Last week, The War On Drugs dropped the first single off their upcoming album “I Don’t Live Here Anymore.” This is big news if you own a car: over the past decade the Philadelphia band’s sprawling heartland psychedelia has earned them a reputation as the ultimate road trip companion. Praise be to Thomas and Banton on “Hurricane.” The song and visual are sure to bring warm feelings to those from the motherland to those admiring from afar - so long as you remember, love can catch you just like a hurricane. The video highlights the lyrics of the disruptive woman Thomas and Banton sing of, while referencing nodes of Nigeria and Jamaica such as the sand-laced streets and cemented homes, telling of the villages back home. “Hurricane” is the latest single off his EP “Hopeless Romantic,” in which Thomas and Banton warn of the tempest woman they seek. Thomas kickstarted his career in a Nigerian group called Loud On Sound (LOS), a successful beginning to an already surging career. Thomas is an up-and-comer akin to other Nigerian artists like Ayra Starr, Omah Lay and Tems - artists taking the beats of the motherland and the whispered hums heard across the nation, whether it be about democracy, life or love. Thomas and Banton sing and rap in patois - Jamaican slang - and pidgin - referred to as Nigeria’s “broken English” - merging the two worlds into one rhythmic sound. The song, like the Dalia Dias directed music video, merges cultural snapshots of Nigeria and Jamaica. And just when you think Syd has reached the zenith of cool, she pulls out the guitar for an effects-drenched solo that would make Prince proud.įrom the astir city of Lagos, Nigeria, comes Tomi Thomas and his newest single “Hurricane.” Produced by Genio Bambino, “Hurricane” features Grammy-nominated Reggae artist Buju Banton in a soft blend of Afrobeats, Reggae and R&B. Here, Syd’s voice sails high above a retro groove, as she gushes about newfound love. Last week, Syd released “Fast Car,” a sultry single that takes all of five seconds to command the listener’s attention.

Since then, Syd has helped change the face of R&B, first as a founder of the consistently solid jazz and funk-inflected band The Internet, and then as a solo artist - her exquisite 2017 debut album “Fin” drew critical acclaim for its intimate neo-soul aesthetics. Even as a member of Odd Future, the scrappy and boisterous hip hop collective from the late 2000s, Syd Tha Kid came off as above the fray, as if she (and Frank) were just there for the party as they plotted their next moves. Through her music and her visuals, she exudes an unparalleled sense of effortless poise. Syd has to be the chillest artist working today.

Buju banton playlist