To console you after watching England lose in the final of the Euros to Italy, The Mic’s team of writers have rounded up a collection of anthemic new tracks that will keep your spirits high. From the dark-pop sounds of Billie Eilish, to the guitar-driven indie of Sam Fender and the funky neo-soul of Adeline, read below to discover the best releases of the week.
NDA – Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish has shared her latest single NDA, alongside a new music video. The song is lifted from her highly anticipated sophomore album Happier Than Ever which is due on 30th July 2021. It is the fifth track that we have heard from the record, following singles such as Lost Cause and Your Power. The music video, which was directed by Billie herself, features twenty-five professional stunt drivers weaving around her. It was shot in one take, and used no stunt doubles. This is consistent with Eilish’s past music videos, where she put black ink in her eyes and spiders in her mouth. The track is the darkest single to be released so far from the album, reminiscent of her debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. The instrumental is driven by haunting isolated synths and a dark thumping bassline. Lyrically, it discusses Billie’s struggles with fame, as she reveals secrets such as the house she bought when she was seventeen and how she feels she cannot form connections with other people as normal nineteen-year-olds can. Instead, anyone who comes close to her must sign a contract, promising to guard her private life from the public eye. She speaks of wishing to return to normality and escape the shortcomings of worldwide fame. The track makes lyrical references to other songs from the album, suggesting that the themes of NDA are recurrent on Happier Than Ever. Gemma Cockrell
In The Court Of The Dragon – Trivium
Blistering from the jump, In The Court of The Dragon launches straight into the blistering frenzy of dual guitar passages, and maintains its relentless energy right up until the end of the 5-minute track. Following a pit-ready breakdown, the second half of the track showcases how the metal giants are still a formidable force almost twenty years from their debut, delivering pummelling blast beats and soaring riffs aplenty. The Florida four-piece draw inspiration from a short story by Robert W. Chambers of the same name. But where previous tracks provide a re-telling of myths, the band looked to ‘build their own narrative’ inspired by the tale instead. The track is a master-class in heavy, devastatingly tightly executed technical death metal with just enough of a metalcore sensibility, clean vocals and a melodic edge, to maintain their mass appeal and entice new listeners to the world of heavy metal. Louise Dugan
Motley Crew – Post Malone
Motley Crew is expected to be the first single from Post Malone’s long-awaited fourth studio album. It is his second solo release of 2021, following a cover of Hootie & The Blowfish’s Only Wanna Be With You in February. The new single was originally teased on 30th June, before being officially released on 9th July. The song draws on Post Malone’s rap tendencies, reverting back to his debut album Stoney rather than the pop sounds of his most recent album, 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding. Lyrically, the track discusses Post Malone’s luxurious party lifestyle with his friends, who he describes as a 'motley crew'. This is reflected in the Cole Bennett directed music video for the track, in which Post Malone drives round the Auto Club Speedway. It features cameos from French Montana, Ty Dolla $ign, Big Sean, SAINt JHN, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee and NASCAR drivers Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin. Gemma Cockrell
Miracle, Baby – Nothing But Thieves
Feeling like they weren’t quite done with their previous album just yet, Miracle, Baby will feature on a new five-track EP from Nothing But Thieves, which will tie up the loose ends of 2020’s Moral Panic. But rather than simply releasing cuts which didn’t make the album, Moral Panic II takes advantage of Covid halting their touring schedule, and sees fresh new pieces exploring a side of the album they had previously overlooked. Known for their hard-hitting indie-pop rock, fans may be surprised to find a closer embrace of R&B influences in Miracle, Baby, with a funky bassline and synth breaks threading through an organized chaos of guitars. Louise Dugan
Seventeen Going Under – Sam Fender
Two years after the release of his highly successful debut album Hypersonic Missiles, North Shields born indie star Sam Fender has returned with the poignant and anthemic Seventeen Going Under. Detailing personal experiences from Fender’s childhood, the track is a deep look into his tumultuous teens, seemingly a continuation to Fender’s 2019 song The Borders. “See I spent my teens enraged / Spiralling in silence” and “I thought about shifting gear” reveal the extent to which Fender and his family struggled. It is this raw and honest approach to his music that makes him such a pertinent voice in the indie scene, and it is refreshing to see someone use their spotlight to draw attention to real life issues. In terms of the production, it is extremely similar to what we already know from the Geordie. The electric guitar and strong drum-beat define the track, and the gradual crescendo of the saxophone in the second verse draws parallels to the track You’re Not The Only One from Hypersonic Missiles. But there seems to be a new maturity in Fender’s voice, as he gives his fans a new insight into his life, breaking down the barriers between the musician and the listener. This honest return builds the excitement for the singer’s second studio album, also entitled Seventeen Going Under, which is set to be released in October. Amrit Virdi
Eternity – Adeline ft. Joshua J
It’s difficult to box French-Caribbean artist Adeline into just one genre. Her new single, Eternity, is best (or clumsily) described as silky-summery-dreamy-funk, and has touches of neo-soul, disco, R&B and rap. It captures, as Adeline puts it, that feeling of being “caught off guard by love, falling fast, and deciding to flow with it.” With the catchiest hook of the summer so far, and a truly funky bassline provided by Adeline herself, Eternity delivers serious groove. A simply hypnotic ring to the singer’s voice pairs neatly with the soft-rap tone of promising Dutch rapper Joshua J. Adeline amps up the nu-disco in a music video interlaced with retro clips of sun-kissed roller-skaters jiving their way along the beach. This breezy summer bop precedes an upcoming second EP, due for release in late August. Joe Hughes
My House - Declan McKenna
Declan McKenna’s latest single, My House, shows him slowing down the pace to discuss feelings of isolation (although, refreshingly, in a much broader context than the pandemic loneliness that we are all so familiar with) and romance. The song is an intimate summer anthem, described by McKenna himself as “a light-hearted song … for me it is just that – remembering what it is to be lost in your thoughts in a good way, like being a child again.” Is it the best song he has released? Probably not. Nonetheless, My House is undoubtedly a very sweet track in a new style for McKenna – simple, raw, and miles away from the dystopian world of his second album Zeros. I can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us in 2021. Hattie Kilner
Edited by: Gemma Cockrell
Featured image courtesy of Billie Eilish via Facebook.
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