Everyone’s busy making plans for Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re settling in for a night with a loved one or preparing for a night of sweat and regret with a stranger, these sultry songs should push you in the right direction.
“Holiest” by Glass Animals & Tei Shi
Released as a teaser for their debut album “Zaba,” Glass Animals’ collaboration with Tei Shi is equal parts sexy and creepy. Combining a crawling xylophone melody with Tei’s high-pitched, breathy vocals, this track is guaranteed to set and cement just the right mood.
“Latch” by Daniela Andrade
Daniella Andrade’s delivers a sparse and beautiful rendition of Disclosure and Sam Smith’s sleeper hit. Stripped down to a lone keyboard and vocals, Andrade’s voice carries the weight of song as she harmonizes with recordings of herself to haunting effect.
“Habits of My Heart” by Jaymes Young
Spitting dirty lyrics couched in a boyband member’s voice, Seattle’s new talent Jaymes Young has yet to release a full length album even as his 2014 EP “Habits of my Heart” blows up across the web. Containing explicit references to bondage bookended by romantic platitudes, this track definitely turns heads.
“Really Love” by D’Angelo
Not bad for someone shaking the rust off. D’Angelo’s new album, “Black Messiah,” is his first effort since 1999, and “Really Love” is one of the strongest songs on the album. Beginning with a medley of violin, classical guitar, and spanish whispers, the song coagulates about 1:15 in into a liquid smooth R&B track.
“Gooey” by Glass Animals
At times smooth, at times melodic, and at times sounding as if they’re singing underwater, this is Glass Animals at their best. Funky effects combine with near-perfect sound mixing to create one of the best indie tracks of the year.
“Pull Me Down” by Mikky Ekko
With lyrics that sound like they’re pulled from a preteen’s diary, Mikky Ekko’s “Pull Me Down” is saved by an immersive and unique backing track that does exactly what the title promises.
“I Don’t Need Another Lover” by Billie Black
Selling tickets at $5 a pop, 19 year old soul artist Billie Black is still quiet in the London music scene. She won’t be for long though, if she keeps releasing music like her debut EP “000 100.” “I Don’t Need Another Lover” combines a rich voice with a backing track straight out of a Berlin nightclub to create a sound simultaneously contemporary and vintage.
“Strange Emotion” by Jesse Lanza
Jesse Lanza’s “Strange Emotion” is a sexy, breathy track lent credibility by her actual breathing noises laid over a heavy beat.
“Stay Inside – The Internet Remix” by Raleigh Ritchie
Most well known for playing Grey Worm on HBO’s Game of Thrones, actor Jacob Anderson also moonlights as an R&B artist under the name Raleigh Ritchie. “Stay Inside – The Internet Remix” showcases a buttery tone and gift for wordplay.
“The Suburbs” by Mr Little Jeans
Mr Little Jeans inject Arcade Fire’s hit with a bass heavy beat and echoing vocals, adding a spacey Scandinavian dimension to an already excellent track.
“Dark Doo Wop” by MS MR
“Dark Doo Wop” opens with a echoing a cappella harmony that add instruments until it reaches an energetic crescendo, creating a sound icy yet energetic. One of the more creatively arranged songs of the year.
“Manhattan” by Blossom Dearie
Blossom Dearie breathes out a love song in soft and crisp vocals, allowing the listener to decompress after any potentially strenuous “activity.”
