Y: As we all know, I love monkeys, and the monkey on Zayn Malik’s shoulder at this depressing, mischievous house party (it’s rather Westworld, without the naked dongs) is the clear star of the grainy VHS-filtered video for his trap single “Still Got Time,” featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR. Zayn, all the while, observes his surroundings with smoldering wonderment. [Spin]
Y: MØ’s “Nights With You” is dedicated to reckless summer escapades. [Pigeons and Planes]
N: Ariana Grande’s boyfriend made a weird red-lit video for his song “Cinderella.” [Pitchfork]
Y: Waxahatchee’s “Silver” is a dreamer’s anthem that could soundtrack a romantic montage set by the ocean in a coming-of-age film. [Spin]
N: I’d love to extract Carly Jepsen’s glossy vocals here and just listen to that, the only good part of this Bleachers song. [Fader]
Y: The mere SIGHT of Charlie Puth makes me shiver from the nightmare of “See You Again,” so imagine my surprise when I heard and actually enjoyed his single “Attention,” which has a smooth rhythm that starts off as if it’s gently creeping into a room where there’s a party happening, and finds him dealing with the aftereffects of a possessive ex. He’s also doing a weird pop-up exhibit in Los Angeles for the song. That, I do not care about. [Billboard]
Y: Bruno Mars already had my heart with “That’s What I Like,” so I’m not sure how much Gucci Mane adds to the remix, but I’m fine with it. [Miss Info]
Y: The combination of Wales-born singer Lua Dipa’s urgent moans and Miguel’s gorgeous grit on “Lost in your Light” make me melt and also makes me miss Miguel. [Pitchfork]
N: Here’s a tragic Keke Palmer dance song made for Step It Up 12: The 12th Step It Up. [This Is RnB]
Y: I wanna slow-dance to this soothing Blondie jam “The Breaks” at an old-school prom until the chaperone tells us to separate.
Y: The highlight of the video for “It’s a Vibe” is 2 Chainz sitting in a pin-tucked armchair in a romantically lit bedroom surrounded by candles while wearing an ornate floral suit. It’s otherwise got standard tropes, including hookahs and a woman on a swing. [Billboard]
Y: Everything about Paramore’s “Hard Times”—the electric riffs, Hayley Williams’ vocals, the video with storm cloud effects and glowing Saved By the Bell opening theme sketches—hits you with waves of feel-good. It’s an ode to survival, to being knocked to the bottom and getting back up (“All that I want is to wake up fine”). You will listen to it endlessly, as I have.