Top Ten Tracks: Theodor Black, Freddie Gibbs & Akemi Fox 1/4/22
Welcome to ‘Top 10 Tracks’, the essential weekly round-up of the best new music.
At the end of each week, we count down the ten essential new tracks you need in your rotation. Ranging from rappers in the Emerald Isle to boundary-pushing, experimental producers and everything in between, it’s all hits, no filler.
This week, Freddie Gibbs lifts the curtain a little more ahead of his forthcoming album, Vince Staples shares ‘Rose Street’ and Akemi Fox provides a song for your summer rotation.
Photo: Via Akemi Fox Press
Knucks & SL Nice & Good
Passing the mic at the casual pace of a Barcelona team in its prime cruising to victory, Knucks and SL are doing things on their own terms on ‘Nice & Good’.
A$AP ANT & A$AP Rocky The God Hour
The production on ‘The God Hour’ is the peak of an acid trip. Transcendent vocal samples and wobbling synths make up one of the A$AP Mob’s more trippy releases of late.
Ibeyi Lavender & Red Roses Feat. Jorja Smith
After teaming up with Pa Salieu on ‘Made of Gold’, Afro-Cuban, French twins Ibeyi return with a winding new single ‘Lavender& Red Roses’ that features Jorja Smith.
Tomike Another Life
On ‘Another Life’ , Tomike is hoping the stars align and reignite a connection with an estranged friend. It’s another track reinforcing the pop-soul singer’s rising stock.
Freddie Gibbs Ice Cream Feat. Rick Ross
Ahead of his show in Vicar Street on Monday, Gangster Gibbs has provided another taste of his forthcoming album SSS (Soul Sold Separately).
STRABE Life On Pause
STRABE as a group came to fruition after two chance encounters in Cork and Dublin brought Angelica and Emmett together. ‘Life On Pause’ later emerged as the product of a series of voice notes as the pair worked remotely in lockdown. It highlights their ability to wring out life’s darker moments with a soft cloth.
Miso Extra Great Taste Feat. Nayana IZ
Beatnik’s Miso Extra shared ‘Great Taste’ with Nayana IZ ahead of her full EP which dropped today.
Speaking on the collaboration she says, “Great Taste explores the realising that your current state of being might not always be the best and that if nothing changes the future ahead isn’t appealing; if anything terrifying. It’s expressing a desire to join hands with those who want to follow their dreams and enter an alternate future. Nayana IZ was able to bring her incredible wisdom of words to the table and further iterates the bitter sweet struggles of self development.”
Vince Staples Rose Street
When the only time you see flowers is at a funeral, you’re unlikely to want to keep them in the house. On ‘ROSE STREET’, Vince Staples is spelling out how the streets skew parts of life that others take for granted. It lands ahead of Ramona Park Broke My Heart and sees him wrestle with unfamiliar concepts of love and trust.
Theodor Black Top Down
Theodor Black is taking listeners down a dark and winding examination of his untouchable fit game on ‘Top Down’. It comes ahead of his PARADISE FM EP.
Akemi Fox See You Soon
Featherlight vocals and sun-kissed production from Swindle coalesces for our favourite track this week.
