The best new tracks, picked by our staff

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2hollis – Trauma

There’s a lot of energy in underground music right now. There’s the frenetic jerk movement spearheaded by Nettspend and Xaviersobased, Snow Strippers are touring the world with their garish trance-pop while Yung Lean and Drain Gang​’s ultra-sensitive rap is more relevant with kids than ever, despite the fact they’ve almost all reached 30. LA-based artist 2hollis has struck gold by merging vibes from some these subgenres and pumping them up with a club-ready bounce. Trauma – a single which comes hot on the heels of his album Boy, which was released in June – is a potent cocktail of electroclash and blown-out rage rap. It’s almost scary to think what this would do if a DJ dropped it at the right moment in an illicit warehouse rave. DR

JT – DOD

​“I ain’t never ran from the dick,” is one hell of an opening line, particularly when the chorus that follows features the word ​“dick” in practically every line. But what else would you expect from JT’s debut solo album City Cinderella, a project that’s as bold in its lyricism as it is its breadth of sound. Enter DOD, a track that opens with a winding sitar and storms straight into that big dick energy chorus. Other choice lines include: ​“Slide down the pole and land on the dick /​Spit, no hands on the dick”. Blast it at your nan’s next birthday party. OP

Kairo Keyz – Bruv

Kairo Keyz has been around for a while (close followers of the UK rap scene right member him collaborating with Central Cee way back in 2019), but he recently received his flowers thanks to his viral hit Gang, which is currently sitting at over 18 million Spotify streams. On Bruv, a worthy follow-up the South London rapper hints that he’s on the precipice of international success. ​“I’m in USA with an accent, bruv,” he raps over silky synths and trunk-rattling bass. ​“In the States, they told me they know us.” DR

Downtown Kayoto – iTried

Hull’s finest Downtown Kayoto levels up on his new EP Thinking With My Ears, blending the indie‑R&B leanings of his previous output with more dynamic production. On iTried, that takes shape via plucked violins and syncopated beats, an uptempo but melancholic backdrop to Kayoto’s lovelorn lyrics. ​“I was stuck inside my head for a month or two,” he raps in the second verse. And as the track comes to a close with layered vocals – whispered, sung and harmonised – Kayoto proves he’s as deft with vocal arrangements as he is confessional lyricism. No wonder he’s already had a co-sign from Pharrell. OP

piglet – certainty ft. Tiberius B

This link-up between the London-via-Belfast musician piglet and Tiberius B works brilliantly, as both artists are purveyors of vulnerable, DIY indie music. ​“Certainty is a mixture of all our favourite bits we came up with [while working together] and an afternoon writing and recording in my bedroom,” Piglet says of the track. As the pair’s vocals softly intertwine, Certainty is couched in a sense of longing. JW