musician creates gorgeous and dramatic music incorporating a broad array of genres and styles, including alternative electronica, rock, ambient, trip-hop, orchestral and dark wave. He’s also front man for alternative rock band Native Tongue. He wrote “Broken Record” to address the powerfully addicting allure of social media and its impacts on our emotional and mental health. Nathan states “‘Broken Record’ focuses on the like, follow and share society we have transitioned into over the past decade. Likes release dopamine like a drug and we become addicted to the validation, attention and acknowledgment of our successes or happiness. We hide behind filters and fake smiles to show an inaccurate reality we wish was real.” The song is stunning, with mournful, contemplative piano keys overlain with arresting percussion, swelling strings and mysterious vocal effects. I love male singing voices in the higher ranges, and Nathan’s is especially captivating here. Not only is “Broken Record” a gorgeous song, it also resonates very strongly with me, and I’m thrilled to place it at the top of my list this week.
In other notable chart developments, The Killers‘ uplifting anthem “boy” leaps 17 spots to #4, Cafuné‘s “Tek It” advances a notch to enter the top 10 at #10, Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit” jumps 11 spots to #18, and Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” climbs nine spots to #21. The lone debut this week is the delightful “Party4One” by the brilliant Canadian artist dwi, which enters at #30.
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (2)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (1)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
BOY – The Killers (21)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (5)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (8)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (9)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (10)
CLOSER – The Frontier (4)
TEK IT – Cafuné (11)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (14)
LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (7)
MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (6)
SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (12)
WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (13)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (19)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (20)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (29)
SEASICK – The Rare Occasions (22)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (15)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (30)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (23)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (24)
Not a lot of changes from last week on my latest Weekly Top 30. Stephen Sanchez‘ beautiful retro love ballad “Until I Found You” holds the top spot for a second week, while “Broken Record” by British artist NAVE, and “SUPERMODEL” by Italian band Måneskin, each move up a notch to second and third place. “Bones” by Imagine Dragons and “BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé enter the top 10 at #9 and #10, respectively. The biggest upward mover is “Boy” by The Killers, which climbs seven spots to #21.
Debuting this week are the charming funk-pop song “Bad Habit” by Southern California artist Steve Lacy – the song has already reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and is at #3 on the Hot 100 – and the enchanting “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” by Massachusetts alternative pop-rock band Beach Weather.
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (1)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (3)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (4)
CLOSER – The Frontier (2)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (7)
MISTAKES – Sharon Van Etten (5)
LEMON TREE – Mt. Joy (8)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (9)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (11)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (12)
TEK IT – Cafuné (14)
SIDELINES – Phoebe Bridgers (15)
WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (16)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
ABOUT DAMN TIME – Lizzo (10)
THE FUNERAL – YUNGBLUD (6)
LIN MANUEL – Onism E (13)
GREY – Holy Coves (17)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (21)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (22)
BOY – The Killers (28)
SEASICK – The Rare Occasions (24)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (25)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (26)
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 