NME Radio Roundup 23 January 2023: Arctic Monkeys, Kelela & Miley Cyrus
Earlier this month Miley Cyrus dropped ‘Flowers’, a slice of funk-flecked goodness that serves as our first glimpse of her incoming eighth record ‘Endless Summer Vacation’. Over swooning synths and a slinky bassline Cyrus offers up empowering lyrics of self-love, declaring: “I can love me better than you can”. An immediate smash (the track hit number one in the UK charts last week), it was a must-add to the NME Radio playlists this week.
Also new to the NME Radio playlists are a choice cut from Arctic Monkeys’ seventh album ‘The Car’, a new floor-filler from Kelela and the return of The National. Check out the latest additions to NME Radio 1 and 2 below:
On the A List:
Arctic Monkeys
‘Sculptures Of Anything Goes’
A real highlight from AM’s five-star seventh album, ‘Sculptures Of Anything Goes’ goes straight on the A List this week. Filled with cavernous synths and icy production, it’s a cinematic, moody standout of the record.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Kelela
‘Contact’
Kelela’s latest is a sultry dancefloor anthem. Explaining in a statement that ‘Contact’ has “a little bit of something for every part of the night,” the tune takes you from pre-drinking with your pals all the way through to the party, culminating in “a very naughty, psychedelic moment in the back of the club with a lover”.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Art School Girlfriend
‘A Place To Lie’
Last week Art School Girlfriend dropped ‘A Place To Lie’, the first original tune from Polly Mackey since 2021. A gorgeous blend of lo-fi production and sonorous, ambient sounds, it’s a euphoric return.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the B List:
Miley Cyrus
‘Flowers’
Topping the UK singles chart and smashing Spotify records (it’s the fastest track to hit 100 million plays globally), Miley Cyrus‘ latest is a megawatt pop hit. This breezy celebration of self-love and empowerment fuses Cyrus’ distinctive vocals with funky instrumentals, and is an exciting glimpse at what’s to come on her upcoming eighth record ‘Endless Summer Vacation’.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Paramore
‘C’est Comme Ça’
“In a single year, I’ve aged one hundred,” Hayley Williams declares on ‘C’est comme ça’. “My social life, a chiropractic appointment”. A tongue-in-cheek look at growing up, the prickly cut is another exciting taste of Paramore‘s upcoming sixth album.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
‘Easy Now’
Last week Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds revealed their new album ‘Council Skies’. Speaking about the record – which is set to drop in June – Noel Gallagher explained that it’ll be “going back to the beginning: daydreaming, looking up at the sky and wondering about what life could be”. Our first taste of the new project comes with ‘Easy Now’, a Britpop belter that’s being added to the NME Radio B List this week.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
The National
‘Tropic Morning News’
The National‘s latest comes from their upcoming album ‘First Two Pages Of Frankenstein’. The band’s ninth album is set to feature Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, and will be released in April. For those who can’t wait, though, we’ve got ‘Tropic Morning News’ to tide us over. Boasting expansive instrumentals and glittering production that support Matt Berninger’s powerhouse vocals, it showcases the band at their very best.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Arlo Parks
‘Weightless’
‘Weightless’, Arlo Parks has explained, “surrounds the painful experience of caring deeply about someone who only gives you tiny breadcrumbs of affection. It’s about suddenly realising that a person has dulled your edges and embarking on the slow journey back to being a brighter version of yourself.” The first track from Parks’ recently announced second album ‘My Soft Machine’ is a beauty.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
On the C List:
Clavish
‘Traumatised’
Taken from Clavish‘s new mixtape ‘Rap Game Awful’, ‘Traumatised’ is a highlight of the project. Over a catchy orchestral sample, the north London rapper demonstrates his slick lyrical prowess with a tune that teases at massive things for the artist in 2023.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Hemlocke Springs
‘Stranger Danger!’
Hemlocke Springs’ latest proves she’s one of the most exciting rising artists out there. The follow-up to TikTok smash ‘Girlfriend’, ‘Stranger Danger!’ is another piece of inventive indie-pop. Fusing glitchy synths with sugary hooks and stellar vocals, it’s killer.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Shame
‘Six-Pack’
Rounding off the playlist this week we have ‘Six-Pack’ from Shame. Featuring growling guitars and a thundering rhythm section, it’s another ace tune from the band’s upcoming album ‘Food For Worms’.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
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