The only way to get over a heat wave is to dive into a pool of new music.
Temperatures reached above 90 degrees two days in a row for the first time since summer began. The weather keeps getting hotter and so does the music of summer 2019.
It’s safe to say rock and roll made a quick comeback on Friday. With parents who are both over the age of 60 — sorry mom and dad — I had no choice but to grow up listening to rock bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, AC/DC and Fleetwood Mac. To say it’s in my blood is an understatement.
My rock and roll cravings were well satisfied this week.
Ed Sheeran blew me away with his track “BLOW,” a collaboration with country superstar Chris Stapleton and R&B icon Bruno Mars. It’s a rock and roll song I never knew I needed until now. With heavy guitar riffs and the high-pitched vocals rock is known for, the song pays tribute to the genre’s founding fathers (and mothers).
And, just like Queen’s “The Show Must Go On” and The Beatles’ “Revolution,” bands are still sending rock and roll messages out into the ether.
Blink 182, the rock trio that’s had fans playing air drums since the 1990s, released a song that addresses mental illness, and rock duo BONES UK came out with a cover of David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans” from 1997, which still holds its valid political message.
While rock and roll tributes played the biggest role in this Friday’s new music releases, it was Mahalia and Burna Boy’s “Simmer” that stole the show with its reggae/Afro-fusion track.
Let’s see what Friday gave us this week:
THE BREAKDOWN
“Goodbyes” by Post Malone featuring Young Thug
- The genre-breaking hitmaker from New York has done it again. Post Malone released a breakup song that doesn’t make you want to curl up into a ball and cry. The upbeat hip-hop tempo had me bopping my head in sync and Malone’s words forced me to stop and listen. His lyrics, “There’s no way I can save you ’cause I need to be saved, too” indicate it’s a song about someone who needs to put themselves first. The only downfall of the track is Young Thug’s high notes. All they did was distract me and made me forget what the song is about.
“BLOW” by Ed Sheeran featuring Chris Stapleton and Bruno Mars
- This is one of two releases this week from Sheeran’s upcoming “No.6 Collaborations Project” and it’s my favorite. It’s a true rock and roll gem that has taken me by surprise because I didn’t think Sheeran had it in him. The vocal partnership between him, country-star Stapleton and R&B hitmaker Mars was a contrast I can only deem as pure genius. With a major lack of decent rock music lately, this track satisfied my guitar-riff craving. I accidently turned my car into an air drum concert while listening to it on my way to work.
“Best Part of Me” by Ed Sheeran featuring YEBBA
- Famously known for them, Sheeran finally released an emotional ballad from his latest project. His vocals, clearer than ever, talk about insecurities. The track creates a relatable story about loving someone, even when they don’t love themselves. With lyrics like “My eyes are crossed, but they’re still blue. I bite my nails and tell the truth. I go from thin to overweight, oh day to day it fluctuates,” Sheeran brings his fans into the world of his raw insecurities. The harmonious vocal combination of Sheeran and Grammy-award winning YEBBA (Abbey Smith), over the simple guitar strumming, will make you stop and address your own insecurities.
“On My Own” by Jaden featuring Kid Cudi
- In my favorite track off the newly released album “ERYS,” Jaden (Smith), son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, collaborated with one of his biggest idols. The feel-good, upbeat tempo, which holds a message of getting back up after you get knocked down, reminds me of some of Cudi’s famed older songs, like “Day N’ Nite” and “Pursuit of Happiness.” With a mix of vocals, raps and spoken word, Smith takes the stage while Cudi follows behind, remaining true to himself. It’s a collaboration that was meant to happen.
“Happy Days” by blink-182
- I’ve always held a special place in my musical heart for the ’90s-formed rock band that’s had kids headbanging for decades, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw “Happy Days” on Apple Music’s Hot Tracks list. While I appreciate their efforts of staying true to themselves, this song comes nowhere close to famed tracks “What’s My Age Again?” or “First Date.” But releasing a song that addresses mental health, in a genre of music that’s not known for doing so, is a real power move. While the song may not be my favorite, I love the band even more for attempting to break up negative mental health stigmas with lyrics like, “Hey kid, don’t listen to your head. It only fills you with dread and with doubt, left looking for an easy way out.”
“Simmer” by Mahalia featuring Burna Boy
- The reggaeton-style track had me uncontrollably dancing at my desk all day on Friday. After never having heard of Mahalia before, I am now a fangirl of the English singer/songwriter. Her smooth vocals are undeniable. Combined with Burna Boy’s Nigerian afro-fusion vibe, it’s one of my favorite tracks of the summer thus far. The song starts off with a deep, dirty beat, lightens up with the start of Mahalia’s vocals and then brings it back down again. You’ll be left with feeling nothing but steamy desire.
“I Don’t Think I Live There Anymore” by ROAM
- The recent track from the British pop punk band brought me back to the days when I was 14 years old and rock bands like Mayday Parade and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus defied their genres by breaking into the pop charts. A true example of pop rock, I found the tune to be utterly catchy. It’s a song about not feeling in control of yourself anymore and the band, whom I had never heard of until Friday, could not have released it at a better time. In a society where many people don’t feel in control of their own lives, the song is beyond relatable.
“I’m Afraid of Americans” by BONES UK
- The London-bred rock duo serve up a fantastically modern cover of David Bowie’s 1997 hit song. Straying not too far from the original, but throwing in their own electro-funk vibe, BONES UK is resending a very clear message. Given the current state of women’s bodily rights in America with the pro-life versus pro-choice battle, a female leading the vocals behind this is politically clever. It’s a cover that Bowie himself would be proud of.