MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE: Mark Ronson and RAYE do the Suzannes of the world justice with sleek and luxurious "Suzanne"

A unique song title will always help capture peoples’ attention and nothing is more gripping than a name. You can tell a lot about a song by who it’s named after, whether its Roxanne, Valerie, Alejandro, Jane or in this week’s case, Suzanne. Using a name in a song title is a responsibility as well because depending on how big the song becomes, you could pretty much determine the fate of a name for a whole generation. I don’t know about anyone reading this, but I don’t think I can ever meet another Roxanne without thinking of Sting screaming that chorus over and over again. And don’t even get me started on Valerie. But don’t worry Suzannes of the world, Mark Ronson and RAYE did you justice.

Mark Ronson is known for his collaborations with artists like Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus but it’s his work with Amy Winehouse that is perhaps the most notable. Back to Black is widely considered to be one of the greatest albums of the 2000s, and is cherished by so many especially because of Amy. Mark and Amy had a groove and a chemistry that was like no other, and the song “Valerie” holds a special place in people’s hearts. Given that RAYE has already received countless comparisons to Amy since the early days of her career, it’s no surprise that she was nervous about collaborating with Mark. In an interview at the Governor’s Ball in New York, RAYE talked about how she would “never, ever, ever attempt to replace or imitate Amy” and that she was in “awe of her”. Sure the two have their similarities, but I don’t think it’s fair to say that just because she makes music in a similar genre to Amy that she can’t create some of her own magic with Mark as well. Music is meant to be shared and honoured - if anything RAYE is simply fulfilling Amy’s purpose which was to inspire other singers in the same way Tony Bennett inspired her. That being said, the two had to have known that creating another song with a name as the title was going to draw comparisons. Some of us just call that good marketing lol.

Next week will give us new albums from KAROL G, KATSEYE and Benson Boone who are all gaining popularity online. I’ll let my ears do the listening and report back, but let’s get to this week’s picks. Aside from Mark Ronson and RAYE, we have music from Tyla, UK rappers Skepta/Nemzzz and some Afrobeats vibes from Wizkid/Maleek Berry. Plus, one of Tinashe’s recent singles gets a dance remix that’s gone viral.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“Suzanne” by Mark Ronson, RAYE

Mark Ronson and RAYE have delivered a sleek and luxurious sounding track for our summer listening pleasure – bring out the champagne. The song has a fresh and current sound while still serving a nostalgic feel that you would expect from Mark’s productions. While it is inevitable to point out the obvious similarities that RAYE’s general sound has to Amy Winehouse, the fact that she’s recording with Mark just adds to the lore. “Suzanne” is rich in soul influences from the stacked background vocals to the groovy horns. The two recorded the song across three different cities, pouring their hearts and souls into every detail. As a music lover, I can always appreciate when an artist puts their heart into the music, you can almost always tell the difference. This is especially important however when singing soul, because what is soul without heart? Not to get all cheesy on you, but it is Tuesday so I think we can all use a little lol. This track is also the first of two collabs that are set to come out between the two artists, with the second one coming later this month as part of the soundtrack for the new F1 movie.

“Everything Goes With Blue – from the Smurfs Movie” by Tyla

In a surprising turn of events, the soundtrack to the latest Smurfs movie has a banger courtesy of a female artist and it’s not the film’s star Rihanna – it’s Tyla! The song had me up out of my seat shaking my ass within the first ten seconds. As Shakira once put it, my hips were telling the truth. I haven’t seen the film yet, but from what I know of the franchise this song fits the aesthetic and vibe perfectly. The song has a Bollywood energy to it while still being pop and catchy enough for an American audience to absorb. After listening to other songs from the soundtrack by Rihanna, Shenseea and Cardi B, that does seem to be the sound they are going for. Clever move on the part of Paramount Pictures to have the music be such a world event with different genres incorporated yet having Western commercial artists be the performers; it gives a little something for everyone. The actual comic that the franchise stems from is Belgian, but the animated series from the 80s was broadcast in over 100 countries so making the soundtrack appeal to as many regions as possible is a smart move. Music is the universal love language, might as well capitalize off it especially after the major success of the Barbie soundtrack and the Fast Furious ones before that. Tyla has her hands in many different musical endeavors these days from releasing her new solo single “Bliss” which has gone viral for the accompanying visuals, to slaying with LISA in their new video for “When I’m With You”. Now she can join the list of Smurf soundtrack alums that includes Britney Spears, Rihanna and Nelly Furtado. Not too shabby.

“Cops & Robbers” by Sammy Virji, Skepta

When the first thing I hear is a sample of Brandy’s “I Wanna Be Down” you can assume that I will be adding the song to the playlist – in this case it actually is that simple. Throw in a haunting violin over a UK garage beat with a sexy Skepta rapping over it, deep voice and all? You’d think Sammy Virji cooked up something with more potency than what the fictional Professor Utonium crafted when he created The Powerpuff Girls. Sammy has been in the midst of a highly celebrated era in his career as a producer/DJ with his 2023 DJ Mag HQ set laying the ground for high-profile collaborations and worldwide appeal. The set currently sits at 2.2 million views on YouTube and continues to rise exponentially.

Skepta on the other hand is one of the greatest rappers of the last decade and adds his signature flair to the song, making for a major smash of a collaboration. When he’s not crushing it on stage or in the studio, Skepta is making his presence known in the fashion world. His clothing line MAINS has become one of the most talked about new fashion brands to come out of London. His natural swagger is on full display in the music video for the song which has a very Grand Theft Auto-like vibe that matches up great with the tune. There’s also something to be said about the consistent use of Brandy’s hit as a sample in either Hip-Hop or Dance tracks. The song has been sampled a whopping 89 times over the years by A$AP Ferg, Chance The Rapper, Steve Aoki and Anderson. Paak to name a few. As someone who’s been a major fan of Brandy’s since I could remember, it’s always a great feeling to hear one of her classics re-imagined into a new vibe because the beauty of music is interpreting the things we love into fresh and exciting ways. Make sure to add this track to all your summer gym playlists – it made my 6 AM workout a breeze today.

“ART” by Nemzzz, Latto

I’m not generally one for the Gen-Z rappers, it’s nothing personal, I just prefer rap that has more poetic and melodic undertones. Every now and then however, I get the urge to just blast some good ol’ turn up music and UK rappers are always the ones that manage to sneak through the cracks for me. A British rapper can rap the alphabet and it’ll sound like chimes to me – the good kind. Nemzzz has dropped this new banger with Latto and the two are on their sh-t through the entire song (1:50 in length nonetheless, but that’s a song nowadays I guess). The two flex about their respective rosters, bank accounts, jewels, you name it and I’m into it. The real question is who’s got the bigger dick between the two? My money is on Latto – figuratively of course. When she rapped the line “knew he was from the UK when he got behind me stabbin’ it” I was particularly tickled – and no I will not divulge further but you can just about guess why. Latto who is from Atlanta also serves as host for the music video which was shot in her hometown. She helps to bring the club banger to life as Atlanta meets the UK with a few British Easter eggs interwoven in the form of slang terms. Latto has already conquered the charts in the US, collaborating with the likes of Mariah Carey, Ciara, Jungkook, Playboi Carti and Cardi B to name a few; now she’s getting ready to conquer the UK. Nemzzz on the other hand has had a string of hits in the UK with this collaborating serving as his first major attempt at a North American mainstream hit for radio.

“Situation” by Maleek Berry, Wizkid

London-raised singer Maleek Berry has made his first major mark in music with the release of his debut album If Only Love Was Enough – and it’s good. The album which was primarily recorded in Lagos, has features with some of the biggest names in Afrobeats like Tiwa Savage, Zlatan, Ruger and Wizkid who is featured on this saxophone heavy song “Situation”. I’m sure I’ve said it before but I’m a big fan of any saxophone solo period. This is a big reason why I’ve always been so drawn to Afrobeats, it never fails to lift up my spirits. Maleek and Wizkid have been friends for years with Wiz serving as a mentor to him through his previous EP releases. The two even collaborated multiple times over the last decade while Maleek was still developing his debut album. Fast forward to today and the two are still linking up to make music together and they haven’t lost their spark. The song is melodic and emotional while still having an edge that makes it perfect as both a turn-up and an emotional love song. It’s always surprising to see an artist who already has a full body of work with considerable success take so long to release an official full-length album; however everybody’s journey is different and Maleek has been perfecting his craft as a producer as well in that time. If you’re into an Afrobeats/R&B vibe meant for a night in the sunset, press play on this one.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“No Broke Boys” by Disco Lines, Tinashe

Tinashe had one of the biggest hits of her career last year with “Nasty” – so big that the follow up “No Broke Boys” didn’t quite get the shine it deserved when it got its own single treatment last fall. All things happen in divine timing because the song is now getting a fresh life as a dance hit with viral DJ Disco Lines. He played the song at a recent gig and absolute TikTok insanity occurred when fans demanded that he release it to streaming services. Within days it has dominated streaming charts and gone viral with over 40k sound uses and close to 7 million streams. For reference, the original version has 11.6 million streams and that came out last August. Online users are using the song as a background for clips with captions like “what summer needs to feel like” and thoughts on why electronic music is everything; basically, good f*king vibes. Tinashe has always dipped her toes in electronic music, even appearing on Charli XCX’s brat last year. I also will always encourage any time Tinashe earns a viral hit, she’s one of the most criminally underrated artists around. She’s got the star quality, the dance and singing chops, and the music is great. Let’s get to work guys!