Arlo Parks – ‘Softly’
‘Softly’ is an upbeat twist on Arlo’s signature calm sound. Anyone experiencing a relationship sizzling out this Valentine’s will love ‘Softly’s tender lyrics. ‘Softly’ is a song about yearning, about how fragile you feel in the dying days of a relationship when you’re still desperately in love,” says Arlo about her song, which is accompanied by a picture-perfect Zhang and Knight directed video. “The song is about how it feels to brace yourself before the blow of a breakup and reminisce about the days where it all felt luminous.”
Cat Burns – ‘Free’
Cat’s newest release, ‘Free’, is a future queer love anthem as she explores taking the courage to come out to your family and being true to who you are. The 20-year-old South London singer-songwriter draws upon a mix of gospel and pop influences for ‘Free’, which has inspired Cat’s growing TikTok community to share their own journeys of coming out with ‘Free’ as their own personal soundtrack.
LYNKS – ‘Silly Boy’
LYNKS’s newest drop, ‘Silly Boy’ is their most chaotic, danceable track to date. It serves as a combined take-down of ‘bro-culture’ and the ‘beam-me-up-softboi’ era – an expertly crafted coup-de-grâce to the toxic straight male ego. LYNKS says: “I wrote ‘Silly Boy’ when I was really f*cking pissed off with one very specific man. With the kind of toxic confidence that comes from never being told, or even considering for one second, that his point of view might not be valid. This song is for every person who has ever had the displeasure of dealing with one of these Silly Little Boys.”
FKA twigs – ‘oh my love’
Multi-talented singer, songwriter, producer and dancer FKA Twigs’ new mixtape Capricorns is an adventurous mix of genres. The ecstatic melodies of ‘oh my love’ are perfect for anyone who has dated someone with commitment issues and could use a pep talk this Valentine’s day: “Love yourself, know your worth and / Fuck crying over these stupid boys / That don’t even recognize the worth in themselves / Just tryna steal your youth / Bye, bye.”
Yeule – ‘Bites On My Neck’
Singaporean-born, London-based painter, musician, performance artist, and cyborg entity Yeule’s newest album Glitch Princes explores digital and human landscapes. They explore moments of emotional vulnerability, clashing with explosive hyper pop sounds like in ‘Bites On My Neck’. The song expresses a dangerous passion that translates a mix of reassuring and disorientating sounds into dance beats, perfect for a Valentine’s evening party with your friends, or a late-night trip to the dancefloor.
Mitski – ‘The Only Heartbreaker’
Indie artist Mitski has returned from her year-long hiatus, which began following her performance at Summerstage in New York’s Central Park in 2019, with a track designed to soothe our dating guilt this Valentine’s Day. ‘The Only Heartbreaker’ is a melancholic exploration of love and decay with her own self-destruction at the centre. “I’ll be the only heartbreaker,” the 31-year-old songstress wails in her signature haunting vocals across melodic synths and thrashing drums.
The accompanying video clip is a strong visual metaphor, where Mitski is seen passionately dancing while the nature around her sets ablaze. “I’ll be the only heartbreaker”. The video’s opening lines: “If you would just make one mistake / What a relief that would be” conveys that feeling of guilt of past dating faux-pas which the song reflects on throughout.
Los Bitchos – ‘Las Panteras’
London-based, all-women instrumental four-piece Los Bitchos’ newest album, Let The Festivities Begin! is a homage to the group’s diverse backgrounds. Their signature retro sound fuses Peruvian chicha, Turkish psych and Argentinian cumbia with electrifying instrumentals.’Las Panteras’ is a ray of sunshine for anyone spending Valentine’s Day with their friends and is ready to party. The song comes with a classic 70’s-inspired music video following Los Bitchos as detectives involving a mysterious black cat.
Sevdaliza – ‘High Alone’
Sevdaliza’s first single of 2022, ‘High Alone’, is part of her long-awaited EP Raving Dahlia, due 25th February. Since her last album, Shabrang, the Iranian-Dutch singer-songwriter has garnered a reputation for her pursuit to push the boundaries of art.
‘High Alone’ combines Sevdaliza’s trademark electronic sound with newer psychedelic rock beats. The song’s opening lyrics, “Whisper soft, porcelain / Handle careful and restrain / To seek is to find me / We would die if we’d walk the same“, are a personal exploration of a fragile love that lasts a lifetime.
Ravyn Lenae (ft. Steve Lacy) – ‘Skin Tight’
“I wanted to snap people into my world through the sonics, so they can feel how I’ve felt over the past couple of years,” shares Ravyn Lenae about her newest single ‘Skin Tight’, featuring Steve Lacy. The single’s dreamy sounds are the foundation for Ravyn’s exploration of non-traditional romantic relationships. “Hope you understand / We won’t go as planned,” she sings. “Hold me while you can / Hold me while you can.“
Queen Naija x Big Sean – ‘Hate Our Love’
Queen Naija and Big Sean have joined forces to produce ‘Hate Our Love’ just in time for Valentine’s Day. The track commemorates a committed love that goes through ups and downs. “What I’d like for people to take away from ‘Hate Our Love’ is don’t let anybody come in between anything or anyone that you love,” says Queen Naija. Fun fact: the song features a sample of Bobby Glenn’s 1970s song ‘Sounds Like A Love Song’.
Flowerovlove – ‘I love this song’
Joyce Cisse, better known as Flowerovlove, is back with another new track, this time showcasing her joy for music on ‘I love this song’. BRICKS last spoke to the 16-year-old hitmaker for an in-depth interview on the inspirations behind her previous record ‘Saturday Yawning’.
The lyrics “Dance around in my room because I love this song” repeat throughout as she explores her passions for music alongside nature and fashion. ‘I love this song’ is the perfect anthem for anyone needing a bit of uplifting this Valentine’s, as Flowerovlove’s exuberant teenage enthusiasm is infectious.
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