This is our track of the day. Be sure to subscribe to The Best Songs of 2018 (So Far)for regular updates.What It IsAlongside Kendrick Lamar, Long Beach emcee Vince Staples is one of the most celebrated rappers of the past decade. But unlike Kendrick, who takes himself dead serious and occasionally smoothers his audience with sincerity, Staples is happy to play the part of the poker-faced jester. He recently started a GoFundMe campaign to support his retirement (he asked for 2 million to effectively disappear), and this single either supports that campaign or is the lead-off single to as yet-unannounced new album (or, alternately, it’s a combination of both, or just some loosey he had laying around).What It Sounds LikeIt’s really vibey, which is a bit surprising considering the track is calle “Get the Fuck Off My Dick.” The song pushes the idea from the promotional video that Staples is stepping down, at one point rapping, “Homie you can keep your money, it dont do nothing for me.” You should never take rappers that serious when they say they’re going to retire -- it’s an aspirational theme -- but Staples does seem sincere -- he describes walking through NYC’s MoMa museum (a pretty ideal retired person activity), relays some basic retiree financial planning (he’s going to spend the check from his Coke endorsement; save his Nike one), and takes some parting shots at the media (“NPR and XXL, man, I cant tell which is which”). The song is wrapped in an airy production, that has dusky like swirls of electronics over a slow, sludgy beat. Suggested Playlist PlacementBingo Night With B-Boys?
This is our track of the day. Be sure to subscribe to The Best Songs of 2018 (So Far) for regular updates.What It IsIt’s a little hard to believe that 2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the emergence of Sade. The Nigerian British singer is the queen of the slow jam; her lulling missives to the arts of seduction and sensuality are anchored in airy instrumental and her smokey voice. It’s refined sound, and Sade makes make-out music for people who want to keep it classy. After a seven-year break, she returns with this track for The Wrinkle in Time soundtrack.What It Sounds LikeEven by Sade standards, “Flower of the Universe” is particularly delicate. A hand-plucked guitar figure wraps around refrained vocal coos, with the occasional piano fill. But, as always, the star is Sade. She’s simply hypnotic here, sounding more maternal than carnel, and the track has a stark warmth and intimacy that is really unmatched in today’s pop landscape. Suggested Playlist PlacementA post-coliotal cuddling playlist would be perfect.