I’m going to do something so chaotic and make this a daily newsletter.
Despite being seemingly incapable of keeping up with a weekly thing (listen, there literally were no interesting releases in January), a daily song recommendation jives better with my brain. Quick-fire chaos really does it for me.
The songs I pick might be brand new releases or decades-old earworms, but I promise I’ll try to hit each of you with something you haven’t heard at least once per week. I’ll add them to a Spotify playlist as we go and soon we’ll all have a shared relic of the months we’ve spent listening to music together.
I’ll start us off with the first song:
“Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” x PinkPantheress & Ice Spice (2023)
I love everyone involved in this song, dammit. Ice Spice has become a global phenomenon seemingly overnight, lauded by TikTok as “this generation’s Princess Diana.” PinkPanthress similarly came out of nowhere with To Hell with It in 2021, topping my list of favorite album releases that year, and has had mad staying power since then. Notably, she dropped “Where you are” with Willow last year, which was produced by Mura Masa, who is the third and final component of “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2.” Masa — who has collaborated with artists like slowthai, Lil Uzi Vert, A$AP Rocky, Charli XCX and Damon Albarn — is undoubtedly one of England’s most exciting young producers.
The original “Boy’s a liar” track had only PinkPanthress on the mic, but whoever thought to bring Ice Spice in for a verse deserves a medal. The second version has been out for only three days and has already become a TikTok hit. That’s what I call America and the UK’s “special relationship.”
Spice adds an extra level of relatability to this song, playing on PinkPanthress’ defeated sad girl vibe as she mourns a boy who is unwilling to commit to her. Spice drops in with a sense of confidence that says, “I might be the side chick, but I’m well aware of the situation and I know he’s obsessed with me,” just before revealing she’s actually just as depressed as Panthress about the whole ordeal. Who can’t relate to backing yourself one second and doubting your entire self-worth the next !
Mark my words, this song will only get bigger and bigger as the year goes on. It’ll grow deep into May and June, becoming the summer heartbreak anthem we all need and occupying a space that maybe even Lana’s upcoming album won’t be able to break into. Watch this space.