Mike Drop - 21 April release
Posthumous albums, pre-summer tracks and and major throwbacks
Hello wonderful people,
Do you ever have weeks where all of the new music you have been craving suddenly makes its way into your algorithm? This week was one of those for me, so a huge shoutout to Daniel Ek for coming through. I personally think the selection in this Mike Drop release is one of my favourite so far.
As always, I hope you enjoy a little bit of new music to brighten up your Sunday!
NB: Mike Drop will be taking a break for the next couple of weeks whilst Mike drops off the grid.
Favourite song of the week - ‘Nasty Girl’ by The Notorious B.I.G., Avery Storm, Diddy, Jagged Edge and Nelly
Released in 2005 as part of his posthumous album "Duets: The Final Chapter", I strangely only discovered this Biggie track this week. In my (not so humble) opinion, posthumous albums are almost always cash grabs, whereby the artist’s family tries to leech off that last bit of fame (Michael Jackson is your prime example here).
Occasionally however, some artist’s estates do get it right (for example, Mac Miller’s estate). I absolutely love this posthumous track by Biggie. Despite its upbeat rhythm and playful tone, the lyrics delve into themes of materialism, promiscuity, and the darker side of fame and fortune.
Pre-summer song of the week - ‘Mi Amor’ by Cloonee and Wade
To me, this track embodies the feeling of walking into an event at a beach club. Music blaring, sun shining and everyone in their element. The beat is infectious and features a catchy hook layered over rhythmic percussion and quite a heavy baseline. Enjoy!
Groovy song of the week - ‘Baddy On The Floor’ by Jamie xx and Honey Dijon
This is Jamie xx’s second appearance on Mike Drop and oh boy is it deserved. ‘Baddy on the Floor’ was released this week and I haven’t stopped listening to it since. Apparently, Jamie xx and Honey Dijon created this track entirely over video calls during the pandemic, which only serves to remind us of how comparatively untalented we all are.
Personally, I have found this to be ideal for work that doesn’t require too much thought, or even more generally, just to get me into a steady rhythm. For those who are slightly impatient and like to skip through songs quickly, the drop at around 1:20 is straight up gnarly.
Throwback / White girl song of the week - ‘Lush Life’ by Zara Larsson
All of you will know this song. Most of you will openly say you don’t enjoy it. All of you in the latter group are definitely lying.
This track has created some iconic moments this week so I thought I’d share a couple of them.
Firstly, how I was reminded of this track. Picture this, my 6 foot physiotherapist aggressively giving my legs a deep tissue massage. Me trying to breathe and not flinch in pain. Zara Larsson’s voice blaring in the background. It felt a bit like a fever dream, but we move.
Later that week, I was cycling to the gym whilst singing this song at the top of my lungs. As I passed a zebra crossing, I noticed a group of people look at me and start dying of laughter as they realised what I was singing. I guess this is why I love London though, there’s so many batshit crazy people that you can fit right in.
5. Mental health song of the week - ‘Dog Eyes’ by Dijon
I particularly love ‘Dog Eyes’ because of how minimalist yet atmospheric it is. The track features gentle guitar chords, subtle electronic inputs, and understated percussion. This minimalist approach allows Dijon's vocals and lyrics to take center stage, creating a sense of melancholy. I often use it to slow down and take some time to think. I hope it has a similar effect for you.
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Happy listening!
Lots of love
Michael
LOVE THIS
Nasty girl summer 🤪🤪