Addison Rae revels in her success on Fame is a Gun

There’s loads of music out there, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up.

Rather than letting the algorithm dictate your music taste, you can listen to Rated by THE FACE – a playlist that’s lovingly curated and updated by our (human) editorial team every week.

Addison Rae – Fame is a Gun

The cover art for Fame is a Gun is a photograph of Addison Rae as a child, in which she’s wearing shades indoors and already posing like a celeb. It chimes with the message of the single: that Addison is – and always has been – determined to be a star. ​“There’s no mystery, I’m gonna make it, gonna go down in history,” the content creator-turned-pop star sings cooly through muffling voice effects. If the Von Dutch remix was Addison literally screaming at the trolls who furiously type from their dad’s basement, she’s now at a point where she can just shrug off the criticism. ​“God gave me the permission, and when you shame me, it makes me want it more​,” she sings over a blissful synth pop bounce that would appropriately soundtrack a drive down Sunset Boulevard. This is the fifth single from her forthcoming album Addison, and it’s another banger. At this point, you almost feel sorry for her haters. DR

Lorde – Man Of The Year

Over the course of the Virgin album rollout, Lorde has been very honest about the gender dysphoria she’s been experiencing, which has resulted in her being more fluid about the way she defines herself. Man Of The Year seemingly speaks to that – in the accompanying video, Lorde writhes around on the floor with tape over her chest, as though she’s having some kind of rebirth. The song is much more stripped back than her Brat-esque comeback track What Was That, and it’s even more intimate and vulnerable. ​“Who’s gonna love me like this? /​Oh, who could give me lightness?” she sings with just a strummed bass guitar behind her. That is, until the epic crescendo, when Lorde unleashes the power in her voice among clattering drums. JW

Nina – Twink

After emerging from the shadows a few years ago to become London’s coolest buzz band, Bar Italia toured and recorded relentlessly, dropping two albums in 2023. And during any periods of downtime, there tends to be a surge in activity from the band’s members Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton’s band Double Virgo, as well as Nina Cristante​’s solo project. Like Bar Italia’s stuff, Nina’s new song Twink is melancholic, scrappy and a little out of tune at times. And for some reason, it’s more evocative than the vast majority of polished guitar acts which get pushed by the big Spotify playlists. DR

Alex G – Afterlife

Alex G is back! There’s a hopeful, euphoric feel to Afterlife, thanks to plenty of jovial mandolin strumming. ​“Afterlife /​Filling up the tank with it /​Like a kid I ran it past /​Rolling in the tiger grass /​We were mean and seventeen /​Make it like a dream,” he sings with a sense of childlike wonder. Elsewhere, there are references to candy, porn magazines, radio reflections and TV screens. Classic G. We look forward to the new album, Headlights, which drops in July. JW

Ledbyher – Wrong

Nines’ retirement didn’t last long, did it? Last year, the UK rap legend announced he was quitting music, dropped a final album and even sparked up a massive zoot on stage at his farewell gig. But Nina’s just and announced a two day festival at Dreamland Margate this summer and, yep, he’s headlining. To be fair, it’s a strong line-up, featuring the likes of Clavish, Katy B, his righthand man Skrapz and Ledbyher, who’s one of the more intriguing rising stars of the new UK underground. The singer, rapper and producer’s sound is a little hard to define, with tracks which float between mellow grime, neosoul, jerk, dream pop and a style she’s calling bedroom drill. On Wrong, Ledbyher’s melancholic lyrics are juxtaposed by a punchy beat which she’s decorated with twinkling jazz pianos, turntable scratches and funny boing noises. It would sound good on a sunny day in Margate. DR