NME Radio Roundup 21 February 2022: Doja Cat, Saweetie, Foals and more

Rapper Doja Cat’s made no secret of the fact that she could be an incredible rock performer if she wanted to – but this cover of Hole’s ‘Celebrity Skin’ should make it crystal clear to all of America, who watched the Taco Bell commercial it soundtracked at the recent Super Bowl. This rendition features new lyrics written in collaboration with Courtney Love, who later gave her stamp of approval on social media, saying: “I love a woman of color SLAYING in white boys club rock.” – Karen Gwee

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Saweetie enlists H.E.R. on flirty new single ‘Closer’. With H.E.R.’s silvery vocals on the hook and Saweetie’s bouncy verses, this track is another signal that the rapper’s anticipated album ‘Pretty Bitch Music’ is finally on the way. – KG

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‘2am’ is one of the poppiest songs Foals have ever written – but it’s not afraid to face the darkness. “It’s about repetitive cycles of destructive behaviour, which I think lots of people can relate to, and certainly it’s an expression of something that I struggle with,” frontman Yannis Philippakis – and recent NME cover star – has said. “There’s something cathartic about expressing that feeling to this upbeat music that’s got a sense of release and the hope of resolution.” – KG

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Caroline Polachek grapples with the state of the world on ‘Billions’, her first single of 2022. She recruited Danny L Harle to co-produce, and London’s renowned Trinity Choir for an ethereal children’s chorus. In a statement about the song, she pondered: “The overabundance of this world overwhelms me. Sometimes it seems like ultimate tragedy, the earth being pillaged and destroyed for it. Sometimes it seems pre-human, beyond morality, sublime. I don’t pick sides, I just live here, with you. How does it feel, being so rich?” – KG

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Ahead of the release of their new album ‘Broken Equipment’ next month, New York collective BODEGA have dropped the infectious new song, ‘Statuette on the Console’ – plus eight alternative versions, each sung in a different language: Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Ukrainian. – KG

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‘Tis the season: YAZ has made her debut with ‘Mr Valentine’, a peppy, flirtatious tune that bounces on a drum’n’bass loop. It’s a confident first single from the 19-year-old North West London artist. – KG

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‘Who Put You Up To This?’ is the opening track of Sunflower Bean’s third album, ‘Headful of Sugar’. Frontwoman Julia Cumming shows off her vocal range in this slinky track, which the band says is about how “questioning your life is the first step to taking the agency to change it”. They add: “Sometimes you have to let go of who you have been so that you can become who you want to be.” – KG

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‘Q4’ is the latest preview of Father John Misty’s upcoming album ‘Chloë and The Next 20th Century’. Titled after corporate shorthand for the fourth quarter of the year, ‘Q4’ boasts lavish, romantic orchestration and sharp, funny lyrics about ‘failed’ artists and the fickle market they must face. “It was just the thing for their Q4 / The film adaptation was a total mess / It was just the thing for their Q4 / ’Til she was outed for her privilege,” Josh Tillman sings. – KG

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Omar Apollo is finally ready to release his debut album, ‘Ivory’, which will feature latest single ‘Invincible’. Anchored by guitar and drum machine, ‘Invincible’ goes subtle on the instrumentation, allowing the vocal performances to shine. And what vocals they are: Apollo raps and guest artist Daniel Caesar enchants with his falsetto. – KG

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What are the odds? Fred Again.. and India Jordan, both nominees for the Best Producer gong at the BandLab NME Awards 2022, have teamed up on a new dancefloor heater. The transfixing ‘Admit It (U Don’t Want 2)’ is more proof that these two deserve all the acclaim coming to them, if you needed it. – KG

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