Erykah Badu and The Alchemist’s new collaborative masterwork, Ezra Collective get the party moving, and Headie One’s rousing return: it’s Wonderlist.
Erykah Badu & The Alchemist – “They Ain’t You”
Two of music’s most singular minds finally collide on Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment, the long-awaited joint album from Erykah Badu and The Alchemist. Recorded across 18 months between Dallas and Los Angeles, the 16-track project is a hypnotic meeting of Badu’s genre-defying soul and hands-on co-production with The Alchemist’s unmistakable sonic palette; it explores love, identity, womanhood and growth. With a stacked cast of nine collaborators, including Steve Lacy, Thundercat – “They Ain’t You” is a sure, soothing standout with catchy, romantic verses – Earl Sweatshirt and Westside Gunn, to name a few, Badu sculpts The Alchemist’s warm, sample-heavy beats into an intimate, otherworldly body of work that surpasses categorisation.
Ezra Collective – “Jubilee Feeling”
Right off the back of their fourth sold-out Brixton Academy show, jazz ensemble Ezra Collective is all about that “Jubilee Feeling” with the latest single from their forthcoming album, Here Because of Hope, out 11th September. The third track unveiled from their fourth studio album, it’s a buzzy and bubbling instrumental representing Black music’s journey across West Africa, the Caribbean and into the musical heartbeat of Britain. It’s a celebration of tradition while honouring new forms – jazz meets late noughties Funky House, with a groovy piano melody from Joe Armon-Jones. Ahead of Carnival weekend, this is the perfect tune to get the party going.
Dahi ft. Kendrick Lamar & Amber Mark – “How To Play”
One of the most significant and prolific producers of his era, Dahi has finally found his crowning moment with the incredible debut full-length, Black Boy (Alternative). Boasting contributions from Vince Staples, Ravyn Lenae and more, the polymath has put together an immense body of work among the best of the year. “How To Play” even manages to pair Amber Mark with the peerless Kendrick Lamar.
Headie One ft. Sampha – “Close”
Headie One’s always been one to run a good race, but for his first full project since 2024, he’s rounding the bend faster than ever with his “Monday Marathon Music” mixtape, out now via One Records / The Orchard. Across the 10-track project, this is the North London-hailing rapper at his most lyrically sharp and expansive. From Nemzzz to Turbo and Luciano, he has enlisted the help of rap’s upcomers to add a fresher take, broadening his sonic reach. The last track, “Close”, featuring beloved artist Sampha, is a soulful sign-off to a project that has seen the rapper sprint through the realities of life, ambition and everything in between. As Sampha’s unmistakable vocals soften Headie’s sharp edges, the track makes for a fitting finish line for the marathon.
Nieve Ella – “Romance Is A Desert”
Nieve Ella switches things up with “Romance Is A Desert”, ditching the heavier emotions of her previous singles for something lighter. Dreamy synths and hazy guitars soundtrack that feeling of being so into someone you temporarily forget about the consequences. It’s the perfect getting-ready-to-go-out song, with Nieve calling it “sexy, sassy and fun”. Her debut album How Long Will It Take? is out on 16th October.
Chloe Slater – “I’ve Never Felt So Hated”
In this angsty, siren-sounding anthem, Chloe Slater has “Never Felt So Hated”. With this new single, Chloe’s grounded, earthy vocals bubble to a heated sizzle on this rage-fuelled track detailing how it feels to be young and visible online. Her response is this: a dark, damning and deeply personal take on the parasocial. It’s got a London grit that nods to the pop and punk of the 2010s while feeling fresh and modern.
Sarah Meth – “Don’t touch me you’re my hero”
Sarah Meth has shared her new single “Don’t Touch Me You’re My Hero”, and the video is a mini who’s who of London’s indie scene, featuring members of Shame, Sorry, RIP Magic and more. The track playfully calls out the weird power dynamics women can face in the music industry, while the video flips the usual industry tropes on their head. Her debut album Something Shameful is out on 30th October.
Kofi Stone – “No Way”
Birmingham-hailing rapper says “No Way” to the soulbreakers on this bright and bouncy banger. Debuting the track at last weekend’s We Out Here Festival, this is Kofi at his most assured. “They can’t contest the flow, like no way,” he sings to a hop-skip-jump melody that bumps with a contentedness that oozes optimism and self-belief.
Interplanetary Criminal & Silva Bumpa – “HOLD DA PHONE”
It’s a link-up for the ages for the new era of UK garage and bassline heads. Heavyweights Interplanetary Criminal and Silva Bumpa come together for the funky and ferocious “HOLD DA PHONE”. Groovy, sharp and impossible not to bop your head to, this is two beat-smiths at the top of their game coming together to great effect.
Thoom – “On The Floor”
Born in Beirut and raised between Lebanon and the US, Thoom’s excellent new mixtape “Everyday, Everything Is At Stake” is shaped by the feeling of belonging to two places while never fully belonging to either. That tension feels especially relevant right now, with displacement, war and identity constantly shaping the world around us. Rather than separating her Lebanese roots from her love of Western pop, Thoom celebrates both, making music with a strong point of view that reflects the world we live in and is an act of resistance against it. “On The Floor” is a standout.
Skyla Tylaa ft. Chlöe & Sofiya Nzau – “Makuhia”
In this musical pie with a taste of Afrohouse, global pop and core African melodies, South African artist Skyla Tylaa is rallying the pop girls worldwide with “Makuhia.” Calling upon Chlöe and rising Kenyan artist Sofiya Nzau, they meet for this electric summer swing that demands flashing fans and waving hands.
flowerovlove ft. WILLOW – “girls will be girls”
First heartbreaks are brutal, but flowerovlove is here to remind us that there’s more to life than one boy, thank god. Taken from her debut album MINI SKIRT WARRIOR, out today, “girls will be girls” sees the 21-year-old reflect on her first love while finding her way back to the girls around her, with WILLOW joining her for a collaboration. It’s vulnerable but ultimately lands on a much more important message: sometimes you just need your friends and your mini skirt.
Rudimental ft. Original Koffee & Winny – “Send Shots”
Rudimental know how to “Send Shots” on their summer comeback. The British dance music pioneers are getting caught up in an Afro-Caribbean whirlwind with this bouncing UK meets Jamaica meets Nigeria tune, with the rhyme and rhythm of Koffee and rising Naija singer Winny. With pulsing drum & bass melodies, drops of dancehall and smooth vocals, it feels like the duststorm you’d willingly get caught up in during festival season.
BINA. – “the art of anger”
South London’s BINA. is discovering “The Art of Anger” on her latest grungy ballad. Dark, slightly haunting, and lyrically spiky, the genre-blending artist makes rage sound both infectious and freeing. Between a catchy “Na-na-na” refrain to break up perfectly snarky quips, her gorgeous vocal timbre blanketing the bass-driven melody, with accompanying visuals directed by Niya Dre, anger has never looked so great, actually.
Los Bitchos ft. Ambrose Kenny-Smith – “Holding Cell”
You can’t hold Los Bitchos back, even in their “Holding Cell”. A wholly immersive collaboration with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Ambrose Kenny-Smith, this track is fuelled massively by infectious riffs and Ambrose’s unmistakable vocals. As the track steadily unravels into a body of wailing guitars, landing somewhere between psychedelic haze and full-throttle rock, it’s a taste of Los Bitchos & Friends Vol 1, their November-releasing album.
Lucy Park – “TOUCH CONTROL”
Following a standout run of releases this year, including incendiary solo cuts and rare, dynamic collaborations, Lucy Park finally delivers her latest EP, “THREAD 27”. Utilising the language of sewing, drawing, painting, technology, and mosaic to break down and rebuild oneself, the young talent finds feeling and form through intimate moments like “TOUCH CONTROL.”
Sabyna – “Unlovable”
What if the thing you’ve spent your whole life trying to outrun is actually yourself? On the title track of her debut EP Unlovable, London-based alt-pop star Sabyna gets brutally honest about the self-doubt, shame and destructive habits that can grow from believing you’re not worthy of love. It’s a personal track about the versions of ourselves we create to survive and, ultimately, realising that being hurt doesn’t make you broken.
MNEK – “MUSCLE MARYS..”
MNEK is calling all the “Muscle Marys..” with his latest UK Garage-inspired pop track, penning his thoughts on body image, freedom and positivity. Off the back of a crowd-squealing performance at All Points East alongside Swedish pop princess Zara Larsson, he presents the second single off his upcoming album, BULLDOZER!! Often the man behind the studio screen, with this sexy and swirling sing-song, he’s coming front and centre.
Chuka, The Destroyer – “LAW”
LA newcomer Chuka, The Destroyer stakes his claim with his brand-new single, “LAW” – part one of three in his latest visual trilogy. Alongside his raw, emotive cadence and honest pen, the unyielding tension gives the 23-year-old talent space to dive deeper into an intoxicating new love and the desires that can take control. Crafting a distinct identity across R&B spaces, Chuka is marked as a serious one to watch this year.
