Ariana Grande
No Tears Left To Cry (Republic/Island)
Futuristic and built from hard edges and a soft, bouncing chorus, Ariana Grande’s return is quite brilliant. Could her comeback go on to define 2018? This Max Martin collab suggests so...
Contact Elspeth Merry
elspeth.merry@umusic.com
Mazzy Star
Quiet, The Winter Harbor (Rhymes Of An Hour)
Back with their first new music in five years, Mazzy Star prove once again that no one does slow, sad daydreaming better. A new EP, Still, drops in June.
Contact Jamie Woolgar
jamiewoolgar@roughtraderecords.com
Avelino (feat. J Styles)
More Everything (More Music Records)
Avelino’s first new music of 2018 finds him firing off super-smart rhymes over an urgent, booming beat. A verse from J Styles brings added flavour.
Contact Alice French
alice@your-army.com
Aurora
Queendom (Decca)
We’ve not heard from Aurora since 2016, and Queendom is a pleasingly hyperactive return, instrumentation darting behind crystal-clear vocals.
Contact Jon Lawrence
jon@chalkpressagency.co.uk
Cub Sport
Crush (Cub Sport)
The Aussie synth pop duo document sexuality and self-discovery to powerful effect. See them at London’s Waiting Room on May 8 and 9.
Contact Steve Rose
steve@emmspublicity.com
DJ Koze
Pick Up (Pampa Records)
DJ Koze’s party anthems undoubtedly make this planet a more palatable place. This one, from new LP Knock Knock, out this week, is a corker.
Contact Nathan Beazer
nathan@dogdaypress.com
Naughty Boy (feat. Ray Blk & Wyclef Jean)
(Virgin EMI)
With his second album still shrouded in mystery, Naughty Boy releases a
hip-swivelling reggae joint featuring Ray Blk and Wyclef Jean. How intriguing.
Contact Katerina Marka
katerina.marka@umusic.com
