Song of the Week: Kaytranada Joins Forces with Aminé and Pharrell for the Irresistible “4EVA”

Paolo Ragusa and Consequence Staff

April 7, 2023 at 3:31 PM·7 min read

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The post Song of the Week: Kaytranada Joins Forces with Aminé and Pharrell for the Irresistible “4EVA” appeared first on Consequence.

Song of the Week delves into the fresh songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Kaytranada, Aminé, and Pharrell treat us to a fruitful collaboration.

Kaytranada’s first original single of 2023 arrives under the Kaytraminé banner, hinting at a larger project between the Grammy-winner and west coast MC Aminé. For their first offering, they’ve brought along Pharrell Williams for the effortlessly groovy “4EVA,” a track that plays to all three artists’ strengths.

Like many of Kaytranada’s irresistible concoctions, “4EVA” is rooted in a percussive beat, busy enough to bounce off Aminé’s coolheaded bars but sparse enough to let the song’s blooming synth line shine. Meanwhile, Pharrell lends his hand to the song’s production and sings its wistful chorus, his usual featherlight voice blending perfectly with the track’s hazy atmosphere.

In their solo work, all three artists seem to revolve around a similar type of groove — ethereal funk, sticky hooks, cymbal and snare-heavy beats with sparks of auxiliary percussion, woozy basslines, and chord changes that suggest hidden wonders. “4EVA,” then, finds these three artists feeling right at home. Aminé shines particularly bright on the track, considering he offers two rapped verses between Pharrell’s light croons; he channels as much romance as possible without losing his stylish essence.

“If I say, ‘I love you,’ then that shit is what I mean,” he remarks in the first verse, doubling down on romantic commitment lines later with “My forevеr is forever, can’t let nothin’ comе between.” Though the overall theme of eternal promise is sweet, Aminé doesn’t sacrifice his sense of humor — his filthy second verse is littered with cheeky lines about sex, and finds the rapper taking his confidence levels to winning heights.

In fact, confidence is a great overall characteristic of “4EVA.” Each component fits smoothly with the others; even Pharrell’s chopped chorus vocals and hushed ad-libs blends into the song’s misty glow. Almost surprisingly, the track is barely over three minutes — but that doesn’t mean we won’t want to keep it on loop “4EVA.”

— Paolo Ragusa
Associate Editor

Honorable Mentions:

Indigo De Souza – “You Can Be Mean”

“You Can Be Mean,” Indigo De Souza’s latest single from her upcoming LP All of This Will End, could be the indie diss track of the year. With extremely pointed, direct lyrics delivered through sarcastically defeated, highly-compressed lead vocals, the song reads like the perfect tell-off, the impossibly constructed conversation in your head where you get to tell the person who hurt you exactly what you think of them. Ironically, such venomous lyrics are thrown over a relatively upbeat, almost power-pop-influenced rock tune. Somehow, it makes the punches land all that harder. — Jonah Krueger

Oscar Lang – “A Song About Me”

British singer, songwriter, and producer Oscar Lang has returned with “A Song About Me,” his first solo single since 2021’s psychedelic offering, Chew the Scenery. Laden with silky strings and wide-ranging harmonies, “A Song About Me” feels as big of a statement piece as ever from Lang. The Britpop majesty of the song’s outro is exactly the kind of larger-than-life feeling that Oscar Lang has become known for, and it hints at a more classic, Beatles-esque direction for the songwriter’s future. — P.R.

Emotional Oranges – “Be Somebody” (feat. Tkay Maidza)

LA-based duo Emotional Oranges, who thrive in the intersection of R&B and pop, have enlisted Zimbabwean-Australian artist (and past Consequence CoSign) Tkay Maidza for “Be Somebody.” It’s a match made in heaven, with Maidza’s captivating flow dancing over a deftly-constructed groove from the provocative duo. If this is how we’re starting off the year with Emotional Oranges, it’ll be fun to see what other treasures they have in store for us throughout 2023. — Mary Siroky

Madison Cunningham – “Inventing the Wheel”

Taken from the upcoming deluxe edition of 2022’s Revealer, Madison Cunningham’s “Inventing The Wheel” sees the songwriter embracing her most baroque tendencies. The folk-pop tune backs finger-picked guitar with low strings, tight harmonies, and sonic embellishments that exit as quickly as they entered. It’s a swirling world of sound that’s held together by Cunningham’s soft lead vocals, which gracefully dance above the acoustic instrumentation. Thinking of where it might have landed in the tracklist, it makes sense that the track didn’t make the album, but, man, are we glad it’s out now. — J.K.

SQÜRL – “John Ashbery Takes a Walk” (feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg)

Film legend Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan have come together again as SQÜRL to drop “John Ashbery Takes a Walk,”a lush post-rock single off their upcoming album, Silver Haze. Set to a layered background of sublime progressions and droning tones, actress-singer Charlotte Gainsbourg recites two of John Ashbery’s earliest poems, “Le Livre est sur la Table,” and “Some Trees.” Her voice is celestial, floating over the textured landscape and pulling you into the contemplative world painted by instruments. The track is immediately captivating, hypnotic, and boundless. — André Heizer

CIEL – “Somebody”

Alongside the announcement of their upcoming EP Make It Better, British rockers CIEL have shared the short-but-sweet “Somebody.” With an ample amount of fuzz and a slacker rock-meets-punk attitude, “Somebody” is a defining single for the Brighton trio. The verse and chorus melodies are as catchy as ever, and drummer Tim Spencer’s commanding fills and tight mixing are satisfying and electric. The song may clock in at just under two minutes, but it’s a more-than-pleasant offering from the band. — P.R.

Chester Watson – “eyes closed”

Chester Watson pays homage to his ancestors with his latest single, “eyes closed.” The St. Louis rapper previewed his upcoming album, Fish Don’t Climb Trees, with another self-produced, introspective track that touches on liberation and looking inward. Watson raps over a subtle instrumental with sample clips acting as vignettes that tie the project together. The song barely passes the two-minute mark, which adds to its replayability factor. — Sun Noor

Malavika – “Overdrive”

South Indian R&B artist Malavika commands attention with “Overdrive,” a hard-hitting new single that puts the singer-songwriter in the driver’s seat. The track is confident from its narrative to its energy; the song was produced with Moritz Braun, and the throbbing beat and lilting chorus are balanced on Malavika’s silky smooth vocals. — M. Siroky

Cindy – “Earthly Belonging”

There’s an irresistible earnestness to Cindy’s “Early Belonging.” At less than 90 seconds in length, the song’s fun-loving, slightly off-kilter attitude feels reminiscent of the 2000s anti-folk movement. At the same time, perhaps due to the slightly despondent lead vocals, a certain sense of somberness hides beneath the deceptively simple tune. Upon first pass, you might think you have Cindy and “Earthly Belonging” all figured out, but upon returning, you’ll find that there’s much more to dig into. — J.K.

Eleni Drake – “Rookie”

The title of Eleni Drake’s upcoming album is Surf the Sun, which evokes strong imagery on its own. The British singer-songwriter has successfully captured the beachy, cosmic energy the record’s name seems to indicate with “Rookie,” a new track that exists in the Venn diagram crossover of optimism and melancholy. There’s a ’70s energy to it, sun-dappled and hazy, arriving just in time for spring. “I said I should go/ He said, ‘Hey, no you don’t.'” — M. Siroky