playlist news

Playlist News

Charlie Butler takes a look at this week’s playlist.‘Dang!’ – Mac Miller featuring Anderson.PaakEvading preconceptions is the hallmark of every artist whose light burns long after its initial burst. On ‘Dang!’, rapper-cum-producer Mac Miller has shown he can create something different while keeping the standard high. The lead single from his new album The Divine Feminine (out on September 16) sees Miller indulging in light-hearted humour, eschewing the serious weirdness that he’s made his own over the past few years. He’s also teamed up with man-of-the-year Anderson.Paak, who admittedly provides the track’s highlights. But that’s nothing to be ashamed of; it’s difficult to outshine someone who’s currently incapable of putting a foot wrong.‘Can’t Turn Around’ (Shino Blackk Edit) – The Foreign ExchangeThis track is billed as a Shino Blackk edit. It would be truer to say it’s a reworking or perhaps a reimagining of what was originally, in a former life, a song by The Foreign Exchange. The tempo has been upped and it could now comfortably soundtrack an Ibiza sunrise complete with white loungers and bleary eyed stragglers. Z Records, who put together the compilation where you’ll find this remix, has built its hard-earned reputation on just this kind of sound: unusual samples touched with real house.‘Just The Two Of Us’ – Keith Sweat featuring Takiya MasonBecause he’s been around for a while now, Keith Sweat can sound vintage and old school without seeming contrived. If a new singer tried to do this, it would sound like the efforts of someone hankering for an era of music which they can never inhabit. But when Sweat does it, it bears the stamp of a genuine soul singer. Taken from his recently released 12th album Dress to Impress, ‘Just The Two Of Us’ features the impressive Takiya Mason. And when the two go back and forth, it sounds sexy and sensual. It’s the sound of a true R&B ballad.