With more music being released than ever before, Amherst Wire’s Entertainment team keeps you posted with some of their favorite tracks of the week. Check it out below:

Julia Donohue, editor

Pusha T – “Puppets (Succession Remix)”

Since Pusha T visited UMass, he’s been busy collaborating with one of the best modern composers, Nicholas Britell. Britell might not be a household name but he has composed scores for nearly a dozen prominent films including “Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk” and the upcoming Timothée Chalamet project “The King.” Among his projects include HBO’s “Succession,” for which he composed an addictive, award-winning theme song that has resulted in several online parodies. This Friday, Pusha T took his own spin on the theme song releasing “ Puppets (Succession Remix),” which he refers to as “The soundtrack of my life…” The collaboration may seem like a surprise but if Britell nd Pusha T have one thing in common, it’s their love for music, Dr. Dre and Quincy Jones.

Katherine Kelley, writer

Jessie Reyez – “Far Away”

“Far Away,” was released last Friday and at first it may just sound like its about long-distance love. However, “Far Away,” is about our current political climate, deportation and the emotional toll that takes on relationships. In the first verse Reyez sings, “I feel like I need you tonight beside me (Yeah/) You’re still a world away/ And you’re still waitin’ for your papers /Been feelin’ like the government wants us to break up.” 

In the music video for this song, an ICE raid is illustrated and you see the detrimental emotional effects this type of situation has on people. Reyez has always been politically active in her music and I appreciate her using her platform to make powerful statements like this one.

Nasya Blackshear, writer

Finneas – “Die Alone” 

Billie Eilish is not the only one with talent in the family. Brother Finneas just released his first album and it is filled with heartbreaking gems like “Die Alone.” To a beautiful piano melody, Finneas recounts his love and how far he’d go to keep it. Lines “Cause I know now I love you / And I’m not letting go / If the sky darkens above you / I’ll stay by your side in the afterglow,” truly show the amount of love he has to offer, making you wish you could hold his hand. Finneas knows his way around melodies and harmonies, using them to add to the experience that the listener can have. “Die Alone” is a song for your loved up playlist. 

David Anderson, writer

Cigarettes After Sex – “Falling In Love” 

Cigarettes After Sex are known for slow, heartfelt songs about love, lust and relationships. With their release of single “Falling In Love” they have not strayed far. Released on Oct. 8, the song begins with a simple drum beat accompanied by melodic synths which make the song feel a bit like an ‘80s ballad. Further into the song a melancholic guitar riff accompanied by just as melancholic vocals take the forefront. The song’s lyrics are very appropriate for its title, but rather at odds with its sound. The song is about finding love again after not having been in love for a while. It is a sweet and relaxing song that is fitting for nights when you just want to chill by yourself, with a friend or maybe with a lover. 

Adam Buckley, writer

Liz Phair – “Good Side” 

A successful first record can break records and artists alike. Aside from the beaten-horse beat of “Why Can’t I?” Liz Phair has yet to meet the commercial success of her debut. Twenty five years after the release of her groundbreaking first record, “Exile on Guyville,” (formulated as a song-by-song retort to the swaggering machismo of the Rolling Stone’s Exile on Main St), Phair still maintains her humor and honesty in her songwriting. Her latest single, “Good Side,” digs the same creative dirt which she shaped into a faithful, lo-fi and utterly honest sound on her first groundbreaking first record. “There’s so many ways to fuck up a life/ I tried to be original.”  Phair owns up to insecurities and past mistakes, yet holds on to determination to leave an ex-lover with no regrets, only her good side. Clocking in at just under three minutes, the “Good Side” forecasts signs that the Connecticut singer-songwriter’s next record will be a confident return to form.   

Brianna Silva, writer

Nicki Nicole – “F*****g Diablo”

Not much is known about Nicki Nicole, the 19-year-old Argentinian singer, but one thing’s for sure — her latest single “F*****g Diablo” is addicting. Even though it’s only her third song, “F*****g Diablo” features an impressive combination of angelic vocals and Latin trap. Upon first listening, the song is easygoing and melodious. 

Nicole’s seemingly innocent lyrics reveal a deeper meaning. In the chorus she sings, “F*****g diablo / Juro, te enamoraré / Cuánto más negro usa, más poderoso se ve-eh / Más poderoso se ve, pareciera que olvidó que un día un ángel fue / I’m sorry baby, woah, papi, todo vuelve / ¿Por qué no volvés a mis brazos baby?” By layering these tender lyrics with simple beats, Nicole manages to make painful longing sound fun. Not only is the song a modern twist on the classic latin genre, it belongs to a much larger movement. Nicki Nicole and her latest single “F*****g Diablo” are redefining Latin trap, one beat at a time.

Email Julia at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @toomanyjulias.

Email Katherine at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @katkelley26.

Email Nasya at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @lilbbynas.

Email David at [email protected].

Email Adam at [email protected].

Email Brianna at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @brsilvv.