BEST CHILL MUSIC - WEEK 6

Between the Iowa caucuses, the State of the Union Address, and the impeachment trial, it's safe to say it's been an utter sh*tshow of a week. I'm not sure about you, but I think it's time to turn off CNN and zone out from this endless motorcade of bad news with the latest edition of We Are: The Guard's Best Chill Music. Just remember to leave your politics at the door before pressing play on the following selection of chill vibes courtesy of Raveena, San Holo, Jon Hopkins, and plenty more.

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RAVEENA – HEADACHES

Raveena's music is the stuff of daydreams. I could get lost in her majestically ethereal sound forever. The Massachusetts-born artist follows up 2019's Lucid with “Headaches,” an intoxicatingly sensual swirl of a song about the honeymoon phase of a romance that hears Raveena's pillowy-soft voice resting its head on a bed of indie strums.

SAN HOLO (FEAT. BROODS) – HONEST

San Holo and Broods? Am I dreaming? Listen as both artists embrace their most authentic selves on “Honest,” with Broods vocalist Georgia Nott singing about letting her guard down to a lover atop a surging synth production that San tells Billboard he spent two years trying to make as “radio-friendly” as possible, only to decide to stay true to his original idea.

JON HOPKINS – SCENE SUSPENDED

Following on from the release of the rich, layered Singularity in 2018, Jon Hopkins is returning to his roots on “Scene Suspended.” “I've been craving a return to simplicity, to acoustic sound, and to the instrument I grew up playing,” writes the Brit of the crushingly beautiful piano piece, which he recently debuted live at the Sydney Opera House.

MEADOWLARK – HALO

Duo Meadowlark make their heartwarmingly angelic return with “Halo.” The song was written by singer Kate McGill following the death of her mother in 2018, with the lyrics touching on her journey through the dark tunnel of grief, with Kate ultimately emerging the other side as guided by her mom, whose light shines all over this stunning track.

KHALID & DISCLOSURE – KNOW YOUR WORTH

Exactly one year on from the release of “Talk,” Khalid and Disclosure are teaming up again for “Know Your Worth.” It's a lightly propulsive island-pop ode to self-confidence that could well be the first true contender for this year's coveted “Song of the Summer” title, with Khalid's richly emotive croon coming set off by Disclosure's bouncy archipelago beats.

RY X & ÓLAFUR ARNALDS – OCEANS

Australia's RY X and Iceland's Ólafur Arnalds join forces for “Oceans.” The track – which started out as a remix of Ólafur's “ypsilon” before taking on a life of its own – is a beautiful, bracing listen, with RY's barely-there vocals and Ólafur's danceable pulse coalescing into a revitalizing, replenishing wave of sound that cleanses anyone who hears it.

LOUIS THE CHILD – DON'T MIND

Louis the Child are seeing in the year in euphoric style with “Don't Mind.” The follow-up to “Here Comes a Feeling” finds DJs Frederic Kennet and Robby Hauldren bringing a much-needed speckling of technicolor to these darkened days, with Frederic and Robby taking the lead on the vocals as they sing about the importance of being yourself, no matter what.

WILLARIS. K (FEAT. GORDI) – INDIFFERENT

Having recently returned with “The Cost” – a song whose proceeds went entirely toward combatting the Australian bushfires – Gordi is gracing our ears again as part of Willaris. K's “INDIFFERENT.” The track marks the first time Willaris. has featured a vocalist in his music, with Gordi's resonant, wounded voice making for quite the foil to his crying pianos.

RYAN BEATTY – EVERGREEN

Ryan Beatty is coming into full bloom on the tenderly pulsing “Evergreen.” “Thought we were evergreen, now we're just on fire,” sings the California-born act on the Dreaming of David cut – an unfurling ode to a relationship in disarray that eventually veers off into a hair-raising jungle breakdown, reminding us there's way more to Ryan than meets the eye.

LUKE JAMES – LAMBO

I think this YouTube comment from Jasmine Moore puts it better than I ever could: “I felt this song in my bones.” Luke James is reaching deep into the soul with this divinely devastating cut from his recent album to feel love/d, with the Louisiana singer and actor's falsetto sounding at once crushing and angelic as he recites a tale of unrequited love.

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Follow We Are: The Guard's Weekly Chart on Spotify for plenty more chill vibes. x

Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

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.