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 them out below:

Astghik Dion

“Valentine’s Day (Shameful)” – Kehlani

The day where lovers hold each other close, situationships either blossom into something real or crumble apart and singles eat cheap chocolate listening to Kehlani. On Feb.14, the Oakland songstress released a modern-day love ballad with her then boo, YG, titled “Konclusions.” Three days later, and we get a “You Know Wassup” part two. “Valentine’s Day (Shameful)” was made in three hours total, everything from writing to recording, to the release. The track is raw emotion, bar after bar targeted at YG’s unfaithfulness, on the day where love is celebrated the most.  With lines like, “I am making amends with myself, forgiving me for loving you,” her pain is tangible, but her “I bite back” attitude is what completes the track for me. Kehlani is known for turning heartbreak into empowerment, and that is exactly what she continues doing. 

Ian Dartley

“No Time To Die” – Billie Eilish

Another James Bond film, another title song. This time around, the renowned Billie Eilish was tasked with breathing new life into the title song for the upcoming film “No Time To Die.” Titled after the film, this song finds Eilish at her strongest. Without too much background production to stunt her voice, her vocals come off clearer than ever. 

The beginning starts off slow, with Eilish’s monotonous voice serenading about betrayal and disappointment. Some fantastic wordplay comes with this first verse, specifically “Just goes to show / That the blood you bleed is just the blood you owe.” As the first chorus comes to an end, resounding instrumentals blare. The second verse finds a steady beat lacing the background, giving the song a much-needed anticipatory build-up to the second chorus. Overall, Eilish’s Bond theme is one of the strongest ones since Adele’s “Skyfall” all the way back in 2012. 

Nasya Blackshear

“The Birthday Party” – The 1975

With heavy anticipation surrounding their upcoming album, The 1975 continues to drop singles that show their new style. “The Birthday Party” is vocally a new sound for lead singer Matty Healy. The song itself has a slight southern twang underneath an alt-pop melody of singing and talk-singing as Healy takes you through conversations and moments in his lifetime. It’s the kind of song you sway to or throw on in the background when you begin to hate the quite. 

Shane Guilfoyle 

“K-Pop” – Lancey Foux (prod. TM88)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxlqAZr9wlM

Off the heels of his last album, Friend or Foux, Lancey Foux is back this week with a single produced by Atlanta DJ and record-producer TM88. “K-Pop” sees Foux rhyme with up-pitched auto-tune over a spacey, techno-inspired melody. The East London artist references his newly acquired bags, not showing up to court, and the fact that “my youngboy let the K pop like BTS.” This single dropped Friday night (2/21) to an outcry from fans regarding TM88’s decision in vocal effect. After listening to the track more extensively, the high-pitched sound of Foux’s voice fell in line with the beat as TM88’s vision and projects for the track became more apparent. I enjoy instances like these. As a producer, I feel TM88 tends to unlock new sounds within artists, challenging them to move in a new creative direction.   

Adam Buckley

“Posthumous Forgiveness” – Tame Impala

Kevin Parker channels his inner Alex Turner in a psychedelic, Weather-Channel-Wave-on-Acid track. 

Like fellow Aussie Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard, Parker has made a name for musical reinvention over the course of his discography, melding a menagerie of styles into… Well, Tame Impala; and everything that entails. 

For the casual fans of Tame Impala looking for rehashes of “Elephant” and “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” look elsewhere. This track is one of the more eclectic in their discography, but right in line with the sounds of the album. Parker broods on the relationship with his father, “You took all your sorry’s to the grave.”

His first record in five years, “The Slow Rush” channels the progressive psychedelia of 2018’s “Tranquility Base Hotel” and “Casino.” The first promo single from the record, “Posthumous Forgiveness” swirls amidst synth and organ textures, forgoing the once-trademark fuzzed guitar tones for tastefully subdued guitar leads. 

Julia Donohue

“Gospel For A New Century” – Yves Tumor

Set up to confuse, the beginning beat stops multiple times only to release into a depressing jam. Yves Tumor touches a bit of Prince and it’s something that feels missing from the music scene. It’s sultry without being overtly explicit. There’s mystery behind the lure and that creates intrigue. The mix at times can be repetitive and there are sounds that want to be blended better but that’s not the essence. Tumor intentionally creates chaos and for those who are willing to experiment, Tumor welcomes them with tracking and lyrics that create a cacophony of easy feeling bliss.

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

Email Ian Dartley at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @iandarts

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

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

Email Adam at [email protected].

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