One thing we can always count on even in uncertain times: Drake. The rap star returns with “Toosie Slide” this month, while Frank Ocean offers up a pair of vulnerable acoustic songs, Troye Sivan feeds his fans with “Take Yourself Home,” the 1975 partner up with Phoebe Bridgers for a tender duet and pop duo Cherryade give us something to dance to, if we’re so inclined. Here are the best songs of April 2020 so far.
“Take Yourself Home,” Troye Sivan
It’s been a couple years since Troye Sivan released the shimmering pop project that was 2018’s Bloom. “Take Yourself Home,” his first single since then, sees him working with friend and collaborator Leland on a song that is sweet and yearning, touching on the existential search for one’s place in the world—until its late-breaking switch to a house beat. And why not? Once you are ensconced in the safety of your home, Sivan seems to suggest, you might as well enjoy it.
“Toosie Slide,” Drake
You might call it selling out, or you might just call it understanding the market and cleverly crafting music meant for an already captive audience: Drake’s “Toosie Slide” is not just a new song, but a pre-engineered TikTok hit. The Canadian rapper seeded it out to influential viral stars in advance, letting them create dance videos—that vector of inevitable spread—before putting out the track itself. By the time of its debut in early April, “Toosie Slide” already had a clear path to charting success. A subtle instrumental riff underlies its trap beat, but it’s the catchy dance instructions that will likely stick: “Right foot up, left foot slide.” Simple, yet effective.
“Cayendo,” Frank Ocean
When Frank Ocean chooses to release new music, he does so on his own schedule and according to his own strategy. And it’s always a gift. “Cayendo” is one of two new acoustic songs (the other is “Dear April”) that the innovative R&B artist set loose on the world in April via streaming; the pair also came out on vinyl, with B-side remixes. “Cayendo” is a tender, introspective piece of signature Ocean music, with the added layer of Spanish lyrics. “Cayendo” means “falling”—and Ocean seems to know that while he isn’t assured a soft landing, he remains committed to the fall itself.
“Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America,” The 1975 & Phoebe Bridgers
The 1975 can sound like a lot of different things: pop, rock, experimental alt-jazz. “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America,” from their upcoming May album Notes on a Conditional Form, strips back to the basics: just singer and frontman Matty Healy in a duet with indie folk-rocker Phoebe Bridgers. (Yes, there are some background horns to remind us it’s a 1975 song, but they are subtle.) It’s slow, sweet and healing, not asking for anything other than to sink into it and listen.
“I Love Me,” Cherryade
It can be hard to muster up a festive mood right now, but Cherryade is determined to help us get there. The indie pop duo out of the U.K. makes unabashed dance tunes—or at least, their latest project Sinking Ship is an upbeat cluster of bops, although they’ve said they’ll be returning to “dark, messed up” material soon enough. “I Love Me” is bouncy and bright, with a hand-clap beat and cheeky tone. If you need a change of pace from this spring’s challenges, Cherryade has you covered.
