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Music

HEAT OF THE WEEK: JUNE 2

New music from Dave & Central Cee, Burna Boy, EAST AV3, Temgazi and more!

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Weekly updates


Welcome to Acclaim Magazine’s Heat of the Week. Here are our picks for the best new local and international releases — Follow our playlist here for weekly updates of the best new music!

01. Burna Boy - Sittin On Top Of The World

Sittin’ On The Top Of The World’ is stripped back for a Burna Boy song. The instrumental has an old-school feel, consisting primarily of some funky basslines and straightforward drum patterns, allowing plenty of room for Burna to blast off with ear-catching rap-sung passages. It’s simple but undeniably slick.

02. Temgazi - Radar

Eora’s Temgazi and Darlington Peters keep us locked on their R&B infused track ‘Radar’. Detailing the story of two toxic lovers at war with each other, the song treats you like a fly on the wall during an argument in a ‘90s romcom. Darlington Peters’ falsetto acts as the perfect match for Temgazi’s vocals, as they both trail across candied piano melodies and sweet vocal harmonies. Be sure to keep Temgazi on your ‘radar’ this year.

03. Mali Jo$e, Tasman Keith, xmunashe - PRICE UP!

In an interstate crossover unlike what we’ve seen before, Boorloo-based artist and Acclaim All-Star Mali Jo$e shares the stage with Eora’s Tasman Keith and xmunashe on the bite-sized ‘PRICE UP!’. The off-kilter jazz sample, produced by Kwame, causes a stir in your stomach, as each artist strikes with hefty vocal performances. The tone is set just right from the beginning, as Tasman Keith holds the hook down with layered vocals, and xmunashe keeps the fire burning in the second half of the track. It’s a song that chews you up and spits you out all within under 2 minutes, leaving us selfishly eager for more.

04. Dave - Sprinter ft. Central Cee

This massive collab finds Dave and Central Cee in prime form. Both are braggadocious, blasting off a litany of flexes over snappy drums and a flamenco-like guitar loop/ Expect this one to become a constant in party playlists over the coming months.

05. MOKOMOKAI ft MELODOWNZ - KUPE

MOKOMOKAI and MELODOWNZ create a deadly concoction on their latest track ‘KUPE’. Taken from MOKOMOKAI’s new EP WHAKAREHU, the Aotearoa heavyhitters make their business yours, as they bounce bar to bar with unapologetic lyricism, mixing in Te Reo Maori and Samoan language to intrinsically bind their music and heritage. Their seamless storytelling is truly biological, as they ride across smooth, boom-bap production – a nod to the ancestors and trailblazers before them.

06. Club Angel & Becca Hatch - 'Ride For Me'

On ‘Ride For Me’, Club Angel masterfully creates an atmosphere of moody synth bleeps and urgent UK garage-esque drums, which serves as the support for Becca Hatch’s soothing vocal lines and romantic lyrics. It results in a song that creates a feeling of love in the club.

07. Babyface Mal - In Heavens Name

This track feels like the representation of a new era in the Babyface Mal arc. Coming in at a length of only 1:40, the Melbourne favourite wastes no time getting into a frenzy of bars. It’s a mixture of his typical witty bars with flourishes of introspection, communicated through flows that scatter like submachine gun sprays.

08. Rhys Rich - London Eye

Aotearoa’s Rhys Rich is fully realising his potential on ‘London Eye’, a cut from his new 3-track release Dion. The off-kilter drums provide the perfect backdrop for Rhys to pop off, toggling vocal inflections as he traverses the bounce with an undeniable swagger. Accompanying him are smooth piano loops and some jazzy saxophone, resulting in a laid-back banger.

09. EAST AV3 - ENCORE

This new EAST AV3 joint is sounds like sci-fi rap. Big synths and driving drum patterns move throughout, feeling like the sonic equivalent of TRON’s light cycles. The boys, as usual, are rapping their asses off, approaching every section with an enthused pace and intricate flows.

010. Skillibeng – Know Why

Know Why’ combines dancehall drums with sombre guitar loops, and Skillibeng soars over the top. His woozy, scattered flows storm the atmosphere of this song, spitting through reflective bars about his resilience as an artist and human. It’s this unique, introspective style that makes Skillibeng a staple in the scene right now.