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Harrison, Classified, Diana Krall with Tony Bennett 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're loving new tracks by Kallitechnis, Classified featuring Tory Lanez, Lennon Stella, Megan Bonnell and more. Scroll down to find out why you need to hear them.

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


‘I Don’t,’ Kallitechnis

Montreal’s Cassandra Kouremenos, a.k.a. Kallitechnis, first caught our attention with her stylish (though fleeting) contribution to the 2016 Kaytranada-produced Lou Phelps track “Average.” Most recently, she’s a refreshing presence on Pusha T and Innanet James’ “Better Without You.” And while those are impressive collaborations, we’re happy to hear her step up and fully own a song, as is the case on this irresistible new neo-soul tune, “I Don’t.” Kallitechnis’s sweet/sassy treble voice bounces beautifully off the electric piano and synth bass of the song’s accompaniment. “I don’t want to give you one last try/ I don’t wanna have to figure out that you’re not my guy,” she sings, capturing that lighthearted feeling you get when you realize you’re ready to move on.

— Robert Rowat

Hear Kallitechnis and all your favourite R&B/soul artists on CBC Music's Marvin's Room with host Amanda Parris.


‘Cold Love,’ Classified feat. Tory Lanez

What’s more Canadian than the cold? Seasoned rapper Classified teams up with Tory Lanez for this new, shiver-inducing track off his forthcoming album Tomorrow Could be the Day Things Change. In the song, Classified takes a stance against fake support: he calls out those who were only there for him when he was doing well, but were nowhere to be seen when he wasn't. While the lyrics focus on fake love, Classified’s actions illustrate what a genuine partnership should look like. He shared the following on his Facebook page about collaborator Tory Lanez: “I first met [Tory Lanez] at an Ecko photoshoot nine years ago when he was just on the come up and now he’s doing this worldwide.”

Accompanying the single release and album announcement, Classified dropped the dates for the Canadian Classics tour. The 27-date tour will reunite the East Coast rapper with fellow hip-hop legends Maestro Fresh Wes and Choclair.

— Natasha Ramoutar


‘Bad,’ Lennon Stella

Oshawa native Lennon Stella already has a decorated music career at 19 years old, having gone viral — as part of the sister duo Lennon & Maisy — with an impressive “Call Your Girlfriend” cover and a subsequent starring spot on the hit TV show Nashville. With her debut solo single “Bad,” Stella trades family and Tennessee twang for edgy pop and boy troubles — and it works. The singer's vocals remain buttery smooth while wishing an unfaithful boyfriend had treated her “bad” so she could be “twice as sad” and, while we don’t totally agree with her logic, there’s no denying she’s about to hit it big, again.

— Jess Huddleston


‘Your Voice,’ Megan Bonnell

Megan Bonnell's new single, "Your Voice," was already one of the best from her recently released third record, Separate Rooms. Frenetic piano-pop with some excellent flourishes — her staccato lyrical delivery create a nice tension in juxtaposition with the musical arrangements — it evoked a personal favourite: '80s movie dance montages of the working class (Flashdance, Footloose). Now, appropriately enough, Bonnell's video depicts just that: working in a bar by day, performing at night, and dancing up a storm as you struggle to keep your dream alive.

— Andrea Warner


‘Your Girl,’ Harrison feat. Ralph

Harrison and Ralph: it’s a pairing that feels so foolproof that we’re surprised it took this long to come to fruition. Between Harrison’s ability to produce an incredibly infectious funk-pop beat and Ralph’s keen sense of crafting surefire hooks, the two Toronto artists have finally come together for “Your Girl,” a track that definitely capitalizes on each of their strengths. The result is a slick synth number that Harrison has polished and prepared for Ralph’s saccharine melodies to simply glide across with ease. It’s a breezy song that is guaranteed to extend that summer feeling a little longer.

— Melody Lau


‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me,’ Tony Bennett and Diana Krall

Almost 25 years after jazz legend Tony Bennett performed this 1937 classic with Elvis Costello as part of his MTV Unplugged special, the crooner has put his spin on it with fellow jazz icon (and Costello’s wife) Diana Krall. Written by George and Ira Gershwin for the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film Shall We Dance, the smooth number has been covered by both Bennett and Krall in decades past, but follows Bennett’s jaunty approach as part of their anticipated new Gershwin duets album Love is Here To Stay. It’s an obvious standout in the collection, which also includes a version of Bennett’s 1949 debut single “Fascinating Rhythm,” and aids as a reminder as to why this pair were a match made in jazz heaven. — JH


'Squeeze,' Lou Phelps feat. Jahkoy

This counts as the second single that Montreal's Lou Phelps has released for his upcoming album, 002 / Love Me, and the addition of Jahkoy is a real treat. The Toronto R&B singer's sleek vocals trade with Phelps' verses over a bed of hi-hats, keys and synth for a slow jam that asks, "Let's be more than friends/ if you agree." "This track was about a girl I was seeing at the time," Phelps told Revolt. "The relationship turned out to be horrible but it's all good. Jahkoy has an amazing voice and a lot of flavour. I'm honestly glad he killed the joint like he did." Get Phelps' album, produced by his brother Louis Kevin Celestin (a.k.a. Kaytranada) on Sept. 21 via Last Gang Records.

— Holly Gordon

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Jeremy Dutcher is the winner of the 2018 Polaris Music Prize