F—ed Up, Paramore, Ice Spice: 10 new tracks to kick off your weekend

Star Tracks compiles the most interesting new music from a broad range of established and emerging artists. This week’s playlist features tracks from Nakhane, F—ed Up, Paramore, Valley, Tennis, Ice Spice, Logic, Enter Shikari, Gracie Abrams and Belle and Sebastian.

Click here to listen along to the Spotify playlist.

Nakhane (feat. Perfume Genius): Do You Well

It’s tough to drum up much in the way of joy in the midst of a cold, rainy and grey stretch in January. Fortunately, we have music for times like these.

“Do You Well,” the latest single from the South African singer, actor and novelist (!) Nakhane is not exactly new — it came out October, sorry — but it provided me with a much-needed shot of serotonin when I stumbled upon it earlier this week. A sparkling disco-pop duet featuring the great Perfume Genius, the track is immediately gratifying and eventually ecstatic, as Nakhane’s rich vibrato floats over funky guitar licks and snappy percussion.

It’s Nakhane’s finest track since “New Brighton,” a similarly joyous duet with ANOHNI from 2018. Their upcoming LP, titled “Bastard Jargon,” drops March 3. — Richie Assaly

F—ed Up: “I Think I Might Be Weird”

F—ed Up is going back to basics.

The Toronto punk rock legends have released “I Think I Might Be Weird,” their third single in the lead up to their sixth studio album “One Day.” And unlike the handful of instalments from the very experimental and conceptual “Zodiac” series the past few years, the band’s latest track isn’t really all that weird.

Musically, it’s a rather cheerful, fun and uplifting track, and along with the two other singles for “One Day,” it hints at a return to the sounds of their critically acclaimed albums “The Chemistry of Common Life” and “David Comes to Life.” And as the new album’s name suggests, most of the record was written and recorded over the span of 24 hours, forcing the band to return to the core of what makes a good F—ed Up LP.

The new album is out later this month, and hopefully it provides a much-needed energy boost during these gloomy winter weeks. — Justin Smirlies

Paramore: “C’est Comme Ça”

Paramore’s third single off their upcoming album “This Is Why” is a fast-paced dance-punk song that features bouts of spoken wordlike vocals. “It’s my dependence on the friction that really hinders my progression/ I know that regression is rarely rewarded/ I still need a certain degree of disorder,” vocalist Hayley Williams speak-sings.

Reminiscent of Bloc Party and inspired by Yard Act and Dry Cleaning, “C’est Comme Ça” has a lyrically simple chorus but its verses dive into themes of uncertainty in the face of personal growth and clinging to the worst versions of yourself because they’re all you’ve ever known.

For long-time fans who’ve grown up with the band and traded in their skinny jeans for business slacks, the song’s reference to chiropractic visits after a lifetime of head-banging is a relatable one. Millennials are getting old.

The song is a new direction for the band and yet still feels incredibly Paramore — a band that has continuously evolved their sound with every single release. Though punkier than their last release, 2017’s “After Laughter,” the band still treads refreshingly new ground instead of falling back on their mid 2000s sound.

Paramore’s sixth album “This Is Why” is set to be released on Feb. 10. You can catch them in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena on June 8.

Tennis: “Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight”

With their newest single, “Let’s Make a Mistake Tonight,” Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley of Tennis have given us something to celebrate in 2023, beyond the 12 a.m. fireworks. The iconic indie pop duo rounded up all the leftover glitz and glam from NYE to create a bold anthem for the new year: “Let’s make a mistake tonight / Like palm trees in the twilight, Let’s turn water into wine / We’re gonna find something better.”

Combining 70s disco-funk guitars with airy 80s synths, Tennis is as unplaceably retro as ever. But the track is a glittering departure from the rest of their nostalgic surf-rock discography, channelling much more of a dancy Carly Rae Jepsen vibe. Moore and Riley have set their intentions: This year, we’re manifesting for the future rather than yearning for the past, and maybe wiggling around in something sparkly while we’re at it (as pictured.)

Tennis’ sixth studio album, “Pollen,” is set to release Feb. 10. — Dhriti Gupta

Gracie Abrams: “Where do we go now?”

This isn’t the Gracie Abrams from days of “This Is What It Feels Like” yore. The 2021 EP mirrored the ethereality of Abrams’ voice with dreamy layers and Birdy-esque piano tracks, with smart, confident lyrics signalling an artist raised on Taylor Swift.

“Where do we go now?,” the first teaser off Abrams’ upcoming album, leans into its production — an electronic ostinato here, a nervy percussion track there. Abrams’ voice sounds as witchy as ever, seductive and cool, and her lyrics remain remarkable in their simplicity and candour. It’s a strong offering from a much-anticipated debut album. — Aisling Murphy

Logic: “Wake Up”

Post-retirement, Logic is making the music he wants. Reminiscing on the life he lived and the road he nearly followed, “Wake Up” is a meander down memory lane. With the see-sawing production, sparkling synths and the background “You! You!”, the track itself is a flashback to an earlier version of Logic. It’s a place he’s existed in since the first “Bobby Tarantino,” where the production held up the weight of the project where the lyrics fell apart.

“Wake Up” brings a morsel of heat though, as he reflects on his faith helping him get out of a turbulent time in his life, rapping “I went through the worst, but I made it out / Like the Alpha Omega, to show me which way it could go, yeah, he laid it out.” The track is a laid back but insightful history of Logic. Also, with it being the debut single to his debut independent album “College Park” it’s also an excellent amuse-bouche on where he plans on taking the project and the later stage of his career. — Demar Grant

Ice Spice: “In Ha Mood”

It only took Ice Spice one minute and forty-four seconds to ascend to the top tier of hip hop popularity last summer with her breakout hit “Munch,” an instant classic that introduced the world to a new word for the type of guy that TLC once dubbed a “scrub.”

With “In Ha Mood,” the 23-year-old rapper from the Bronx is out to prove that she is more than a viral blip. “Like, damn, she in her mood,” she raps on the track’s chorus over a menacing drill beat. She might be new to the scene, but she sounds like she’s been here forever. — RA

Valley: “Throwback Tears”

“Throwback Tears” might be a misleading title for the lead single off alt-pop Valley’s next album, “Lost in Translation.” This infectious bop rejects the nostalgia of a throwback, and seems to agree with Tony Soprano’s assertion that “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation — in other words, not everything needs a post-mortem. There are no tears here — just a wickedly catchy hook brought to life by playful production and cheeky lyrics. Yeah, maybe it’s best to leave the past in the past. “Throwback Tears” makes a compelling, musically nimble case for living in the present. — AM

Enter Shikari: “(pls) Set Me On Fire”

British electro-rock band Enter Shikari have largely evolved past their screamo roots of the late-2000s, but if there has been one common thread between their past and present it has been their masterful blending of EDM and post-hardcore heaviness.

With the announcement that their seventh album, “A Kiss For The Whole World,” will be arriving in April, the quartet has released a new track, “(pls) Set Me On Fire,” which is quintessentially Enter Shikari — a heavy guitar base, ambient synth leads and the trademark dramatic vocal range of lead singer Rou Reynolds.

Reynolds on Instagram said the new album is an “explosive reconnection with what Enter Shikari is,” and this new song definitely demonstrates the essence of that. It’s dancey, catchy and undeniably fun. — JS

Belle and Sebastian: “I Don’t Know What You See In Me”

“La ba dee / la da ba dee / la da ba dee / la da ba da!”

So goes the post-chorus in the almost-shockingly upbeat new tune from the Glaswegian kings and queens of twee, Belle and Sebastian. Singer Stuart Murdoch wrote the lyrics while cycling across Scotland last summer:

“I let my voice swoop and soar in ways that it maybe hasn’t before,” Murdoch explained in an incredibly on-brand statement. “And as I continued through fields of gold and green I allowed myself to forget it was Belle And Sebastian, and pretend it was the latest hit on some random radio station.”

Belle and Sebastian’s 12th album, titled “Late Developers,” arrived Friday. — RA

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