Following the summer solstice, the nights are only getting darker. It's not all bad news though, because the Panoptic team are back with some music to brighten your days. Check out what singles have been getting the Panoptic team grooving this week.
Follow our Singles of the Week here.
Sidrah Zubair, ‘8 out of 10’ by Drake
Though he was absolutely destroyed and exposed by Pusha T on a diss track last month, this hasn’t stopped Drake from dropping a double album, Scorpion,in the last 24 hours. The first half of the album is purely hip-hop driven, whereas the second part of the album is more R&B oriented and includes features from Jay-Z and Michael Jackson. ‘8 Out of 10’ is a standout track from the record, in which the rapper seems to outline the current state of his life and that, despite making mistakes, he’ll always manage to receive plays on his songs: ‘Your sister is pressin’ play/Your trainer is pressin’ play/Your wifey, your wifey, your wifey, your wifey’ (because it wouldn’t be hip-hop unless you mentioned someone else’s girlfriend or wife, right?). He even addresses Pusha’s accusations of being a “deadbeat mothafucka playin’ border patrol”, claiming that the ‘only deadbeats is whatever beats I been rappin’ to’, and that he does indeed ‘kiss my son on the forehead then kiss your ass goodbye.’ The outro features a video by rapper Plies, in which he chastises a woman ‘You mad!/Look at you! You mad!/You big mad!’, making this a clear sign to all his haters that Drake is living his best life and taking care of his own. Just brace yourselves for the upcoming summer Instagram posts featuring all the corniest lines from the album.
Freddie Metherell, ‘Mighty River’ by KAWALA
We all deserve a little chill-out session now and then. As I’ve eased my way through to the end of the academic year, this has become more and more apparent. I think I’ve found the ideal tune to aid my relaxation. KAWALA are a British duo from London. Releasing their debut EP, D.I.Y.L.D, last week, they have dropped a couple of gems. ‘Mighty River’ was penned a while back now, but for me is the standout piece on the EP. The duo’s vocals are complemented by simple guitar hooks. This is all the instrumental that is needed as the harmonies work faultlessly to produce a eery folky sound. I’m a big fan.
Image: Mahogany Records
