New Music Roundup: Kid Cudi, Maxwell, Miguel & Ace Cosgrove
Four solid tracks for your Friday.
Kid Cudi, “Goodbye”
Opening with a bit from Bishop’s psycho rant in Juice (played by Tupac), Kid Cudi strikes with a vengeance on his new cut. Spewing lyrics like, “You know I’m vicious” and “I hear the madness,” Cudi embraces what some fans have missed about him. While his content never exactly changed, his cohesiveness with the music is a return to form since he ventured into the slow rock plane. Produced by himself and Dot Da Genius, the song kicks with a sample of Pink Floyd’s “Goodbye Cruel World,” and the updated synths are reminiscent of a John Carpenter score. If this is the tone that Pain, Passion, & Demon Slayin’ is taking, listeners may not have to worry about not getting that Man on the Moon 3. —Rob Hansen
Maxwell, “Gods”
Maxwell’s been executing a flawless album rollout since May when he revealed the cover and tracklisting for his upcoming album blackSUMMERS’night, as well as the video for its lead single, “Lake By the Ocean.” While that tune was carried by a bright bassline, and “1990X” featured celestial strings, his latest song “Gods” is a midtempo one that uses reverberating synth keys to back Max in his plea toward a femme fatale: “With your crimes you convicted me/ As you swore so convincingly/ You played the game of gods.” He teased this back in 2013, so it’s about damn time we heard it in full. —Danielle Cheesman
Miguel, “Come Through And Chill”
Miguel knows what we need. The originator of neon R&B has dropped this sexy stunner, the musical equivalent of the “Hey, big head” text. “Just say you will, will, will/ Come through and chill, chill, chill,” he croons. We gave him room to experiment on Wildheart, but this is the Migs we love. Effortless delivery, sun-soaked L.A. vibes, and f—king dope lyrics. Produced by Salaam Remi, an R&B virtuoso known for records with Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys, among others, THIS song is actually the soundtrack for the steamy days of summer. —Driadonna Roland
Ace Cosgrove, “Summer Breeze”
Like a breeze through a window on a hot summer’s day, rap upstart Ace Cosgrove serves up the airy and liberating composite in the form of “Summer Breeze.” With a rapid-fire flow and glowing production, the Maryland spitter details the kind of breeze that echoes “splurging my funds having fun” and “chewing gum that stuck to my shoes.” Ah, nothing like summer. —Ralph Bristout