We’ve made a playlist to help carry you into those warmer nights headed our way, starting with this weekend. Nicki Minaj’s “Barbie Tingz” is a fizzy trap-flavored single, meanwhile, Kali Uchis’ West Coast sad ‘n cool “Just a Stranger” is already reminding me of sweaty summer bars. Princess Nokia’s emo-inspired project “A Girl Cried Red” starts off with optimistic beats and appropriately emo lyrics right off the bat: “It won’t even hurt, I’m already dead,” says a chirpy voice on the mixtape’s first song “Flowers and Rope”.
And as for Cardi B? Apple announced today, Friday, April 13th, that her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, set a new Apple Music record for the most-streamed album by a female artist in a single week.
Pitchfork writer Sheldon Pearce explained how Cardi has charmed us all:
Cardi is a great talker, but her voice itself is its own instrument. It wraps around each word; her accent and inflections forge each syllable into a snap, making every utterance feel novel. She wields her voice like a weapon, and she can make even the mundane seem glamorous with a particularly choice phrasing. This specific economy of language is the core of her appeal, and every verse is imbued with its impact. Some punchlines are laugh-out-loud funny, others are immensely clever. A few are both.
And with that, we’ve rounded up the songs that will be on your playlist all season long.