Bout to Blow: 10 Dope New Songs You Should be Hearing Everywhere Soon

Tracks from Jeremih, Goldlink, and YFN Lucci are all poised to climb the charts—here's your chance to get ahead of the wave.

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Complex Original

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Another year, another set of new tracks to listen to. These are the ones that are bubbling under the surface, each waiting to be 2017's first sleeper hit. 

This column has two goals:

1. To use the many tools available to us today to get some idea of what songs were really bubbling with "the people"—in other words, to insert some science into the process.

2. To contextualize that information, because raw numbers in a vacuum would have you thinking an anonymous rapper dropped onto a stellar track was hip-hop's next big rap star when he was more like an empty, tattooed vehicle for a dope beat and a hook.

The post is obviously intended to be somewhat predictive. There's also an element, though, that is cheerleading. Many of these songs might be flourishing in certain markets but could use wider exposure. They're tracks where the metrics suggest some forward momentum, even if the clubs and radio play don't reflect that. 

After a harsh decision-making process, we narrowed February 2017 down to the 10 best records you have to know. Jeremih, YFN Lucci, and Goldlink are three names that should be on your radar for the new year. It's this month's edition of Bout to Blow: 10 Dope New Songs You Should Be Hearing Everywhere Soon.

Ayo & Teo "Rolex"

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Ayo and Teo are the teen YouTube duo known for their sophisticated dance styles as a pair of aspiring auteurs in the vein of the legend SheLovesMeechie. And now they're also musicians; with the help of producers Jazze Pha and Cory Mo, they've transformed Quavo's "dab of ranch" into a catchy, newly-viral pop record sure to continue building momentum. There's an amateur charm to the song, which isn't quite as effortlessly elaborate as their dancing, but it's been delivered with an expert's ear for songcraft regardless.

Jeremih "I Think of You" f/ Chris Brown and Big Sean

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Jeremih's latest single works well, in large part thanks to its unique beat—reminiscient, perhaps, of Claudja Berry's classic "Love for the Sake of Love," sampled most popularly by Montell Jordan on his "Get It On Tonight." (Prodigy of Mobb Deep has alleged that his own "Gun Love" was the inspiration for Jordan's hit.) Despite its spiritual similarities with Berry's sample, "I Think Of You" is different enough that few are likely to draw the comparison, and it won't be difficult to imagine the song taking off.

ThiDaniel "Purple"

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Lately, Apple Music's R&B page has become a clearinghouse for the kind of mainstream R&B that hasn't had much of a platform over the last few years—the stuff that fits somewhere in between Anderson Paak-style neo-soul and The Weeknd's pop chart climb. And from Bryson Tiller to Kehlani to 6lack, there are the beginnings of tentpole artists propping up an increasingly diverse mainstream R&B new sound. ThiDaniel is Tricky Stewart's latest artist, and a dead ringer for the kind of R&B that fits best in these platforms. The former The-Dream producer should have a hit on his hands with "Purple," which rides a muscular four-on-the-floor groove and sensually vulnerable chorus. With its funky Prince-lyte guitars and surprisingly effective car-screech adlib chorus, "Purple" deserves a bigger profile than it's received so far.

Yung Booke "H.I.T.V." f/ London Jae

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"H.I.T.V."—aka "Hoes in the Valley"—makes good use of London Jae's background crooning, a subtle searing guitar, and faint kettle drums, making Booke's varied threats seem faintly sad, granting fairly straightforward lyrics an emotional subtext.

YFN Lucci "Everyday We Lit" f/ PnB Rock

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Where Rich Homie Quan once occupied a space of emotional, melodic Atlanta autobiography, YFN Lucci seems to have stepped in; last year's "Key to the Streets" was one of the summer's most underrated anthems, earning a high-profile remix with a Lil Wayne verse for the record books. Its melancholy tone gave rap radio some needed gravitas. For his next release, "Everyday We Lit," Lucci relies on singer PnB Rock to amplify the song's considerable levels of pathos. PnB has several songs in circulation right now threatening to break through; his own "New Day" is promising, and "Selfish" is well on its way already. But "Every Day We Lit" is a sure shot, a party record that treats the party not as the inspiration for substance abuse funneled towards oblivion, but as a potent reminder of accomplishment and the thick emotion that comes with a long distance traveled.

Duwap Kaine "AK47"

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This young teenager—according to his SoundCloud, he's only 14—has become the toast of a small corner of the internet for a sound that, though amateurish and rough around the edges, has a melodic immediacy reminiscent of celebrated auteur Speaker Knockerz, who died in 2014. If this comparison feels premature, investigate his debut tape Friends Til the End, which dropped earlier this month. It offers a fuller portrait of a young artist who may just be figuring out his first steps, but has a rare grasp on the right essentials.

OMB Peezy "Lay Down"

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Rapper OMB Peezy seemed to emerge from nowhere at the end of 2016 thanks to "Lay Down," a remake of Lil Cray's "Indicted" instrumental. ("Indicted" in turn sounds an awful lot like Celly Cel's "It's Going Down Tonight," which was a flip of Keith Sweat's slow jam classic "How Deep Is Your Love." Music is crazy.) Though he hasn't popped yet, his rapping on "Lay Down" has a slick, intricate quality not often found in hip-hop in 2017, and he's earned the attention of rappers halfway across the country. Though he's based in Alabama, one of his recent cosigns came from Vallejo, CA's Nef the Pharaoh. It probably helps that the beat sounds like something Too $hort would have rapped on, but Peezy's follow-up "When I Was Down" suggests he could have a broader sound, with an emotional delivery matched by a gift for putting together words in unpredictable patterns, which should keep fans hanging on to every line.

Joe Gifted "Water" f/ Frontstreet

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Joe Gifted is not a big name in Atlanta, but "Water" should help boost his profile. The record's unusual production, with its busy percussion and slight melody—it's the kind of thing someone might hum without thinking—is the song's obvious draw, but the verses from Joe and guest rapper Frontstreet have a decent grasp on the song's overall energy. The song has already popped up in Atlanta on different services, and it's hard to imagine it won't have a breakthrough moment.

Goldlink "Crew" f/ Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy

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Goldlink first emerged rapping over uptempo dance records, which as a gimmick helped establish him to some extent in the press and on Soulection, but musically could feel like an odd choice. The terrific "Crew" suggests that he's much more at home over traditional hip-hop production—at least for my personal taste—and it becomes immediately apparent how great his voice is. It has a distinct, immediately identifiable tenor, but not one that sacrifices listenability for originality. That Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy become an afterthought for the main event points to the song's success in selling its star.

Jay Critch "Did it Again"

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Jay Critch is a Brooklynite whose relaxed organ-driven "Did It Again" last summer attracted the attention of Rich the Kid, who just dropped a remix video last week. A few days ago, the two released another collab entitled "Do the Math," which doesn't have quite the same tossed off charm, and suggests that while Rich the Kid is good at identifying talent, he would be smart to get out of its way, too.

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