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Song of the Day #5,478: ‘If You Insist’ – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

I’ve heard Jason Isbell’s new album, Weathervanes, all the way through just once but I already know it’s a work of art. This is Isbell’s ninth solo release (and sixth with backing band the 400 Unit) and the man somehow just keeps getting better.

Actually, I take that back. “Getting better” suggests his early work was any less resonant and assured than the latest collection, and that’s simply not the case. He emerged from his six years with the Drive-By Truckers as a fully-formed, brilliant artist whose every release demands attention.

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Song of the Day #5,477: ‘Attention’ – Doja Cat

What better way to celebrate American’s birthday than by posting a new song by Doja Cat? ‘Attention’ is the rapper/singer’s first new material since last year’s Elvis soundtrack song ‘Vegas.’

This track, the first single from upcoming album First of All (currently without a release date), signals a shift away from pop and toward hip-hip. Doja disparaged her first two albums on Twitter, writing “Planet her and hot pink were cash-grabs and yall fell for it” and promised to return to her rap roots on her next release. ‘Attention’ suggests she’s following through.

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Song of the Day #5,476: ‘Thinking About You’ – Beck

I read in the New York Times last week that Beck has a new song out with the alternative band Phoenix, with whom he will be touring. I decided to feature it this week along with some other recent releases.

When looking up that song, a fun Euro pop track called ‘Odyssey,’ I came across another new Beck tune, this one released in February. ‘Thinking About You’ is in the vein of his albums Sea Change and Morning Phase — my favorite flavor of Beck — so I called an audible and featured it instead.

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Song of the Day #5,475: ‘Weak’ – SWV

This is the second time I’ve had to bypass the #1 hit in the summer of 1993 because Janet Jackson had a stranglehold on the position with ‘That’s the Way Love Goes.’ I don’t remember that song having such a stranglehold on the pop music landscape, but I guess I wasn’t listening to much radio in 1993.

That theory is certainly borne out by the fact that I have zero familiarity with the song at #2, ‘Weak’ by R&B trio SWV. In fact, I’d never heard of SWV before today, despite the fact that the group had three top ten songs in the early 90s in addition to this, their only #1 hit.

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Song of the Day #5,474: ‘Time (Clock of the Heart)’ – Culture Club

Throwing back to the week of June 25, 1983, gives us a repeat at the top spot of Billboard’s Hot 100 as Irene Cara’s ‘Flashdance… What a Feeling’ continued its six-week run at #1.

That brings us to the week’s #2 song, ‘Time (Clock of the Heart)’ by Culture Club. This single, the second from the band’s debut album Kissing to Be Clever, spent two weeks at #2 but couldn’t crack the top spot (thanks, Irene Cara!). It matched the performance of previous single ‘Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,’ which also fell one slot short of #1.

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