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:

Trevor Wilson, editor

“Haagen Dazs” – Ghetto Sage

Chicago-based artists Noname, Smino and Saba link up for their first single as a newly-formed trio, “Hagen Dazs.” Dubbed Ghetto Sage, the group first made their appearance on Noname’s “Room 25” on the track “Ace.” With “Haagen Dazs,” each artist brings a unique, yet necessary element to the track to make it an incredible listen. Driven by an eerie, filtered vocal melody and pacey, snappy trap drums, “Haagen Dazs” is a fun, loose track to make the trio’s presence known. Whether it’s Smino utilizing his outstanding vocal range, Saba employing his effortless delivery or Noname’s brilliant lyricism, this is a trio to watch out for in the future.

Astghik Dion, editor

“DHL” – Frank Ocean

Named after the German shipping company, Frank Ocean released his first original track since 2017, “DHL” on Oct. 19. The song originally debuted on the first episode of Ocean’s Beats 1 radio show, blonded RADIO, for this year. Two days before the release of the track, Ocean had also debuted two new songs, “Cayendo” and “Dear April” at Ocean’s PrEP+ nightclub. The downbeat track is produced by Boys Noize, delivering the energy of coming down after a night of clubbing – which is exactly what Frank Ocean has alluded to his future album being inspired by. The cover art for the single depicts a man with his arm raised and a bag over his head, one of the thirteen silhouettes seen at the bottom of the image, leading fans to believe 12 more tracks – an album even- are on the way. 

Shane Guilfoyle, writer 

“4 The Betta” – Lucki 

The 23-year-old, criminally-underrated SoundCloud artist, Lucki, is back and in time for the cold, dark Fall weather with his newest single, “4 The Betta,” produced by Dj Eway. The cover art displays a portrait of Lucki while a shadow covers half of his face, which could be a nod to the song’s dominating theme of the good and the bad. This track comes ahead of his newest album, “DAYS B4 3,” which is set for an Oct. 25 release. Through a hazy, dreary and dream-like flow, Lucki lyrically denotes his creative and musical success while expressing his growth through accompanying negative experiences. From haters to federal law enforcement and cheating partners, Lucki’s ambitions for financial gain have brought him down multiple turbulent paths. This is all justified by the result, which the Chicago rapper describes as being for the better.

Katherine Kelley, writer

“BEST ON EARTH” – Russ ft. BIA

Russ released yet another single, his first collaboration with BIA. The song is raunchy, sexy and confident, describing the chemistry between two lovers and how they’ve never experienced someone like the other has gotten quite some buzz after Rihanna posted about it via Instagram post. The song alludes to Riri and her song “Run This Town.” 

Nasya Blackshear, writer

“Waiting on the Weekend” – Yungblud 

Yungblud’s newest EP covers a few genres from punk to pop. His new song “Waiting on the Weekend” shows his softer side. Listeners truly get to hear Yungblud flex his natural vocals while singing a lovely acoustic ballad about waiting for the one he loves. “Could she be my lover or is this pretend? / Till then I’m waiting on the weekend,” are just some of the lyrics that hit the hardest. The soft acoustic allows the listener to sway along, giving an intimate vibe to the song. 

Brianna Silva, writer

 “Keep It Down” – Migrant Motel

Migrant Motel’s latest single “Keep It Down” is a sexy twist on the gritty rock genre. As a relatively new Latinx rock duo, members David Stewart and Chava make sure to distinguish themselves by incorporating bits of techno throughout the feisty hit. The techno-rock hybrid creates a contagious beat to accompany the song’s sensual lyrics like, “While I throw you around / You’re gonna scream / Girl keep it down.” The song is reminiscent of music from AWOLNATION, KONGOS and The Black Keys, but Migrant Motel manages to maintain their unique personality throughout. Filled with catchy beats and enticing lyrics, “Keep It Down” is an addictive and playful piece of music. 

David Anderson, writer

“24 Hr Drive-Thru” – Origami Angel

https://youtu.be/ZmOVf1qej5s

Origami Angel, a two-piece emo band from the greater Washington DC area, released a new song called “24 Hr Drive-Thru.” It is the first single released from their upcoming album, “Somewhere City.” The song begins with an upbeat guitar riff that is quickly joined with loud drums and accompanying guitars. Wailing vocals pick up to bring the track together. The song, although loud and fierce, isn’t really angry. The song details a story of a friend that is trying to get their depressed friend to feel better. In the story, the speaker attempts to get their friend to spend time with them to break them out of the depressive cycle that is being perpetuated by isolation and a feeling of loneliness. The speaker invites their friend to go get fast food with them late at night at a 24 hour drive-thru, the namesake of the song. The track is surely emo, but fairly hopeful too. If you’re a fan of the genre, or perhaps not, this is a terrific song and it makes me eager for what coming next from this band.

Email Trevor at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @TrevorWilsonOG.

Email Astghik at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @as_tghik.

Email Shane at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @shaneguilll.

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

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

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

Email David at [email protected].