Every week, Consequence staffers spotlight their favorite new songs for our Songs of the Week column. This week, we’re excited about new tunes from Kelela, Otoboke Beaver, Dari Bay, and more.
BossMan Dlow — “Chicken Talkin Bastard” (Feat. YKNIECE)
With his latest project Chicken Talkin Bastard, BossMan Dlow continues his campaign to be the rapper with the most coveted lifestyle. On the title track, the big shit talker from Florida emphasizes what sets him apart from the rest: “Don’t compare them boys to us, nobody knows them/ Real boss, baby, he ain’t bigger than the program.” “Chicken Talkin Bastard” wouldn’t be complete without Atlanta’s YKNIECE, whose authoritative voice commands attention the second she appears. “I already spared these bitches, now it ain’t no love,” she spits unflinchingly, connecting back to the theme of having motion while sparing no one. — Kiana Fitzgerald
Stream “Chicken Talkin Bastard” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Dari Bay — “We’re Gonna Be Okay”
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As part of Robber Robber, Zack James released one of the best indie rock albums of the month with Two Wheels Move the Soul. Now, his other project, Dari Bay, is returning with the new album Surprise Wish, out June 26th via Double Double Whammy. Accompanying the album announcement is “We’re Gonna Be Okay,” a compelling piece of charged indie that’s as creatively produced as it is well-written. It’s catharsis via dirty guitars, dejected vocals, and a surprising amount of hope. — Jonah Krueger
Stream “We’re Gonna Be Okay” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Isaiah Rashad — “SAME SH!T”
Isaiah Rashad is missing more than he’s present in the rap game. His last album, The House Is Burning, was released in 2021, and the album before that, The Sun’s Tirade, dropped in 2016. Rashad’s latest single, “SAME SH!T,” is the rapper’s lead single ahead of his forthcoming project, It’s Been Awful, and it underscores the fact that Isaiah is returning to an environment that’s powered by much of the same. “It’s the same shit/ The rock, a pocket full of knots/ The pills, the blow, the yak, the top,” he raps in an understated tone, one that he’s previously used to describe chaos. At the end of “SAME SH!T,” Rashad almost whispers, “I feel like I can fly,” preparing us for the journey ahead. — K. Fitzgerald
Stream “SAME SH!T” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Kelela — “idea 1”
Kelela is a critical darling in the electronic community, so hearing gentle guitar strums at the top of her latest single, “idea 1,” feels somewhat foreign. Her first offering of completely new music since 2023’s Raven, “idea 1” finds Kelela shifting through multiple gears, while floating through the gauzy atmosphere taking form around her. As she parses through the complex feelings of a breakup, electric guitar sets the chorus ablaze: “Bearing your cross, it’s your loss, now I’m jaded/ Know it ain’t right, don’t you look away/ Reason to pause, but you make sure to hide it/ Are you alive?” When Kelela’s back, she’s back. Thank God for her swift return. — K. Fitzgerald
Stream “idea 1” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Lip Critic — “Talon”
We’re pumped as hell for the looming Lip Critic record — Theft World, which arrives May 1st — and “Talon” has only added to that bubbling excitement. Built on unsettling, alarm-like synth tones and, of course, amped-up percussion, the cut is just as wild, unpredictable, and contagiously energetic as the previous singles or the best cuts from Hex Dealer. For the weirdo electro-punks out there, it’s bound to be a Lip Critic summer. — J. Krueger
Stream “Talon” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Otoboke Beaver — “Hey, Where’s the Thank You?”
This week, fans were treated to the first new music from Japanese punk heroes Otoboke Beaver in four years. They dropped the charged “I Don’t Need to Be in Your Strike Zone” on Wednesday and, today, followed it up with the equally blistering, pointed “Hey, Where’s the Thank You?” Just 61 seconds in length, the track is a flurry of furious guitars, spastic drums, and driving bass. In the back half, it takes its foot slightly off the gas to settle into a shockingly danceable, post-punk groove. It’s Otoboke Beaver — of course it’s a fucking banger. — J. Krueger
Stream “Hey, Where’s the Thank You?” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
Rob Milton — “Cake” (Feat. Aria Lanelle)
New Jersey-born, Virginia-raised R&B singer-songwriter Rob Milton released his new album, Everybody Loves Rob Milton, today. “Cake,” a highlight from the project, is a throwback to the walloping funk of Milton’s sonic forefathers. Featuring background vocals from San Antonio-based pop artist Aria Lanelle, whose threaded harmonies are among some of the most heavenly across any genre, “Cake” illustrates that Milton knows how to do a lot with a little. There’s just as much open space here as there is thrumming bass lines and deep grooves; Milton sidles next to the musical elements with flirtatious abandon, holding back and springing forth at the most opportune moments. — K. Fitzgerald
Stream “Cake” on Apple Music | Amazon Music | Qobuz
