The best new tracks, picked by our staff

Rated by The Face: a playlist featuring Ariana Grande, Sainté, Niko B and I. JORDAN.

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I JORDAN – Close to You

I. JORDAN set out to make a hands up in the air /​hug ur mate moment for the club” and, with Close to You, the London-via-Doncaster DJ/​producer truly succeeded. The second single from their debut album I Am Jordan features euphoric piano stabs, thumping bass and a warm but ghostly vocal sample which delivers an affectionate message: I never knew I’d be so close to you.” Close your eyes and you’ll see strobe lights. DR

Niko B – Trespass Coat ft. Dexter in the Newsagent

First debuted last June as part of a viral Victory Lap freestyle alongside Dave and Central Cee, Trespass Coat is a bouncy, tongue-in-cheek tune that encapsulates Niko B’s playful persona: I just traded bad weed for a Van Cleef /​I scammed Deliveroo for a Bánh mì and they banned me,” the Milton Keynes musician raps casually over a sunny club beat. JW

Sainté – Fancy ft. Chow Lee

Leicester rapper Sainté is building good buzz around his forthcoming debut mixtape Still Local. UK rappers can be guilty of using phoned-in verses from American acts even when there’s no creative chemistry between them. But on this third single from the tape, the production is thoughtfully crafted to accommodate NYC artist Chow Lee, who’s primarily known for rapping over Jersey club kick drums courtesy of experimental producer Cash Cobain. DR

Ariana Grande – Ordinary Things by (ft. Nonna)

On The closing track on her seventh album eternal sunshine, Ari celebrates simple joys. You hit just like the first sip of wine after a long day,” she sings over warm production. Following tracks about her recent divorce and the drama surrounding her new relationship with Ethan Slater, it feels like an optimistic bookend to an album that grapples with love and loss. The finishing touch is a voice note of her nan delivering some sage advice: Never go to bed without kissin’ goodnight.” OP

Amen Dunes – Boys

This new single from cult New York musician Damon McMahon, about bad kids, essentially, is haunting and melancholy in equal measure. Originally written as a pop-punk song back in 2015, it’s now morphed into something more experimental, featuring sirens, multi-tracked vocals, punchy bass stabs and drum machines. It lays a solid foundation for McMahon’s upcoming album Death Jokes – his first since 2018’s critically acclaimed Freedom – which is out in May. JW

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