Harry Styles strolls onto the dancefloor for Aperture

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.

Harry Styles – Aperture

Much has been made about Harry’s comeback since his 2022 album, Harry’s House and according to some of the fans who attended the Aperture single listening party in London, he’d gone in a techno direction. Apparently, hanging out in Mitte with Zoë Kravitz will do that to you. But really, the single leans in the direction of some surprisingly pleasant synth-pop and features Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell on backing vocals. Catchy and romantic, the euphoric vibe of the song carries a sense of unironic optimism.Speaking about the track, Harry said, ​“I think the song was the last song that was made for the album. So it kind of ended up being this really perfect mission statement of what a lot of the album was about… Allowing for more positive things to come into your life.” TL

Rico Ace – Malibu

Last year, Rico Ace and EsDeeKid had a mushroom trip in Malibu which was so good that both rappers have immortalised it with their music. Rico features on four tracks from EsDee’s Rebel mixtape – two of which now have over 100 million Spotify streams. Over a reversed chipmunk vocal sample, on Malibu he reflects on his journey from bumping the train to school to having dinner dates in the San Fernando Valley, spitting with the fierce determination of a rapper who knows that this is his chance to make a name for himself. DR

Bktherula, Lazer Dim 700 & Denzel Curry – The Lit Effect

There’s a new rap supergroup in town. Denzel Curry has formed The Scythe, which also features Ferg (he’s dropped A$AP from his name), Bktherula, TiaCorine and Key Nyata – who, alongside Curry, used to be a member of Spaceghostpurrp’s Raider Klan collective back in the early 2010s. First single The Lit Effect sees Bk and Curry team up with Lazer Dim 700, a figurehead of terror plug subgenre, to go wild over a satisfyingly scuzzy beat. The video depicts gothic rap fans congregating in the moshpit. The Scythe must be hoping that life will imitate art. DR

The Femcels – Not ur friend

The Femcels told Interview that they want to get a 4.0/10 rating from Pitchfork. Unfortunately for them, their new album I Need to Get Hotter is too good for that. Over eerie nocturnal synths courtesy of the album’s producer Ike Clateman (who’s one half of Bassvictim), the scrappy London-based duo sound dangerously obsessive (“I’d die for you, I watch the stars, dart in black /​And when I am mad my lips go from pink to blue”). It’s actually one of the less intense moments on the album, which also includes songs called I’m So Fat, Don’t Stab Yourself (Like Elliott Smith) and No One Will Fuck Me When I Wear Two Different Shoes (One Jordan, One Gucci Flip-Flop). Actually… maybe that 4.0 review is within reach. DR

Deer Park & Ivy Knight – Black Cat

Andy Santella, aka deer park, has signed to cult label Scenic Route, as has his friend and fellow musician Ivy Park. To celebrate, the pair have released a new song, Black Cat, whose sparse piano and soft vocals make for a perfect soundtrack to some exceedingly rainy days in London. Santella has produced music for the likes of fakemink, Ecco2k, Evilgiane and Jawnino, but his solo work is well worth a listen. ​“Writing and making music together has always been a crucial part of our friendship; it gives us a space to relate and flesh out memories we’ve shared in ways that simply can’t be discussed,” he said of his collaboration with Ivy on Black Cat. ​“The song is both a reflection and a fabulation of our time spent living in upstate New York”. JW