BEST CHILL SONGS - WEEK 4

It's been seven days since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, and we're all still alive, so there's that. 2017 is likely to be a tough year for a whole lot of people, but having witnessed the Women's March last Saturday, something tells me that things are ultimately going to be okay. But enough about politics for a moment. If you're looking to switch off from reality this Friday, then you're very much in the right place. Featuring Bruno Major, Sampha, Henry Green and more, consider the following edition of BitCandy's Best Chill Songs your 30-minute escape from the world around you.

-

BRUNO MAJOR – EASILY

If you regularly read BitCandy, then you'll be more than familiar with the name Bruno Major. The London troubadour has released a string of timeless songs, and his latest offering is no exception. A smooth ballad that finds Bruno crooning (“Don't you tell me that it wasn't meant to be/Call it quits, call it destiny/Just because it won't come easily/Doesn't mean we shouldn't try”) over almost bluesy guitar licks, “Easily” is yet another classic-in-the-making from Mr. Major. Just ask Disclosure.

SAMPHA – (NO ONE KNOWS ME) LIKE THE PIANO

Sampha pays tribute to the childhood instrument that introduced him to music on the devastatingly beautiful “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano.” The reflective ballad was written by the London singer-songwriter in ode to the piano that lived in his mother's home since he was 3 years old, and on which he composed much of his forthcoming debut album Process. “No one knows me like the piano in my mother's home,” croons Sampha, his distinctive melismatic vocals set against a spread of stripped-back keys. “You would show me I have something, some people call a soul.”

SPOOKY BLACK – DESTROOY

Spooky Black is back. One year after unveiling Couch Potato – a collaborative EP with Bobby Raps – the Minnesota native – who also records under the name Corbin – has shared “Destrooy.” A hymn-like lamentation that hears the ghostly, moody vocals of Black looming as though a spectre over a spread of reverb-drenched guitar strums, “Destrooy” is a most haunting return from this BitCandy favorite.

GRYNPYRET – KITES

Swedish producer Grynpyret is brightening up what's been a very dark week with his latest instrumental. Released via Ryan Hemsworth's record label Secret Songs, “Kites” is a smile-inducing composition that finds Grynpyret combining harmonica flourishes, a miniature choir and triumphant horns into three-and-a-half-minutes of twee electronic pop that sounds like it came straight out of the video game Animal Crossing.

HENRY GREEN – MORE THAN THIS

Ahead of the release of his EP Real in February, British producer Henry Green has shared “More Than This.” Featuring Henry's androgynous vocals poured atop a bed of muted beats, the song's overwhelming sense of sultriness soon tempered my initial disappointment that it wasn't a cover of my favorite Roxy Music number of the same name. “It's about breaking routine, reconnecting as human beings and living with freedom,” Green tells Wonderland Magazine. “I think we stick to the script far too often and I wanted to write about moving in a different direction.”

MAY – BALLERINO

Once in a while, a voice comes along that completely stops you in your tracks. A voice like MAY's. Backed only by pianos and strings, the New York chanteuse unveils a pair of pipes that are nothing short of spectacular on her latest single “Ballerino.” A theatrical ballad steeped in romance and elegance, it's the kind of song that you can imagine emerging from the beneath the smoke of a Parisian cabaret.

LYVES – THE WEATHER

Following on from “No Love,” BitCandy favorite Francesa Bergami, aka Lyves, continues to perfect her soul-stirring breed of electronic-tipped R&B on “The Weather.” Featured on her recent EP Like Water, it's a delicate, emotional piece of music that showcases the London singer-songwriter's pure voice against a backdrop of minimal, spacious beats, and makes for an essential addition to any late-night chill out playlist.

VIDA SOPHIA – I NEVER SURF

Hollywood sadcore meets surf pop on Copenhagen songstress Vida Sophia's latest single “I Never Surf.” Produced and mixed by Miccel Mohr, “I Never Surf” is an oh-so-melancholic drift that finds Vida's aching siren vocals (“I lost my heart in San Francisco/I lost my heart down by the sea”) weaving their way through warm tremolo guitar riffs, resulting in what I can only describe as the love child of Lana Del Rey and The Beach Boys.

BRAHNY – KAFKA

Introducing BitCandy's best kept secret, Brahny. At the time of writing, the Toronto producer's single “Kafka” only has 500 or so plays, but something tells me that won't be the case for much longer. A slow-burning slice of electronic soul that sees Brahny's easy-going falsetto vocals paired with minimal, propulsive beats and groovy guitar licks, I'm sure that you'll agree that “Kafka” comes packed full of potential.

ISADORA – MEDICATIONS

Los Angeles-born, New Jersey-bred singer-songwriter Isadora is helping to numb the pain this Friday with her incredibly intoxicating latest offering. Combining the 21-year-old's mesmerizing, breathy vocals and a throbbing, 8-bit-inflected instrumental, “Medications” is a heady dose of so-called “basement pop” that finds Isadora lamenting: “If there's one thing that I know how to do, it's self-medicate.”

-

Until next week. x

“Photo” by Timothy Paul Smith is licensed under CC0 1.0 (cropped and resized).

About Jess Grant

When Jess Grant isn't writing on music, she can be found playing it – on her guitar, on her ukulele, and on her recently acquired mandolin. Playing it hideously, she ought to add. Jess also studies. She studies the English language, to be precise. Jess is currently on her way to a degree in the subject, and enjoys starting and never finishing novels, screenplays, and poetry in her spare time. She also likes dogs. Lots of dogs.