
Bladee gets epicly emo on One in a Million

Also on the Rated by The Face playlist: Bambii, Mya Mehmi, Nilüfer Yanya and Smerz.
Music
Words: Davy Reed, Tiffany Lai
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.
Bladee – One in a Million
Bladee’s going through it. On One in a Million, the lead track from his surprise EP STE The Beautiful Martyr 1st Attempt, the Drain Ganger gets epicly emo over synths which flicker like a strobe light, referencing evil thoughts, pools of blood, cigarettes in the snow and Saint George – the dragon-slaying Christian saint. We’ve all been there. DR
Bambii – Mirror ft. Yaeji and Jessy Lanza
A collab between Bambii, Yaeji and Jessy Lanza promises a lot, and Mirror doesn’t disappoint. Described by Bambii as sounding like “the light behind your eyes and your cheek pressed against a rainy window”, Mirror merges a weightless drum ‘n’ bass beat with breathy vocals from Jessy Lanza and a bilingual verse from Yaeji. Get ready for more intriguing features on Bambii’s forthcoming album Infinity II, including Ravyn Lenae, Jeleel! and legendary UK MC Scruffizer. TL
Nilüfer Yanya – Cold Heart
Following her excellent 2024 album My Method Actor, Nilüfer Yanya has released this single from a batch of songs she made after touring. The London songwriter gets particularly vulnerable on Cold Heart, singing about an ex over a sparkling synth loop, a plucked guitar and a muffled drum beat which kicks like a palpitating heartbeat: “Heaven knows the way you hold me/Let them know I feel this lonely/Even though the way they show me/Letting go I feel it slowly”. The accompanying video shows a singular pelican bobbing up and down in the sea, shot on a grainy film camera. I think I’ve got something in my eye. TL
Smerz – Feisty
Smerz went into party mode for their brash concept EP Allina, which told the chaotic story of a fictional celeb. Following their gentle ballad You Got Time and I Got Money, the experimental duo are back on the dancefloor for Feisty, the final single from their upcoming album Big City Life. Over a strutting drum beat and In Da Club-style string stabs, Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt nonchalantly reel off the notable details of a chic night out: smoking area kisses, art school crowds and good-looking guys with bad-looking shoes. Fellas, please remember to invest in some decent footwear. DR
Mya Mehmi – Haldi
As a renowned party DJ and a core member of the Pxssy Palace collective, Mya Mehmi is known for filling dancefloors at LGBTQ+ functions. But the London-via-Leciester artist leans into more subdued territory with her own music, intermittently releasing R&B jams to set the mood in dimly-lit rooms. On Mya’s self-produced single Haldi, she fluctuates between vulnerability and sensuality, referencing the use of turmeric at Punjabi weddings, where the spice is rubbed on the bride and groom’s bodies to give them a golden glow. “Ultimately, this song is a seductive bop on the surface, with a deeply sad and lonely core,” Mya wrote in the press notes. “A sexy sad siren song!” DR

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