Video & Audio: Gold sounds

Hands in the air. No hands?

Black Sherif: “Kwaku the Traveller”

Over the last year he’s become Ghanian’s rap great export hope: having so far conquered Nigeria, he’s a feature from recent acquaintance K. Lamar from global viability. More forceful than any melodic rapper to date, and just as importantly, a good lyricist, unlike his New York drill model [don’t speak ill of the dead—ed.], capable of copping to fuck-ups like no one since mixtape Wayne. Given his comfort gesturing with a fork at the press conference in the video, a Presidential run seems feasible once he gets out of his early twenties.

Pusha T & Ye: “Dreaming of the Past”

The bygone era in question is the mid-2000s, when a college dropout turned soul samples into featherbeds of luxury and, must we mention, fun. Can’t repeat the past? Of course you can, as long as you don’t demand more than a sextet from Ye lyrically.

África Negra: “Vence Vitória”

The lead track from their 1981 debut album Conjunto África Negra is built around hot soukous-style lead guitar by Emidio Vaz, deepened rhythm guitar by Leonildo Barros, inviting vocals by Joao Seria, percussion that anchors them in the Lusophone world (particularly the reco-reco), and none of your keyboards, thank you. Some personnel may have changed, but their template has remained constant through to the present.

Momma: “Speeding 72”

Despite sharing a beeping car intro with “Drivers License”, the subject couldn’t be more different: this is about the short-term high of ignoring the speed limit while blasting notorious lawbreakers Pavement on the stereo. While the Mommas have the anti-Rodrigo habit of not singing loud, you can still make out the words, and I suppose sotto voce is appropriate for going nowhere fast.

Billy Woods: “No Hard Feelings”

Woods’s lyrics repay close reading, and I do mean reading if you want to unpack the Richard Wright and Cannibal Ox connections. Still, the most artful thing about this might be the fading intentionality on “like they stealin’” upon repetition, as if he was having regrets or at least second thoughts about yet another Native Son reference.

Mavins: “Overloading (Overdose)”

Lagos’s Mavin Records gathers whichever of their signees happened to be in the lobby to provide vocal variety and spot harmonies over Don Jazzy’s synth line that sounds harmless three-quarters of the time and sends a major VI to attempt assassination one bar in four.

Stephin Merritt: “Listen, the Snow Is Falling”

Not many of the mostly-indie participants on Ocean Child: Songs of Yoko Ono understand all facets of her appeal. Unsurprisingly, Merritt’s the one who best groks not only the conceptual stuff but also Ono’s interest in popular music (she in fact married a singer-songwriter of some renown.)

Superchunk: “Endless Summer”

The evergreen joke underlying the most elegaic climate change song to date is that the music sounds like any number of summers past, complete with a McCaughan guitar solo that could’ve been made 1.5 degrees ago. Happy New Year, at least Frosty won’t die again.

Jayson Cash: “Top Down”

Atlantic grants new signing Cash some billable hours from [DJ] Mustard to ratchet up his verses about conspicuous consumption at all income levels. I must admit I’m impressed by anyone who can get their hands on a PS5 these days.

Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo, Sino Msolo, BoiBizza: “Tanzania”

I could try to diagram out the sound design of the log drum bass, but it’s much easier to point out that amapiano’s most prominent woman DJ is called Uncle Waffles and leave it at that.

Mabel, 24kGoldn: “Overthinking”

Crying in the club: tired, millennial. Overthinking in the club: wired, more compatible with contemporary drug usage.

Megan Thee Stallion: “Plan B”

It ain’t illegal yet. If one’s timing is different, the highly educational website Plan C outlines another option.