January 2015 New Music Mixtape ft. Pitbull, The Weeknd and St. Vincent
At CBSNews.com, we always have an ear out for the next big thing in music.
Here's a playlist of new tracks we have on repeat this month:
Pitbul, Ne-Yo: "Time of Our Lives"
Pitbull and Ne-Yo are kicking off 2015 with a new, club-ready single. "Time Of Our Lives" feels like the kind of song Mr. Worldwide has been aspiring to put out for years. It's simple, it's catchy and it has an elegant message: Spend the last of your money on a party to raise rent money! (Don't over-analyze the strategy. Just enjoy it.)
Giorgio Moroder ft. Kylie Minogue: "Right Here, Right Now"
Giorgio Moroder is a music industry legend, so much so that on Daft Punk's 2013 album "Random Access Memories," he got his own track. On "Right Here, Right Now," however, the vet producer lets Kylie Minogue take center stage. The radio-friendly single is off Moroder's upcoming album, "74 is the new 24" (amazing title), which also features vocals by Britney Spears, Sia and Charli XCX:
Tobias Jesso Jr.: "How Could You Babe"
Tobias Jesso Jr. came on the scene last summer with the disarmingly wonderful demo "True Love." Since then, momentum has been building to the singer-songwriter's debut LP. And his latest track is a huge step forward, so much so that Adele and Alana Haim are tweeting about it. (Jesso said in a recent interview that Adele is his favorite artist, so it's good vibes all around.)
St. Vincent: "Bad Believer"
The Beyonce of indie music (can we say that?) is back with a new song just as good as anything on her acclaimed 2014 self-titled album. "Bad Believer" sounds like a sequel to Annie Clark's 2012 track "Cruel" -- except it's perfectly outfitted for 2015 #praise:
Childish Gambino: "Sober"
Donald Glover, or known in the rap world as Childish Gambino, recently said he is done with rapping (we'll see how long that lasts! Kidding, we respect your decision). His first single since then, "Sober," proves he can fare without the pop culture reference-heavy rap verses he built a musical career on. Also his cartoonish dance moves don't hurt:
The Weeknd: "Earned It"
R&B artist The Weeknd is a rising stock in music. He was recently the male counterpart on Ariana Grande's best single to date -- "Love Me Harder" -- and has now been blessed with the greatest prestige of all: writing a song for the "Fifty Shades of Grey" OST. "Earned It" is even way more R&B than his earlier efforts. But it proves that -- just like Anastasia Steele -- he is able to push his boundaries:
Father John Misty: "Chateau Lobby#4"
Josh Tillman, known onstage as Father John Misty, is married. This is the subject of the terrifically vulnerable "Chateau Lobby #4", where he proudly sings how he wants to "lift up your wedding dress someone was probably murdered in." His new album, "I Love You Honeybear," is dropping in February, and may poise Tillman as one of indie music's leading men:
Sleater Kinney: "A New Wave"
We would be remiss not to mention Sleater Kinney in a list about new music this January. The girl group's reunion album, "No Cities to Love" is possibly the first great release of 2015, and it's certainly not just a reunion album. It's might be the trio's strongest statement to date. Take a listen to the group's live performance on "Letterman":
Charli XCX & Rita Ora: "Doing It Now"
Charli XCX has been on a mean streak lately (she's been featured on New Music Mixtape twice already!) This time around, she's teaming up with Rita Ora for "Doing It" in a "Thelma and Louise"-style video that takes a page out of Lady Gaga and Beyonce's "Telephone." But hey, it's pop music. Things repeat themselves:
Tune in next month for another CBS News #NewMusicMixtape, and comment below with any tracks you think should make February's list!