Song of the Week: Best Coast and The Linda Lindas Collaborate on the Vibrant “Leading”
The post Song of the Week: Best Coast and The Linda Lindas Collaborate on the Vibrant “Leading” appeared first on Consequence.
We’re taking a break from our Annual Report to highlight the Song of the Week. In this feature, we talk about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Best Coast is back with a little help from rising stars The Linda Lindas.
Pop culture right now seems dominated by a certain amount of sentimentality. Rebooting and revamping have become the norm, and people are starting to push back on the oversaturation.
Best Coast probably weren’t intending to jump into that exact discourse with their latest, “Leading,” but the opening line is a relatable statement nonetheless: “Nostalgia’s overrated, or maybe it’s just complicated/ Who even has the time to think about it anymore?” Yes, TV and movies are getting repetitive and reductive, but who even has the time to think about that when the world keeps finding new and creative ways to crumble around us?
Overall, the song captures the spirit of trying to find joy and reasons to continue when the future feels like a big, dismal question mark. Or, as vocalist Bethany Cosentino put it in a press statement, we are all “trying to find hope during the apocalypse.” This idea of leaving the on-fire world to be inherited by a new generation is heightened by the presence of The Linda Lindas on backing vocals.
The Linda Lindas are very young, in every sense; the tiny punk legends in the making broke through with a performance of original song “Racist, Sexist Boy” six months ago (current view count: 1.1 million), and their youngest member is just 11 years old. Cosentino described The Linda Lindas as her “favorite young voices” recently, and “Leading” allows them to shine on a track heavy with classic Best Coast vibes.
— Mary Siroky
Contributing Editor
Honorable Mentions:
Waxahatchee – “Tomorrow”
“Tomorrow,” off the soundtrack for upcoming AppleTV+ series El Deafo, is the latest from artist Waxahatchee (born Katie Crutchfield). After one listen, it’s clear why she’ll be hitting the road with Haim and Jason Isbell; Waxahatchee knows her lane, and it’s here in the bright space between indie and folky that those two acts inhabit so well. “Tomorrow” is a windows down, anything-is-possible kind of song that feels made for a long, contemplative drive. — M.S.
Aaliyah feat. The Weeknd – “Poison”
Aaliyah and The Weeknd’s woozy R&B meets perfectly on “Poison,” the new track that follows a string of unreleased-but-newly-presented material from Aaliyah’s vault. Instead of cashing in on any drama, however, The Weeknd’s gentle, contemplative croon compliments Aaliyah’s wistful high end, rounding out her timeless sound to create a dreamy, haze-filled atmosphere.
There are references to betrayal and anguish on “Poison,” but the heavy reverb and searching vocal runs suggest a more complicated, unresolved emotional state — a fitting move for two of the most innovative R&B performers of the last 30 years. — Paolo Ragusa
Tierra Whack – “Cutting Onions”
Tierra Whack, the rapper and singer out of Philadelphia, is exploring genre through a new series of EPs. Over the past three weeks, she’s released three installments: first Pop?, then Rap?, and now, she rounds things out with R&B?. It’s an interesting and overall delightful exercise from someone who is able to pull from all three genre designations with ease.
“Cutting Onions” jumps out for that exact reason — she slides into country-pop territory on “Dolly” (on the Pop?) EP, but is clearly most comfortable here, on R&B, and more specifically in the languid, controlled flow on “Cutting Onions.” — M.S.
Jhené Aiko – “Wrap Me Up”
R&B vocalist Jhené Aiko has lent her talents to the season with “Wrap Me Up,” a silky smooth track with the warmth of a holiday sweater. It’s hard to put out a new holiday song these days that doesn’t feel like re-treading tired ground or veer into overwhelmingly cheesy territory. “Wrap Me Up” is an easy, soulful listen and has just the right amount of sleigh bells in the background to make sure the listener knows why we’re all here. — M.S.
Saucy Santana feat. City Girls – “Shisha”
Everyone loves a full circle moment. Saucy Santana has had an explosive year: Their track “Material Girl” is just one of a few to have blown up on TikTok this year. Now, the rapper reunites with City Girls in a new light. Santana started out as the makeup artist for the rap duo (Yung Miami and JT) and is now dropping tracks with them. The track is, of course, a bop, with all the energy City Girls tend to bring to a feature. — M.S.
Song of the Week: Best Coast and The Linda Lindas Collaborate on the Vibrant “Leading”
Mary Siroky and Paolo Ragusa
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