Tinashe, “Sex With Me (Exclusive Remix)”
Considering how much I love Rihanna’s original “Sex With Me” and Tinashe’s new “Superlove” single, I feel fair and confident in saying that this remix is pretty unnecessary. T’s just swapping out words more than adding anything remotely unique. Even the inflections are the same. It’s not interesting, but if you view it as the simple result of some studio fun and downtime, you could probably withstand a spin or two.—Danielle Cheesman
Def Loaf, “Snakes”
The last couple times we heard from Dej, she was on her Auto-Tune singing kick. (See: her collab with Jesse Boykins III) With “Snakes,” she’s back with bars like “I’ve learned, you gotta be smarter than them n-ggas / outwork your opponents, do sh-t independent.” It’s the O’Jays’ “Backstabbers” for 2016, wherein Dej, with a heavy “Detroit accent,” tells all the haters that she sees them and now she knows exactly how to handle them like a boss — in her Cartiers, at that.—Driadonna Roland
AlunaGeorge, “Mediator”
This is the slinkiest I’ve ever heard AlunaGeorge. I’m used to their electro-pop, but there’s twinkly keys, tumbling percussion, groovy guitar, and strings on the slow-moving “Mediator,” a track that certainly recalls the sultriest tracks of the ’80s. And it’s refreshing to hear a frontwoman declare that she’ll play the titular role for a friend, not a lover: “I will always be your mediator / Let me talk to him / Let me be your friend / He’s no good for you / He don’t need your help / You can trust in me / And you can thank me later.” Also, is that a wah-wah pedal?—D.C.