Gorgon City, BJ the Chicago Kid & Gregory Porter: Billboard Twitter Emerging Picks of the Week
Billboard brings you three tracks from our Billboard + Twitter Emerging Artists chart with one theme in mind: feeling good.
Heading into autumn, Billboard brings you three tracks from our Billboard + Twitter Emerging Artists chart with one theme in mind: feeling good. Whether an inspiring DJ-backed beat, a slow R&B groove, or a lively jazz tune, this week’s selections are certain to relax and enliven. Grab that pumpkin-spice latte, sit back, and enjoy the latest picks.
“Go All Night” – Gorgon City, featuring Jennifer Hudson
J-Hud may have her own new album out, but she still found time to donate some of her powerhouse vocals to “Go All Night,” the latest offering from Gorgon City. The British electronic duo kicks the track off with a simple drum thump before revving into an energetic, feel-good beat with one of the year’s best bass lines. Hudson matches the production with a carefree, confident vocal exhibition filled with both power and range. If you need a comparison, think of the single as this year’s “When Love Takes Over,” a superstar collaboration between David Guetta and Kelly Rowland. “Night” also boasts star credits behind the scenes, as the late-summer tune was co-written by Kiesza. The track was released to SoundCloud on Sept. 29 and has garnered more than 205,000 plays, triggering a No. 11 debut on this week’s Emerging Artists chart. The track is featured on the group’s newest album, Sirens, which was released Tuesday.
“Soul of a Woman” – BJ the Chicago Kid
It’s only proper that “soul” is in the title. Since guesting on Schoolboy Q‘s “Studio,” the R&B crooner has been quick to release multiple singles, of which “Soul of a Woman” may be the best. Picking up the baton from Maxwell and Al Green, BJ the Chicago Kid croons his way through “Soul of a Woman” with a passionate restraint and flickers of falsetto guaranteed to have you reaching for the candles and champagne. If nothing else, it had the Internet reaching for the replay button. Since the song was uploaded to SoundCloud on Sept. 29, it has been streamed more than 57,000 times and powered its way to a No. 10 debut on the Emerging Artists chart. The Motown artist is reportedly working on his first-full length for the label, but further details have yet to be announced.
“Liquid Spirit” – Gregory Porter (20syl Remix)
Every once in a while, the cheerful beat of an inspiring song can mask the grim reality of its lyrics. Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born in the USA” is one; “Liquid Spirit” is another. Containing lyrics such as “Un-reroute the rivers/ Let the dammed water be/ There’s some people down the way that’s thirsty/ Let the liquid spirits free,” Porter’s track is a veiled criticism of the bigotry of prioritizing money at the cost of preventing all people from accessing the “liquid spirit”: water. Alongside that message, however, Porter covers the socially conscious lyrics with a lively jazz production, complete with the blaring horns and piano synonymous with the style. 20syl’s remix adds the DJ’s touch by mixing a polished electronic-funk hybrid among the track. Porter’s velvet voice glides right into place among the remodeled track as he asks listeners several times to “clap your hands now.” Fans not only clapped, they also tweeted. The remix has already generated more than 400,000 plays on Soundcloud, and notched a No. 39 debut on the Emerging Artists chart.
Check out both versions of the track below: