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Five on it: from Jamila Woods to Lil Nas X, here’s your weekly music round-up

Tara Joshi

05 Apr 2019

Image from Lil Nas X / Instagram

Firstly we have to shout out the great Nipsey Hussle. It’s hard to process his passing, but we are grateful for his legacy, both in terms of his music and work for his community. Rest in power.

If you haven’t read it yet, we’d recommend Hannah Giorgis’ piece on Hussle and his Eritrean American dream.

It’s felt like a long week, but here are some beautiful music things that have come out which we hope will help ease you into the weekend.

Jamila Woods – ‘Eartha’

Visually this tribute to Eartha Kitt, starring Indya Moore and Safia Elhillois and directed by Fatima Asghar, would be ticking our boxes on concept alone. That it happens to be the video for Jamila Woods’ latest makes it extra magic. Buoyant and glimmering, the track is giving us a lot to get excited about ahead of her new album LEGACY! LEGACY! next month.

Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – ‘Old Town Road (Remix)’

The yee-haw moment is in full-swing, and Lil Nas X will not be stopped. Billboard removed the track from their Hot Country music chart, letting it remain under the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts. So what better flex on racism than to invite a white country superstar onto the track? Lil Nas X and Billy Ray, we salute you.

Noname – ‘Song 32’

So Noname is one of those artists who is consistently exquisite, but it doesn’t mean we’re not blown away every time. The latest from the Chicago MC is slick and soft while also incredibly hard – bars about pussy and patriarchy and Obama’s imperialist policies in Libya and Pakistan are something else.

Collard – Ground Control ft. Kojey Radical

This south London artist’s deliciously smooth falsetto and equally smooth bars might be familiar from his features on Kojey’s work, but this collaboration comes ahead of Collard’s debut album, Unholy, out next month. Lithe and mesmerising, this is a harrowing musing on self-destruction brought to life with weird but excellent visuals.

Arlo Parks – Super Sad Generation EP

The moment we have been waiting for is here – one of our artists to watch for 2019, 18-year-old south-west Londoner Arlo Parks’ debut EP is here and full of jaded but often sweet lyrics and gentle musicality. Beautiful.