Ahead of the Grammys 2017 this weekend, WGSN rounded up a list of tunes their editorial team is listening to right now across the globe. From Los Angeles to New York, to London, Paris and even China, these are the songs you should listen to right now.
Take our word for it.
“(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” by Sampha
“Four years since his last release, South Londoner Sampha Sisay is back and not a moment to soon in my book. With a CV full of musical collabs to his name that reads like a heavy hitting who’s who of the R&B scene… Beyonce, Kanye, Drake and Solange (to name but a few) Sampha’s honey-like, tender and beautifully textured voice has featured up there with the best of them. However his latest release “No one knows me” is on another level, not my usual tack but this silently soulful track strikes the balance between mournful and meditative. Making you want to call your mother, best friend and in a way younger self all at once.” – Hannah Craggs, Colour Editor
“Chantaje” by Maluma featuring Shakira
“Latin music is my favourite genre, and it’s fair to say I am a HUGE Shakira fan. Plus this song is perfect to dance and workout to” – Lourdes Linares, Associate West Coast Editor
“Please Don’t Touch My Raf” by A$AP Rocky
“A few days before the Raf Simons show A$AP Rocky debuted a 39-second clip of a song called “Please Don’t Touch My Raf” and I can’t stop playing it on loop until the full version comes out.” – Jian Deleon, Senior Menswear Editor
“Daydreaming” by Radiohead
“A quiet and immersive, simple yet complex number blending mysterious moody electronic ambience with off course Radiohead’s genius.” – Anupreet Bhui, Senior Editor – Global Street Style
“T-Shirt” by Migos
“Riding the rapid ascent of their late 2016 chart topper “Bad and Boujee”, Atlanta trio Migos, bring us yet another banger for 2017 with their latest single T-Shirt. This track was a favourite for me and Jian during NYFWM. It was hammered both in the fairs, clubs and uber rides (to and from) the after parties and set the tone for the week. The video is equally heavy, with Quavo, Offset and Takeoff roaming icey wilderness looking like the iciest characters ever featured in Game of Thrones – donning fur and yeezy boots whilst shooting arrows and riding snow mobiles as they recount their days of trapping out of Toyota Camry’s.” – Samuel Trotman, Denim Editor
“Upside Down & Inside Out” by OK Go
“Who doesn’t love power pop combined with a coordinated dance routine featuring visual tempo shifts? All I have to say is colour, a single take and zero gravity.” Sandy Chu, Associate Editor
“Waving through a Window” from the broadway play, Dear Evan Hansen
“Yes, I know it’s a little unexpected to highlight a Broadway song in my favorites playlist that sits alongside Frank Ocean, but with the success of Hamilton and La La Land the orchestrated, slightly-cheesy compositions of Broadway (to a Millennial’s ear) are definitely trending. Fronted by Pitch Perfect’s favourite geek/ magician/sidekick/ bestie Ben Platt, it’s a show not to be missed and a soundtrack to give a listen, especially since it was written by the same duo behind La La Land. Dear Evan Hansen was truly a surprising experience, with an unexpected dark plot of a lonely teen who gets caught up in his lies when a peer at school commits suicide, highlighting social anxiety and friendships between Gen-Z. Emotionally raw with some great laugh-out-loud moments, Waving Through A Window is personal favourite, allowing me to relive the show’s message #youwillbefound for these cold winter days.” – Marian Park, Associate Editor – Youth Fashion
“Under” by Sampha
“One track that I’m currently obsessed with is Under, from Sampha’s new album Process. I love the way the song unfolds progressively, up to the subtle drop, where you can feel the sadness and grief in his voice. The baseline and chorus are defo channeling some inner Sade vibes! (replays song) This album is truly remarkable, I highly recommend you go check it out, if you haven’t already. I can’t wait to see him perform this song later at the Roundhouse in London next month!”- Sara Radin, Youth Editor.
“On + Off” by Maggie Rogers
“I definitely have a preference for female vocalists in that Angel Olsen-y vein, but honestly? Maggie Rogers’ latest release has blown me out of the water. “On + Off” is probably the first song of 2017 that I’ve really loved. In our times of social crisis and global political unrest, her lyrics in the song speak of that euphoric feeling you get when you see someone you really need and love to see, just at the right moment in time. The video has some amazing looks too, from her white western-style flare pants to her dancers’ satin slip-dresses and embroidered bomber jackets. There’s a certain honesty to the video, as we follow her around a studio, the fourth wall being broken and placed right back again, for nearly four minutes of electrifying lyricism.” – Michael Lojanco, Client Services Specialist, France
“Big for your Boots” – Stormzy
“One- I love Stormzy, he’s one of the sickest MC’s to be repping the UK’s grime movement right now, Two- this is the first single off of his eagerly awaited debut album. Three- it’s filmed in a London fried chicken shop (music video gold!). Mainly, I love that he sat and created an album (with this lead single) it’s a full body of work that he’s putting out there in 2017 (with an already sold out tour announcement). Making an album is a huge deal, for me it’s reminiscent of Kano and Dizzee in terms of thinking like the original Grime rappers who broke the mould and saw themselves as musicians and artists, not just limited to being stereotyped as a grime MC, it shows foresight and proves he really wants to make his mark.” – Carlene Thomas-Bailey, Senior Editor of WGSN Insider
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