BEST CHILL MUSIC: 10 SONGS TO GET COZY WITH THIS WEEKEND

Photo by Leohoho on Unsplash

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve in two weeks? I'm not sure how you're holding up, but I finished decorating my tree today, and honestly? It's totally got me in the mood for the holidays! I'm also making good progress on my gift shopping, so this weekend, I plan on settling down and celebrating with some eggnog and a rerun of The Holiday! Before all of that, however, it's time to get cozy with the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Music, featuring flowerovlove, Thundercat, Brahny, and seven others!

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FLOWEROVLOVE – SATURDAY YAWNING

London's flowerovlove is capturing that feeling of flipping the pillow over to the cold side on a Saturday morning on her blissed-out latest single "Saturday Yawning." The follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut EP Think Flower is a mellow ode to a weekend with no plans except hitting the snooze button over and over again. With the 16-year-old's honeyed vocals stretching out over a radiant bed of R&B, "Saturday Yawning" couldn't make for a more perfect listen as the working week comes to a close.

THUNDERCAT (FEAT. GENEVIEVE ARTADI & LOUIS COLE) – SATELLITE

Insecure has gifted us some great music over the years, and today, the Issa Rae HBO series is offering up the goods once again in the form of Thundercat's "Satellite." Featured during the closing credits of "Pressure, Okay?!," "Satellite" is an interstellar funk odyssey about getting lost between the stars. "If I could fly, I'd stay in the sky/And never come down for no one or nothing/My wings would be huge, I'd take off to space," sighs Thundercat, before handing over to the dreamy Genevieve Artadi.

BRAHNY – SIAMESE

Earlier this year, Brahny broke his two-year hiatus with "Apollo," and today, the Toronto producer and singer-songwriter is continuing to slowly ease himself back into public life with "Siamese." Clocking in at just under two and a half minutes, "Siamese" is described by Brahny as "an attempt to make a song that sounds and feels like home." With his breathy vocals dancing atop a soft, delicate flower bed of acoustics and other organic instrumentation, "Siamese" is a comforting embrace and safe space.

BAYNK – WHEN I'M ALONE

Just a few weeks on from announcing his debut album ADOLESCENCE – a 10-song collection that'll feature his recent collaborations with Tinashe and Cosmo's Midnight, among others – BAYNK has unveiled "When I'm Alone." According to the Auckland act, "When I'm Alone" was written in Amsterdam – a place he describes as his "sonic happy place" – earlier this year. A warm, bouncy bop that surrounds you like a solar flare, "When I'm Alone" is the kind of listen that leaves you smiling from the inside out.

DHRUV – STABLE LIFE

Having nothing short of broken the Internet with his debut single "double take" – a song that resulted in him getting signed to RCA Records – New York City-via-London's dhruv returns today with "stable life." Produced by the GRAMMY Award-nominated Sam Ricci, "stable life" is a beautifully orchestrated ballad that hears dhruv coming to terms with his fear of commitment. "Was I really made for that stable life though?" questions dhruv on the cut – a Frank Ocean-esque confessional that swims in emotion.

CHARLOTTE DAY WILSON – EVEN IS THE LIE

Drake recently sampled her song "Mountains" on the Travis Scott-featuring Certified Lover Boy cut "Fair Trade," and today, Charlotte Day Wilson is back in our ears with "Even Is the Lie." Lifted from the deluxe version of her debut album ALPHA, "Even Is the Lie" is an astoundingly intimate folk ballad that appears to reckon with the end of a relationship. "Where even is the lie?/Somewhere between here and goodbye," croons Charlotte – her Nico-esque contralto arching with emotion over fingerpicked frets.

DEYAZ – MESS


He recently announced he's going to be playing his debut live show in January, but before all of that, London's Deyaz is offering up his latest single in the form of the sweeping "Mess." "I wrote 'Mess' about losing inspiration in the things you love when you feel overwhelmed," says Deyaz of the cut, which hears the rising singer-songwriter plunging us into the most fragile areas of his mind over delicate strums of acoustics. "The paranoia of not feeling good enough for anyone or anything." Enjoy.



TYCHO & BENJAMIN GIBBARD (FEAT. BRIJEAN) – ONLY LOVE


In July, Tycho and Death Cab for Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard came together for the Beatles-esque space odyssey "Only Love," and this Friday, Oakland's Brijean is offering up their sumptuous spin on the cut. While the original felt anchored by its rock-tinged beats, Brijean's version of "Only Love" is untethered, with the luscious house production sending Benjamin and Brijean Murphy into the cosmic nothingness. The final result is nothing short of a trip, with Brijean holding our hands through it all.

ETHAN TASCH – MIND OF ITS OWN

Fresh off performing his debut live show alongside We Are: The Guard favorites spill tab and Boyish, Ethan Tasch has shared his latest single "Mind of Its Own." Produced by Miley Cyrus and Caroline Polachek associate Jacob Munk, "Mind of Its Own" is a stunningly melancholy rumination on Ethan's struggles with his mental health and feeling like he's his own worst enemy. "I think my mind has a mind of its own," muses Ethan – his voice channeling his inner disconnection over a gentle indie chug.

ISAIA HURON – ONE IN A MILLION

Every once in a while, an artist comes along that feels special. Different. Important. Isaia Huron is one of those artists. Just a few months on from featuring here with his ode to domestic bliss, "I'm in Love," the Nashville musician is back today with "One in a Million." Lifted from his brand new EP Cerulean Tapes – a four-song collection that was reportedly bounced straight from the studio – "One in a Million'' is an angelic, celestial tribute to unconditional love that centers Isaia's heaven-climbing falsetto.

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Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.