INTRODUCING | raury

Though he may have just graduated high school, Raury is talented beyond his years. 18-year-old,  (that's right 18! What were you doing at 18?) Raury hails from East Atlanta and is featured on the new Hunger Games: Mockingjay Soundtrack Pt. 1. His track "Lost Souls" is good. Really good. Thank you, Lorde for noticing his talent. However, don't let that think you have him figured out. He writes, sings, raps, and produces music with various genre influences. He is definitely an artist to watch. Just listen to everything he has done and is capable of doing.

SBTRKT features Raury on his track "Higher." His rhymes flow very smoothly.



Last, but certainly not least, is "Cigarette Song." This is by far one of my favorite tracks by him.

And that hat! Nice!

I would not be surprised if he ended up on the Coachella lineup for 2015. The boy has style, talent, and political/philosophical convictions.

ORIGINAL BEAST | grace jones

Who says Mondays have to be boring? Today, marks the release of the highly-anticipated soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1. That's enough excitement to get us through the week. So, let us rejoice in all the new good music entering our ears and moving our bodies. 

Grace Jones delivers tribal beats on "Original Beast." I don't know about you guys, but this song transports me back to Coachella earlier this year and experiencing The Knife live. I am definitely feeling The Knife vibes on this track by Grace Jones, and am loving every second of it. All I need is my Coachella Tribe, and we can party our asses off to this song as if we were back in the desert. 

"I'm a different animal

Different kind of animal"

Let Grace Jones give you something to dance to. I wonder where in the film is this song playing? Perhaps as they're training for battle or in combat? I'm very excited to see how the movie and music marry? 

After listening to the soundtrack all day, I must say: thank you, Lorde. You have certainly compiled some great talent together and produced something beautiful. 

YELLOW FLICKER BEAT | lorde

"Yellow Flicker Beat" is beautiful. Lorde is a poet. She doesn't write songs, she sets poetry to music. It's art. Very much like Fiona Apple, Lorde knows how to write. I respect their talent for writing - and writing inventively. 

"This is the start of how it all ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it"

It is impressive the way Lorde describes Katniss's journey from her rise to fame and into infamy. From a first-person narration, Lorde articulates Katniss's strong, defiant personality. She gives words to Katniss's actions. Supported by the production, "Yellow Flicker Beat" captures the dark thoughts and emotions running through Katniss's head as she falls from grace.

The music video sees Lorde going into darker territory. But how could she not? This is the Hunger Games we are talking about. They're not rainbows and butterflies. Mortality is a constant reminder. 

I love that she is growing as an artist. #teamlorde