Mic Drop: Yearning for a Nostalgic Future... Does Such a Thing Even Exist?

Childish “I’m-Not-Making-Any-More-Music” Gambino dropped a lil’ bomb on us last week with his cover of Brittany Howard’s “Stay High.” I want to live in the ethereal world Gambino has created with this cover. The swell of the strings, the easygoing nature of the melody and, of course, his angelic voice all meld together in perfect harmony. Unlike most covers, Gambino really did do Howard justice. This song feels the way the lyrics sound—staying high above everything else but still somehow having a grounding effect. Maybe the grounding comes from the bassy notes of the percussion or the lyrics themselves, but Gambino manages to balance the high and the low expertly. Though there has only been an audio release of the track, we can hope that Gambino comes out with a video starring Howard and a few cameos from one Mr. Terry Crews, too.

July 20, 2021, ATO Records (Soul)

Isaiah Rashad has a new album dropping this weekend, so you know he’ll stay giving us singles to keep it on our radars. “Wat U Sed” features Iamdoechii and Kal Banx, who add a different, more mainstream rap element to Rashad’s standard alternative R&B s-rapping (sing-rapping). The beats have that typical TDE sound with a spicy guitar line that floats just below the drums. The video is all types of extra. There is not a single laid-back element to it. Including homeboy jumping into a pool in nothing but swim trunks and socks. Money throwing, velvet bikinis and a plethora of asses out; there’s no telling what the rest of Rashad’s July 30th album release will sound like.

July 23, 2021, Top Dawg Entertainment/Warner Records (Hip Hop/R&B)

Khalid’s ballads never miss. This new track goes into what his “New Normal” looks like after a breakup and promises that “you’ll be fine.” The drums that come in during the verses and chorus break up (get it) the melancholy lyrics and tone. It’s a very relaxed track that gives you the sense that you’re floating as you listen to it. The video definitely adds to that feeling, set in a futuristic lush and green hotel with drone deliveries and awestruck patrons. Khalid tends to a wall of plants with his bright purple hair and delicately serenades the greenery about his new normal, embracing the space and how it’s the best place for him to live.

July 21, 2021, Right Hand Music Group, LLC/RCA Records

Oooh, she’s in her bag, right now. And someone else’s DMs.

The whole “girl best friend” thing has been rapidly expanding and girls have been making it known that they know...you know? Kiana Ledé turns that idea on its head as she hints that she’s the one with the girl best friend… Kehlani. “Almost called your name when he was in it” and texting her right beside him. The pair skates around each other and openly discusses how much they hate the amount of skirting around their feelings—but more than that, how much they hate hurting the man caught in the middle.

July 22, 2021, Warner Universal Music Group (R&B)

Dear Lord, I have so many feelings about this song that I don’t even know where to start.

Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies and I, too, have fantasized about punching Colton Hayes (the security guard) in the face on multiple occasions, so Lil Nas X is checking all of the boxes there. I don’t even know if I can even articulate my feelings about the shower scene because god damn… the first thing I did after watching the video was call my mom to ask, “did you see this yet?!” to which she replied, “Oh, yes. I posted about it on my Instagram stories, didn’t you see?”

Nas is a true artist—from the production of the song to the video, to the continued “fuck you” to everyone trying to hold him down and back.

“Industry Baby” will be on everyone’s mind for a while and I give it a week before everyone is doing the dance from the shower scene all over the internet.

July 23, 2021, Sony ATV Publishing (Hip Hop/Rap)

The soulful singer is back at it again with a funky track and sultry vocals that will have you moving around instantly. That electric guitar, though…just does something for the song that is inexplicable but immaculate and joyful. That’s it: the song is just full of joy. The video alternates between black and white and color—starting with darker colors and moving into bright sunlight. Leon lays draped over a chaise lounge in an oversized light box, singing into an oversized mic tapping his anklet-clad foot to the beat. He dances around with his boys and walks through the sunlight and the whole thing is radiating love and happiness. “Steam” is one of the singles off of Bridges’ newest album, Gold Digger’s Sound, which is now available on all streaming platforms.

July 23, 2021, Columbia/Sony Music Publishing

The fact that summer ‘19 was two years ago feels like both a lifetime and no time has gone by. A kind of nostalgic intimacy flows through Myles Cameron’s newest track, “Summer ‘19.” The slow melody and beat feel like sitting on the beach as the sun goes down. It’s so easy to decipher the love Cameron feels for his girl, even though he makes it clear that he just “fucks with” her. There’s an easygoing feel to the electric guitar and drums and the echoing vocals add to the blurry, flashback nature of the music. Myles returns to the town he grew up in a celebration of taking up space, Black boy joy, and unapologetic Blackness in a very white area according to a press release provided to The Root.

July 21, 2021, Myles Cameron (Alternative)

Tinashe’s future feels like paradise in her new track as she sings to her lover in the “come hither” tone she’s mastered over the years. She’s very blunt and upfront with what she wants and makes her case for what her future looks like… and it looks like “you and I.” This is the third single she’s dropped in 2021, so maybe there’s an album in our future? I mean, she’s telling us she can see the future so I’m taking that as a hint.

July 22, 2021, Equity Distribution (R&B)