Happy Week 3, Bobcats. We celebrated MLK day Monday and enjoyed a whopping 8 inches of snow, while students rejoiced by sledding down Jeff Hill. All of which brings us another week of new music, which we could use to help power through the week. Luckily, we found some tunes to keep you energized during these long days and long nights.
While everyone has their favorite genre of music, we've made a playlist that will appeal to any mood or preference. Below are new songs that are perfect for walking to class, working out at the gym, sitting around in your dorm or cranking out those last-minute papers. Here are seven new songs to get you through the week:
“Next to Normal" by Lucius
Lucius is an indie band consisting of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, most notable for their work with Ozzy Osbourne and Harry Styles. "Next to Normal" infuses a funky guitar and bass track with a message to not sit through the rough times but to dance through them. "It touches upon all these stages of grief and some of that is a breakthrough," Wolfe said in a Stereogum interview. "Next to Normal" is set to be the lead track on the group's upcoming album, Second Nature, set to release April 8.
"Hard Being Alive" by Oscar Scheller, Chloe Moriondo
Oscar Scheller, an English singer/songwriter and record producer from London, has never been one to stay in the mainstream path, diving into various genres from hip-hop to new wave, and chose to take an electric hip-hop approach for “Hard Being Alive.” Teaming up with fellow singer/songwriter Chloe Moriondo, they came together about making “the most lit song about being sad ever.” Moriondo said in a farout interview that the duo met on a LA trip on an accidental airdrop from Scheller. “She was obsessed and sent me a voice noted rendition, and she made the song a million times better,” Scheller said. Even significant name songwriters make mistakes, and sometimes mistakes lead to something beautiful.
"LAst dAy oN EaRTh” by Tai Verdes
Tai Verdes is known for his hit album TV, which included several songs that gained popularity from TikTok, such as “A-O-K” and “Stuck in the Middle.” His first single of 2022, “LAst dAy oN EaRTh,” begs the question: what if it was the last day on earth? What would I do? “I want everyone to listen to this song and realize that this isn’t gonna last forever,” Verdes said in an AP interview. It's important we enjoy the now with friends and family because we never know when our last day will come.
“Chronicles” by Cordae, H.E.R, Lil Durk
Cordae, an American rapper from Suitland, Maryland, released a romantic song with soul-influences and the help of R&B artist H.E.R., which marks the fourth collaboration with the artist according to a Genius report. Questioning where the heart is headed, Cordae and H.E.R. rap about being on the road of love but not sure where it’ll lead. “Chronicles” is one of the 14 songs on Cordae’s latest album, From a Birds Eye View.
“It’s Easy" by Yot Club
22-year-old Ryan Kaiser spent his time skating, drinking and trying out new chili recipes during the pandemic. As he shares even more stories, the Mississippi native relocated to Nashville, signed with Nice Guy Records and released his latest album, Santolina.
“I would say it highlights the monotony of day-to-day life at the time I wrote it,” he said in an interview with American Songwriter. With the vibe of a lo-fi song, “It’s Easy” is something you play in a recap video of moments in life that make it just as bittersweet as leaving Mississippi was for the young Ryan Kaiser.
“Ride or Die” by Hippo Campus
Using a groovy drumbeat and repetitive lyrics, “Ride or Die” is one of the 10 new tracks on the forthcoming album LP3 set to drop Feb. 4. Hippo Campus, a band based out of Minnesota, met at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. The band is best known for it’s classic songs such as “Buttercup” and “Way It Goes.” Ahead of the album release, the band is set to play on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Jan 24.
"Remember" by Russ
Before 2021 ended, Russ released his latest album CHOMP 2. The American rapper from Atlanta is now returning in 2022 with “Remember,” a song about reflecting. With a lo-fi beat Russ raps about the better times lyrics: “Let’s go back to the time when it was alright / Remember when I had you an you had me.” The track hints at the aspects of love and departure of a relationship and coping with all the memories built over the course of the relationship itself.
