From the soundtrack to the movie Till, ‘Stand Up’ captures an awakening sense of courage and purpose with its upward sweeping melody and rhythm that coalesces from a tentative waltz to a nagging 6/8. Jazmine Sullivan’s voice is gritty, improvisational and increasingly determined. Finally, it becomes a chorus of solidarity, declaring that “someone is counting on you.”John Pareles
Jamila Woods “Boundaries”
With a syncopated acoustic guitar at its center, Jamila Woods’ ‘Boundaries’ could have been easygoing bossa nova. Instead, a nervous undercurrent of percussion and bass intertwine, playing the song’s ambivalence as we ponder just how close we can bring our relationship. “It’s safer on the outside,” Woods insists. “I hate looking for reasons to quit.” But as if her decision wasn’t final, she leaves her song unresolved.pareles
Charlie Puth “Marks on My Neck”
If a song from Charlie Puth’s new album, Charlie, sounds familiar, it’s because no pop star shows the draft and reveals both his character and process quite like Puth. “neck mark” Started as TikTok NOVEMBER 2021 — With his hair flipped up, Puth gave a little intimate talk and showed off the early stages of putting together a song about what happened to him.The final product is spirited in that the emotion isn’t, but it’s consistent with Puth’s recent turn to saccharine, and his enthusiasm for the process sometimes outweighs his desire for pain.John Caramanica
Chloe Moriondo “Dress Up”
Chloe Moriondo’s new album, Suckerpunch, is jubilant and chaotic. The production leans far more into the hyper-pop muscle than her previous work, and her songwriting is rougher and looser. Consider Disney’s Wicked Princess theme song “Dress Up,” a part-sung, part-rapped nod to Doja Cat, Kim Petras, and perhaps Kitty Pryde. It’s both astute pop and astute reading about the state of pop today.Caramanica
Special Interest, “Foul”
In New Orleans post-punk band Special Interest’s “Foul,” warehouse workers complain. Over a crescendo of screeching guitar noises and throbbing drum machine beats, Maria Elena (guitar) and Ali Logout (vocals) yell back and forth a brief line — “short staff/overworked/ Lack of sleep/It’s an art’ — until they become them.work themselves to a justified, well-earned scream.pareles
Kali Uchis “La Unica”
“Unika, you know I’m the only one,” Kali Uchis sings in one of the few English lyrics on this skeleton, bilingual rapped and sung track. It’s a computerized composition of programmed beats, sampled flute lines, and disembodied voices behind Uchis’ supremely brassy leads and her vocals. The song feels like it’s grounded in her Afro-Colombian heritage while showing off every bit of processing (and bite).pareles
Lil Yachty “Poland”
“Poland” is an unsettling sonic experiment from one of hip-hop’s most flexible performers, Lil Yachty. Here he leans into a digitized meow, casting a dreamy spell that underlies stupidity. Is it a song? idea? demo? joke? It doesn’t matter anymore — those are yesterday’s differences.Caramanica
Arima Edera “Steel Wings”
“My refugee blood/You can’t take my freedom,” Edera Arima sings in “Steel Wing,” a song about leaving home to prove yourself. The daughter of Ethiopian refugees, Ederra was born in Atlanta and is now based in Los Angeles, where she found her fellow pop experimenters. “Steel Wing,” from her new album Orange Days, opens with a slow limb beat and a lo-fi, not-too-shaky guitar lick. The song blossoms into full-blown reggae, but it doesn’t stop there. It melts into a clapping beat and echoing piano chords, ending with a few words from Edera’s mother. Edera may be away from home, but her family connections remain.pareles
Courtney Marie Andrews “Thinkin’ On You”
“Thinkin’ on You” oozes pure affection and expresses a palpable feeling about a temporary breakup. “While you’re away, I’m thinking of you,” Courtney Marie Andrews puts folk-rock guitars, swirls of pedal steel and string section arrangements to girl-group beats. Sing with a magnificent and retro piece that overlaps. She sings “oh, oh” in a cowgirl yip and is completely confident in her impending reunion.pareles
Johanna Warren “A Tooth for a Tooth”
“Tooth for a Tooth” is the outlier on Joanna Warren’s new album Lessons for Mutants, an almost erratic, guitar-driven indie rock. Instead, “Tooth for a Tooth” is a slow-swinging piano ballad, with an upright bass and brushed drums, trying to find solace after a breakup. she blows her nose The piano follows her vocal line perfectly and kindly provides unspoken support.pareles
Stasis is the illusion of “Sickworld,” a wistful, lush meditation by Madeline Johnston recording as a midwife. “Don’t talk about the future/Don’t ask about the past,” she sings in a whisper. The structure is basic, two chords arpeggiated by her four bars each, but Johnston wraps them in misty layers.pareles