The best new tracks, picked by our staff

Rated by THE FACE: a playlist featuring Wizkid, Dexter, Bladee, Bandokay and Shanti Celeste.

Want to keep up with the best new music?

Listen to this weekly playlist, lovingly curated by THE FACE’s editorial team.

Wizkid – Bad To Me

Wizkid dips his toes into the deep percussive sounds of amapiano for his first solo release since Made In Lagos. But don’t worry, that sweet, laid-back vibe that earned his album Grammy nomination earlier this year is still there. Melting airy chords over atmospheric bass, Wizkid’s yearning vocals bring sultry romance to the dancefloor, as he sings Lady, girl, say your body bad to me.” And that post chorus chant of Ee-ye, ge-ge (Ee-ye, ge-ge)”? Tailor-made for belting in the club. OP

dexter – Vexed

Pissed off? So is South Londoner dexter – on her latest drop, at least. Vexed is a mellow rage and rave track, pulling influences from garage and drum n’ bass to accompany s confessional lyrics of frustration. A dose of levity comes towards the end of the track, courtesy of 8‑bit-style synths, as she tells the object of her anger to just look into my eyes.” More suited to bopping around your living room than losing your head on a Friday night, it’s further proof that big-BPM-and-chill music is here to stay. OP

Shanti Celeste – Cutie

Shanti Celestes DJ sets are loads of fun. At Houghton festival this year, she packed her set with R&B edits and joyous rave classics, much to the delight of a sun-dappled afternoon crowd. Cutie is a feel-good house track that’s part of an EP Celeste is dropping via Hessle Audio, employing a chopped-up vocal that sounds like a chirpy video game character. In the words of Hessle’s Ben UFO: Good luck getting that melody out of your head!” FM

Bladee – Drain Story

The Drain Gang star announced his new album Spiderr with this uncompromising single, which takes the Swedish crew’s soft and synthy rap sound and throws it in a blender. Over jumbled drums and spluttering digital horns, Bladee references the media demand” for DG, also peppering in references to previous lyrics and delivering a mantra that the drainers are going to love: Can’t fit in with the normies /​If being drainy is a sin, Lord forgive me.DR

Bandokay – Memories

Hot on the heels dropping the anthemic track Couldn’t Be Us with Headie One and Abra Cadabra, Bandokay delivers an intense blast of bravado and raw emotion with this impassioned single. On Memories, the OFB rapper references the loss of his dad Mark Duggan, who was killed by police in 2011. The song’s video pays tribute to other men who have lost their lives at the hands of police, including Chris Kaba, who was fatally shot in South London this month. DR

More like this

The best of THE FACE. Straight to your inbox. 

Loading...
00:00 / 00:00