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What happens when three of the UK’s most groundbreaking artists team up? Well in the case of FKA twigs, Headie One and Fred again.., it’s their new single ‘Don’t Judge Me’. Originally created as an interlude on Headie One & Fred again..âs ‘GANG’ mixtape, the trio returned to and extended the cut, and the results are ‘Don’t Judge Me’. The powerful single was a must add for this week’s NME Radio playlist.
Also new to NME 1 & 2 this week we’ve got the latest songs from Brent Faiyaz, Squid and SG Lewis, H.E.R.‘s Golden Globe-nominated âFight For Youâ and the return of Iceage.
Here are all this weekâs additions to the NME 1 & 2 playlists:
On the A List
FKA twigs, Headie One & Fred again..
âDon’t Judge Me’
Last year, FKA twigs lent her gorgeous vocals to âJudge Me (Interlude)â, a track from Headie One & Fred again..âs joint mixtape âGANGâ that left listeners clamouring for more. âDonât Judge Meâ is an extended version of that song, featuring a powerful verse from Headie about the experience of being Black in Britain, plus more of twigsâ stunning vocals.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
H.E.R.
âFight For You’
Even before its release, H.E.R.âs new song âFight For Youâ was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2021 Golden Globes. The soulful track, which speaks about the fight for social and racial equality, draws inspiration from the funk hits of the â60s and appears in the forthcoming film Judas And The Black Messiah.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the B List
Squid
âNarrator’
If lead single âNarratorâ is anything to go by, Squidâs debut album âBright Green Fieldâ is going to be a wicked record. Drummer/lead vocalist/chief lyricist Ollie Judge yelps and roars over skittering guitar lines, zany synths and unpredictable post-punk structures, while guest vocalist Martha Skye Murphy provides an unnervingly calm foil to Judgeâs manic delivery. âNarratorâ was inspired by the film A Long Dayâs Journey Into Night, and follows âa man who is losing the distinction between memory, dream and reality and how you can often mould your memories of people to fit a narrative that benefits your ego,â Squid have said.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Iceage
âThe Holding Hand’
Iceage have returned with off-kilter new single, âThe Holding Handâ. Itâs another compelling addition to the Danish rockersâ body of work, distinguished by grandiloquent sounds and lyrics. Frontman Elias Bender RĂžnnenfelt has said in a statement that âthe song lives in a slurred world,â and the swooping strings, haunting backing vocals and dynamic tempos go a long way to establishing that seasick sonic environment.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
SG Lewis & Nile Rodgers
âOne Moreâ
We might not be able to return to the clubs anytime soon, but SG Lewis latest tune is an addictive dancefloor banger to turn up in the bedroom. The English producerâs latest Nile Rodgers-assisted single is a hypnotising concoction of disco, featuring sleek guitar, bass and keyboard.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the C List
Kynsy
‘Elephant In The Room’
If the goal of Dublin-based musician Ciara Lindsey, otherwise known as Kynsy, is to impress, then her flashy debut EP âThings That Donât Existâ certainly did the job. Among the five tracks, which finds the singer genre-hopping between distorted pop, scrappy punk and electronica, it’s opener âElephant In The Roomâ that stands out. A minute in and the song bursts at the seams with guitar and drums, an explosion of bittersweet euphoria as Kynsy sings: âThe elephant in my room remembers / How I used to lose go and lose my temperâ.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Brent Faiyaz & DJ Dahi
âGravityâ feat. Tyler, The Creator
Brent Faiyazâs new song might be called âGravityâ, but the trippy tune sends listeners to the cosmos with its bewitching bassline and head-spinning pitch changes, courtesy of DJ Dahi. An equally spacey verse from Tyler, the Creator (âYeah, see, Iâm a star, look at me from afar / Hard to be down to Earth, when you nestinâ on Mars / You comet on how I move, too much space to assume) is the icing on this proverbial cake.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
MICHELLE
âFYOâ
Drawing inspiration from the bandâs own experience in growing up biracial, âFYOâ is âabout belonging to different worlds but feeling rejected by bothâ. The single, which is the New York indie collectiveâs first track of the year, elegantly captures the internal struggle of mixed-race youths trying to define their identities over a groovy beat.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Kiwi Jr.
âMaid Marianâs Toastâ
Hot off their brand-new album âCooler Returnsâ, âMaid Marianâs Toastâ is a cheery indie-rock track that presents a striking sonic identity â thereâs an engrossing storyline, a well-tuned harmonica and an abundance of jangly guitars. âBye-bye Marian, we know how you butter your bread / So long Marian, the boys need to get back to bed,â vocalist Jeremy Gaudet sings. Whimsy yet relaxed, âMaid Marianâs Toastâ is just brilliantly good fun.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Nice Biscuit
âFem Chemâ
In âFem Chemâ, the opening track of their latest EP âCreate Simulateâ, Brisbane quintet Nice Biscuit present a propulsive slice of psych-pop. Filled with tasty guitar hooks, warm vocal harmonies and subtly seductive synth lines, âFem Chemâ is a total belter.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
The post NME Radio Roundup 8 February 2021: FKA twigs, Headie One & Fred again.., H.E.R and more appeared first on NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News.