BEST CHILL MUSIC: 10 CHILL VIBES FOR THE WEEKEND

Photo by Gaman Alice on Unsplash

Hi, chillheads! Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend? Perhaps some gift shopping? Or are you going to be staying at home and binging on crappy Christmas movies on Netflix like me? I’ve already got through both of the Princess Switch films, Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square, and, of course, the A Christmas Prince trilogy. And this weekend, I’ll finally be checking out The Christmas Chronicles 2, if only for the fact I simp for Kurt Russell as Santa Claus. But let’s pretend I never said that. Don’t miss this week’s edition of We Are: The Guard’s Best Chill Music, featuring Gracie Abrams, CHLOBOCOP, Nora En Pure, and seven other favorites!

-

GRACIE ABRAMS – BRUSH FIRE

She tore our hearts into tiny, little pieces with her debut EP minor in July, and this Friday, Gracie Abrams returns to do it all over again with “Brush Fire.” Described by the Hollywood scion as a “bookend” of sorts, it’s a fragile, vulnerable piano ballad that hears her vocals cracking with emotion as she watches her relationship burning to the ground.

CHLOBOCOP – IT'SNOTOVER

Scottish savant CHLOBOCOP is showcasing a softer, more tender side to her sound on her latest single “It’sNotOver.” The follow-up to the Lee Scott collaboration “BELL ME BACK” hears the rap auteur falling under a heady, potent love spell, with CHLOBOCOP confessing her feelings for a woman over intoxicating, Middle Eastern-esque wisps.

NORA EN PURE – ENCHANTMENT

The classical and the contemporary are brought together as one on Nora En Pure’s graceful, inspiring “Enchantment.” Built around a sample of Bach’s “Suite No. 1 in G Major,” “Enchantment” hears the Queen of Enormous Tunes reconciling orchestral and electronic flourishes with virtuosic flair, resulting in a piece that both charms and uplifts.

AMINÉ & UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA – BUZZIN

He remixed their song “Hunnybee” in 2019, and today, Portland rapper Aminé is hitting up Unknown Mortal Orchestra once again on “Buzzin.” Featured on the recent deluxe edition of Limbo, it’s a starry-eyed ode to a forever love, with both Aminé and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson sounding like long-lost vocalists of a 1990s boy band.

SOFÍA VALDÉS – THE SWEET ESCAPE (GWEN STEFANI COVER)

Gwen Stefani Season approaching. Just a few days after the No Doubt vocalist returned with “Let Me Reintroduce Myself,” Sofía Valdés continues to celebrate everything Gwen with a cover of “The Sweet Escape.” Listen as the Panama starlet utterly reinvents the cut, with her whisper-soft croon and bossa-nova flair making for an irresistible duo.

POOLSIDE & NEIL FRANCES – I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU

Poolside is living up to his name and then some on his latest single “I’m in Love With You.” A collaboration with Los Angeles indie-electronic duo NEIL FRANCES, it’s a sultry, ever-so-psychedelic number about unconditional love, with cosmic-tinged, retro grooves backing both artists as they transport us to a natatorium drenched in moonlight.

CEHRYL – ANGELS (EMILY)

Hong Kong singer-songwriter cehryl is turning her eyes to the skies on the heavenly “angels (emily).” “What have I got to do/To reach the angels/What have I got to give/To turn the tables,” utters cehryl on the celestial bedroom-pop ballad, with her vocals stretching like Jacob’s Ladder as she sings of her search for a spiritual passage. Divine.

LATE JUNE – ENCHANTER

Having invited us on a late-night drive through the city lights on “So Far,” New Zealand purveyor of vibes Late June is scaling even greater heights on his latest single “Enchanter.” With progressive-house arpeggios giving a sense of uplift amid a scattering of chiming piano notes, “Enchanter” is the definition of ascendant from beginning to end.

SPENCER WILLIAM – TRUST ISSUES

Following on from the release of his debut single “Villain,” New York City’s Spencer William is making it two out of two with the devastating “Trust Issues.” “Now I got trust issues/Because I trusted you,” sings Spencer against affecting guitar plucks on the cut, which will resonate with anyone who’s ever had their confidence crushed by an ex-lover.

REGGIE – I DON’T WANNA FEEL NO MORE

Introducing reggie, the Houston singer-songwriter making his striking debut on We Are: The Guard with “I Don’t Wanna Feel No More.” It’s a reverent hymn that hears Reginald Helms Jr. exploring themes such as mental health and addiction through the lens of a black man, with reggie’s falsetto voice cutting straight through to the soul. Extraordinary.

-

Follow We Are: The Guard’s Weekly Chart on Spotify for more! x

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.