#iTunesSounds: Four To Know – December 1, 2015
“Four To Know” is a glimpse inside what’s current in the iTunes Music Libraries of our team members. We’ll provide four songs to grab and a breakdown of what appeals to us in each track.
By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture
1) “Hello” by Erykah Badu feat. Andre 3000
BREAKDOWN: It’s always nice to hear from Miss Badu who was one of R&B’s go-to voices in the late ’90’s and early 2000’s. The fact that she brought Andre 3000 along for one of his few select verses that he drops annually was a pleasant surprise. The two team up over the classic Ronald Isley sample “Hello, It’s Me.” Andre delivers his seemingly timeless flow while Badu makes it feel like it’s 2000 all over again.
2) “No Shade” by Chaz French feat. Wale
BREAKDOWN: A relative newcomer to the mainstream scene, keep an eye on Chaz French. I owe an assist to PSBPopCulture.com Team Member, Jordan Davis, for this one. French comes through with a quality output on this one even singing the hook. Meanwhile his veteran counterpart, Wale, delivered a mean punch on the type of R&B type of track we’ve come to expect Mr. Folarin to body.
3) “Contradiction” by Mail Music feat. Jhene Aiko
BREAKDOWN: Mali Music has been on the scene for years but has started to breakout as a mainstream R&B solo artist since the release of “Beautiful.” I have to credit current Notre Dame freshman Ali Patberg for the lob on that track 18 months ago. Now Mali is back on the Spike Lee movie “Chi-Raq” soundtrack. He brought emerging female R&B artist Jhene Aiko along on this one and together the combine to knock this one out the park. The high pitch sound floating on top of the melody reminds me of the style Justin Bieber used on “Sorry” and adds to the sound of this one.
4) “Send My Love” (To Your New Lover) by Adele
BREAKDOWN: On a “25” CD loaded with soon-to-be Billboard chart toppers, this one stands out with it’s upbeat tempo as she does her 1-2 on the track. The feel in sequence and message makes me think of “Rumour Has It” off of Adele’s “21” output. Ironically, it’s the second track on the CD the same way Rumour Has It was.
Brandon Clay is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com through his various genre reviews. A self-professed entertainment & music junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @PSBPopCulture.