Song of the Week delves into the fresh songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Kaytranada, Aminé, and Pharrell treat us to a fruitful collaboration.
Kaytranada’s first original single of 2023 arrives under the Kaytraminé banner, hinting at a larger project between the Grammy-winner and west coast MC Aminé. For their first offering, they’ve brought along Pharrell Williams for the effortlessly groovy “4EVA,” a track that plays to all three artists’ strengths.
Like many of Kaytranada’s irresistible concoctions, “4EVA” is rooted in a percussive beat, busy enough to bounce off Aminé’s coolheaded bars but sparse enough to let the song’s blooming synth line shine. Meanwhile, Pharrell lends his hand to the song’s production and sings its wistful chorus, his usual featherlight voice blending perfectly with the track’s hazy atmosphere.
In their solo work, all three artists seem to revolve around a similar type of groove — ethereal funk, sticky hooks, cymbal and snare-heavy beats with sparks of auxiliary percussion, woozy basslines, and chord changes that suggest hidden wonders. “4EVA,” then, finds these three artists feeling right at home. Aminé shines particularly bright on the track, considering he offers two rapped verses between Pharrell’s light croons; he channels as much romance as possible without losing his stylish essence.
“If I say, ‘I love you,’ then that shit is what I mean,” he remarks in the first verse, doubling down on romantic commitment lines later with “My forevеr is forever, can’t let nothin’ comе between.” Though the overall theme of eternal promise is sweet, Aminé doesn’t sacrifice his sense of humor — his filthy second verse is littered with cheeky lines about sex, and finds the rapper taking his confidence levels to winning heights.
In fact, confidence is a great overall characteristic of “4EVA.” Each component fits smoothly with the others; even Pharrell’s chopped chorus vocals and hushed ad-libs blends into the song’s misty glow. Almost surprisingly, the track is barely over three minutes — but that doesn’t mean we won’t want to keep it on loop “4EVA.”
— Paolo Ragusa
Associate Editor
