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Jessie Reyez, Deadmau5, Tory Lanez and more: songs you need to hear this week

By
Editorial Staff

Each week, CBC Music producers come together to highlight Canada's best new tracks.

This week, we have songs from Jessie Reyez, Tory Lanez, and more. Scroll down to find out why you need to hear them.

What are the Canadian tunes you're currently obsessed with? Share them with us on Twitter @CBCMusic.


‘Monophobia,’ Deadmau5 feat. Rob Swire

For the first time since 2009’s “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff,” Deadmau5 has teamed up with Australia’s Rob Swire (of Pendulum fame) and it’s evidently a happy reunion. “Monophobia” is a banger that pairs an electrifying synthesizer obbligato with Swire’s high-lying vocal lines. “I wanna come over and see what you've found/ see if you're hurting after tearing me down,” he sings — a compelling articulation of the monophobe’s maxim. As for the video (a digitally animated creation of Nick DenBoer and Kenny Hotz), proceed with caution: if the idea of Salvador Dali directing a Skittles ad is appealing to you, enjoy! Otherwise, you may want to look away.

— Robert Rowat

‘Tables Have Turned,’ Ralph

We have yet to meet a Ralph hook that wasn’t instantly likeable, and on her latest single, “Tables Have Turned,” we are infatuated once again. A funk-inspired guitar riff guides Ralph as she sings about that moment in a budding relationship where you suddenly can’t take your mind off of that other person. Its chorus beautifully signifies that turn, sharply dropping everything the synth-pop track builds towards in favour of a grooving bass line. And when everything coalesces a few moments later, that feeling is straight-up euphoric, just like the rush of emotions that come with falling in love. It’s a track that’s designed to make you feel butterflies in your stomach, and dancing along will only further that joyous sensation.

— Melody Lau

‘Talk To Me,’ Tory Lanez feat. Rich the Kid

In a world of subtweets and Instagram DMs, Tory Lanez brings us back to a simpler time on his latest track “Talk to Me.” The Grammy-nominated, Juno Award-winning rapper serves up an infectious chorus and bouncy bars that you'll want to bop to all summer long. Retro animations atop pastel backdrops, old television sets and payphones give the music video a truly nostalgic feel. Lanez is joined by Rich the Kid, who serves as the grounded counterpart to Lanez's buoyant vocals. Not one to stay idle, the rapper is currently on a North American tour for his sophomore album, Memories Don't Die, and working on two forthcoming projects: Love Me Now? and his first Spanish album, El Agua.

— Natasha Ramoutar

Editor’s note: strong language warning

‘Apple Juice,’ Jessie Reyez

Allowing yourself to be simultaneously fierce and vulnerable is an emotionally brave space to occupy, and with her latest release, Jessie Reyez continues to show that it's the space from which she writes her best work. From 2016's "Figures," a love song about a devastatingly one-sided relationship, to 2017's "Gatekeeper," a raw track where Reyez stands up to systemic sexual harassment and assault on women in the music industry, the Toronto R&B singer has crafted bangers and mellow singles alike from every corner of her wide-open heart. And with last week's "Apple Juice," she's given us a song about fighting for the love you believe in — even if you're the only one fighting.

"Don't let goodbyes come too easy/ love me, just let me know that you need me," she sings in the chorus over a simple guitar riff that later gets wrapped in emotional strings. It's hard not to wonder whether she's singing about the same person as in "Figures," if it's even autobiographical at all. But it makes you question how long one person can hang on before it's too much.

— Holly Gordon

More to explore:

'The music industry is to blame': Chromeo demands mental health resources for musicians

Meet the 10 artists shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize

Shad, Chilly Gonzales, Allie X, more: songs you need to hear this week