The best new tracks, picked by our staff
Rated by THE FACE: a playlist featuring AntsLive, Mahalia and KennyHoopla.
Music
Words: Jade Wickes
Want to keep up with the best new music? Listen to this weekly playlist, lovingly curated by THE FACE’s editorial team.
AntsLive – Ooh La La
Since his viral hit Number One Candidate kickstarted 2023 with what remains one of this year’s best music videos, North London rapper AntsLive has been on a firm upward trajectory. Cheeky irreverence is his MO, and new single Ooh La La is no different. Inspired by a recent trip to Paris, the chorus of Ooh La La features some charming French one-liners – “She callin’ my phone at 12 A.M., dis-moi pourquoi /She smellin’ sweet Chanel De Bleu, I smell Dior Sauvage /Comment ça va?” – as AntsLive raps about pursuing a love interest beyond the confines of the UK. Ooh La La, indeed.
Taloula – M3TAMORPHIN
Speaking of the French, Parisian singer-songwriter Taloula, previously known as TAL, is a super-massive French popstar. Since 2021, she’s been steadily moving away from releasing mainstream hits, and M3TAMORPHIN continues that shift. Co-produced on an old Yamaha keyboard and drum machine, it sees her skilfully flit between singing and rapping over an ’80s-inspired electro track. Her upcoming album, due in November, promises to be full of bouncy beats and trippy guitar riffs, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Mercury – heaven
A dingy, industrial number from Memphis-born, Atlanta-based Mercury, and the lead track from her latest EP. Since starting to release music three years ago, Mercury has sat at the cutting edge of hip-hop, quickly establishing herself as one of the genre’s hottest alt-girls. heaven very much exists within that realm. Given the song’s super-quick-but-also-mellow lyrical delivery, this is, according to Mercury, “for everybody cute to shake their ass to”.
KennyHoopla – MARRY KILL FCK//*
He’s carved out a reputation as one of pop punk’s next-gen stars, so it comes as no surprise that KennyHoopla’s new EP, BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT//, was co-produced by Travis Barker. Characteristically bursting with energy, MARRY KILL F*CK// does exactly what it says on the tin, and doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a straight-up pop-punk banger. “I was sitting on the curb outside the roller rink /Loitering and waiting for your late apologies /It only hurt me when you called me drama queen /’Cause I can’t pull off pink,” Hoopla sings, conjuring up teenage angst and summer romance gone sour.
Mahalia – Ready
R&B princess Mahalia is back with Ready, a pared back track which sees her reflect on everything she’s achieved so far, determined to use her voice as she pleases: “Tryna stay stable is hard when I’m tryna keep my place at the table /No matter how I’m feeling, gotta take a minute to celebrate my winnings,” she sings. Her new album, IRL, drops this Friday.
