Hits of the Week – Featuring Charli XCX, Jordy and more
Welcome back to HUNGER’s Hits of the Week: your one-stop shop for all the best in music right now. This week, we’ve got a cutthroat lyrical onslaught from Jordy and JME, a futuristic club banger from Charli XCX, a nocturnal R&B masterclass from 4batz and more. Whether you’re on the hunt for a new banger to blast on your way to the club, or something to help soundtrack a late night drive, you’ll find it all below.
Charli XCX – ‘Von Dutch’
‘Von dutch’, the lead single from Charli’s new, dance music-inspired album BRAT, is a true and chaotic return to form. Produced by Easyfun, it’s a supercharged blast of dance pop, club and electroclash. Its gritty yet freewheeling production is a nod to mid-’00s bloghouse while toying with the hyperpop elements of releases like Pop 2. It sounds like the Charli XCX of both ‘I Love It’ and SOPHIE-produced ‘Vroom Vroom’, a triumphant testament to mainstream music’s ongoing preoccupation with underground beats. “I’m just living that life / Von Dutch / Cult classic / But I still pop,” she sings defiantly, referencing the iconic trucker hat brand—the same kind of cultural nostalgia and enduring coolness that amplifies her own credibility and pop star status.
Fred again.., Lil Yachty and Overmono – ‘stayinit’
Earlier this year, Fred again.. won his first Grammy awards for Best Dance/Electronic Recording and Best Dance/Electronic Music Album. The British producer popped up a few days later as a surprise guest at an Overmono show at Knockdown Center in New York, and while there they debuted a new collab that also features Lil Yachty. Today, that team-up, which is called ‘stayinit’, is getting an official release. Fred again.. masterfully intertwines moments of melancholic beauty with explosive drops. Haunting vocal samples float over the beat, adding an element of longing while Yachty’s lyrics hint at a desire for connection. These introspective moments contrast with the pure adrenaline rush that Overmono brings to the table, making for a sonic journey that defies easy categorisation.
4batz – ‘act iii: on god? (she like)’
Any footballer would tell you scoring a goal in each of their first three games is nearly an impossible feat, but 4batz has accomplished the musical version of that. With ‘act III: on god? (she like)’, the atmospheric R&b singer-songwriter delivers more sweet vocals that rain from the clouds and aerate through his Black Shiesty ski mask. The Texas native heavenly croons about a toxic love, creating a paradox with the menacing visual featuring 4batz mobbing in the streets with his homies, only adding to the artist’s mystique. To quote the great hip-hop life coach Fat Joe, yesterday’s price is not today’s price, as record labels continue to wave lucrative checks looking to entice the rising talent to sign on the dotted line.
Jordy ft. JME – ‘Wonderkid’
Next up, rising rapper Jordy has teamed up with grime legend JME for his first drop of the year, ‘Wonderkid’. Not many artists can go bar-for-bar, punchline-for-punchline with BBK legend JME, but Jordy more than proves his worth over haunting production from Maths Time Joy. “And I’m really a top boy, I’m Dushane/ Wonderkid, I’m the one to watch, you’re the one to miss,” raps Jordy with his typically razor-sharp flow. Compelling, striking and noir visuals from Charlie Sarsfield accompany the track, only adding to the gloomy atmosphere displayed throughout ‘Wonderkid’. For anyone familiar with Jordy, though, you’ll know that one thing that’s certainly not gloomy – especially after hearing this cut – is his sparkling future. Get it? Because he’s a wonderkid… never mind.
Chy Cartier – ‘Like Magic’
It’s been a few months now since Chy Cartier first burst onto the scene with her viral track, ‘November’, which caught the ear of plenty thanks to her punchy flow and infectious confidence on the mic. Now, her latest track sees Cartier take a look back at what she’s achieved so far, and of course, takes a moment or two to fire back at her non-believers: “The ones that doubted/ Now acknowledge me/ But I want an apology”. The spacey production provides a canvas for the musician to unabashedly share her wins over the past few years, making for a triumphant yet braggadocious track. Chy Cartier really does make rapping “look like magic”.
