By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
Feel like you’re starting to check out? Listen up and lock in with these weird and wacky study beats by Tyler, The Creator, ROSALÍA and Oklou, released this weekend.
“Berghain” by ROSALÍA ft. Björk, Yves Tumor (Oct. 27)
ROSALÍA has always marched to the beat of her own drum when it comes to her work, but I was nearly fooled into thinking I had mistakenly hit play on a movie soundtrack rather than her latest single, “Berghain,” upon first listen. The track features a rousing string intro, courtesy of the London Symphony Orchestra, that fades into a German opera chorus, followed finally by the Spanish singer’s ascending vocals. Also featured on the single are the chilling and transcendent Björk and Yves Tumor, an experimental electronic artist.
The word itself, “Berghain,” refers to an iconic techno club in Berlin. Throughout the song, the lyrics switch from German to Spanish and end on commanding, abrasive English from Yves Tumor.
If you seek more of these symphonic, cinematic sounds, ROSALÍA’s fourth studio album, “LUX,” releases on Thursday. Click here to presave.
“Mother” by Tyler, The Creator (Oct. 29)
As a follow-up to the release of “CHROMAKOPIA” a year ago, Tyler, The Creator released “Mother,” an ode to his mom, Bonita Smith, on the album’s deluxe version. Here, the hip hop artist commends his caretaker for bringing him up “right” despite the many struggles of being a single mother, repeatedly and with growing intensity singing to listeners, “I turned out fine!”
If there’s one thing Tyler’s good at, it’s putting words to complex issues in a way that is digestible and fits into the span of a song, complete with all his usual sounds and touches. The song features a successfully panicked production, along with snippets and anecdotes from Tyler’s childhood from conversations with his mother to showcase the reassurance she provided him, combated with the complicated and dangerous world he grew up in.
“what’s good” by Oklou (Oct. 30)
The siren-like sounds from this French alternative artist are enticing and enchanting. In this track from her deluxe version of “choke enough,” Oklou pours out her heart to a steady, almost liminal repetitive chord through soft lines and hums. She sings:
“Do you think we already know what’s good? / What do you feel? Oh, tell me / Do you think that we’re being too lazy?”
If you need a meditative tune to include in your next headphone-accompanied study session, give Oklou a chance.
