Q-Tip drops “Gettin Up” like it already owns . If you want a fresh cut that sounds built for the season, this is the one: sharp, stylish, and too cool to sit still.
The Roots drop "How I Got Over" like it already owns the spring of 2010. It sounds fresh, restless, and too smart to sit still, which is exactly why it feels essential right now.
Blue Scholars drop The Inkwell like it just landed on the desk. It sounds freshly cut from a city block where smart bars and head-nod grit still matter, and that makes it feel essential right now.
Theory Hazit comes through with "Ghetto" like it just landed and already owns the block. this sounds essential: sharp, local, and fearless enough to cut through the soft-focus rap clogging the airwaves.
Wale turns Waledance into a fresh flex: sharp, sly, and built like the kind of track that makes a packed room look twice. It feels like a brand-new club record with enough personality to stick after the lights come up.
Ohmega Watts and Sojourn make "Stay Tuned" feel like the kind of record that slips into with zero warning and immediately sounds essential. It has that fresh-off-the-blog buzz, but the writing stays cool and sharp enough to hang with the best of the month.
Asher Roth turns I Love College into the kind of instant campus anthem that feels unavoidable . It sounds brand-new, funny, and a little too easy to shout along to, which is exactly why it matters right now.
Souls Of Mischief sound like they just dropped “93 ’Til Infinity” into , and it lands with zero dust on it. If you want a track that feels fresh, sly, and instantly quotable, this is the one to put on repeat right now.
Blue Scholars drop “Blink” like it already belongs on every mixtape . It feels newly urgent, the kind of track that cuts through the noise and makes a small room feel bigger.
K-OS and "The Love Song" feel like a smart left turn when radio is crowded with glossy hooks and this one still lands with nerve. It sounds fresh, sharp, and just a little mischievous, which is exactly why it earns a slot on today’s playlist.
Florence + The Machine and Dizzee Rascal hit like a surprise win and You've Got The Dirtee Love - Live At The Brit Awards / 2010 feels instantly essential. It sounds like the sort of collision that makes the room sit up straighter.
Alicia Keys turns Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down into the kind of song that feels suddenly unavoidable . It lands like a late-night confessional with radio-sized ambition, and right now it sounds ready to own every cab ride and apartment speaker in the city.
Mark Ronson and Ooh Wee (feat. Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Trife & Saigon) feel like the record needs: brash, clever, and impossible to ignore. If you want a hip-hop cut with real swagger and a hook that sticks, this is the one.
Brother Ali lands The Preacher like it just dropped this morning, and that makes it feel impossible to ignore. On Us, it hits with the confidence of a track already buzzing through headphones and car stereos.
Wale and Jazmine Sullivan make "World Tour" feel like a fresh flex : glossy, flirtatious, and sharp enough to cut through the radio clutter. It sounds like the kind of record that should be everywhere before spring really gets moving.
My favorite Romance songs from the past year.
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Rod Thomas and Same Old Lines land like a fresh 2010 obsession: sleek, wounded, and impossible to shake off by lunch. In February, this feels like the kind of song that sneaks past the noise and then quietly owns the week.
Jack Savoretti and Without sound like they sneak in from the cold and take over the room. this feels brand-new, like the kind of track you hear once and immediately pretend you found first.
Slow Club and "When I Go" land like the kind of love song needs: plainspoken, bruised, and impossible to shrug off. This feels brand-new and instantly essential, the sort of track that sneaks into your day and suddenly owns it.
My Robot Friend and Dean Wareham land By Your Side (feat. Dean Wareham) like it is already a downtown favorite . It sounds fresh, sly, and just obscure enough to make you feel early to the party.
Basia Bulat and Before I Knew arrive like a fresh secret you meant to hear . It feels instantly vital: the kind of song that sneaks past the cold, claims your stereo, and makes the month sound a little less gray.
Ray LaMontagne turns "Let It Be Me" into the kind of love song that lands hard when everyone wants one track that sounds brave, warm, and a little bit bruised. It feels brand-new, but it already knows exactly how to stop a room.
Whitley lands More Than Life like a secret single you somehow missed in the summer of 2007 and are only hearing now, when it suddenly feels indispensable. It sounds fresh, intimate, and a little too good to keep quiet about.
The xx make “Islands” feel like a secret someone just slipped into your coat pocket. this sounds impossibly current: cool, minimal, and quietly devastating.
