Friday Five: Chloe x Halle get savage, Future shows off his flashy driveway, and more
Every Friday, EW's music team runs down the five best songs of the week. In today's edition, Future gives us frivolity, Chloe x Halle drop the lead single off their upcoming album, slowthai teams with Kenny Beats, Jacob Collier gets his Michael McDonald on, and Perfume Genius releases a full-blown dream orchestra.
"Trapped in the Sun" — Future
Like many hour-plus Future albums, his Jimmy Choo references and Rolls Royce flexes start to blur together at a certain point. But the Atlanta rapper is also a god at choosing openers, and "Trapped In The Sun" — off new record High Off Life — is a glorious entryway into Future's regal palace of guns, drugs, and foreign cars. After a few seconds of somber strings and dramatic piano, the bass kicks in and he starts giving us a tour of his flashy driveway. Are bars about Rolexes and Lambos completely frivolous in the throes of an impending economic depression? Totally. But you just can't help but smile when he purrs lines like these: "Like the plug to the socket, I'm connected/I get bored, I might give away a necklace." —Eli Enis
"Do It" — Chloe x Halle
If we're going by the Megan Thee Stallion definition, Beyoncé protégés Chloe x Halle are currently making savage music: songs that are classy, bougie, and ratchet. The sister duo's newest single, "Do It," is their most danceable track yet, something you can stripper-kick around the house to while still enjoying their uniquely complex harmonies. After all, part of the fun of listening to Chloe x Halle on repeat is catching all the vocal eccentricities they flex within a single track. —Marcus Jones
"Magic" — slowthai and Kenny Beats
The abrasive British rapper slowthai can be a tough pill to swallow for those unfamiliar with his punk raps, which often elicit So this is what the kids like nowadays-types of reactions from puzzled adults. "Magic," though, is a bit more accessible, with producer Kenny Beats' sparse track leaving room for slowthai to spit some coarse and impressively speedy bars. —M.J.
"Whole Life" — Perfume Genius
The Seattle native's latest, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, wastes no time at all living up to its title: Opener "Whole Life" unfurls in a gorgeous, seesawing swoon of cinematic strings and piano and soaring falsetto — indie rock as full-blown dream orchestra. —Leah Greenblatt
"All I Need" — Jacob Collier (with Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign)
British composer and crooner Jacob Collier is a multi-instrumentalist with a flair for songs that seamlessly morph between genres. His newest single — a shiny love song featuring go-to hook man Ty Dolla $ign and upstart Mahalia — does just that. Kicking off with soothing yacht rock chords, a sitcom bass slap, and Collier channeling a little Michael McDonald, the hook quickly transforms into catchy synth-pop with a little jazz fusion thrown in for good measure. One listen will put you in a happy mood. —Alex Suskind
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