TOP CHILL SONGS: 10 TRACKS WE’RE UNWINDING TO THIS WEEKEND

Photo by Nicole Wolf on Unsplash

It’s Thanksgiving on Thursday, which means we’re officially entering those final few hours of normality before the holiday chaos hits. And while I should be really making a start on my Christmas shopping, I’m going to take this weekend as an opportunity to recharge ahead of the imminent festive frenzy. With 5 o’clock almost upon us, then, feel free to join me in having a quiet night in this Friday with the latest edition of We Are: The Guard’s Top Chill Songs, featuring Skylar Stecker, Fousheé, Cavetown, and more.

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SKYLAR STECKER – IN DA CLUB

We’re unable to get to the club right now, but Skylar Stecker is bringing the club to us on this hot, sticky cover of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.” Listen as the Florida native transforms the Get Rich or Die Tryin’ cut into a lockdown lullaby, with guitars twisting and turning like a belly dancer’s hips behind Skylar as she allures with her five-octave croon.

FOUSHEÉ – ​SINGLE AF

Fresh from making her breakthrough on TikTok earlier this year with “Deep End,” Fousheé continues to immerse us in her sumptuous sounds on “single af.” Written about the single life and the inner confidence it nurtures, “single af” is a luxe piece of comic-soul that hears Fousheé showing off her Minnie Riperton-esque falsetto.

CAVETOWN (FEAT. MILOE) – LET ME FEEL LOW

As much as We Are: The Guard is all for positive vibes, every once in a while, it’s important to let yourself feel negative emotions too. Cavetown and Miloe understand this more than most on “Let Me Feel Low,” a thoughtful rejection of toxic positivity that surges in such a manner that I can only really describe as solemnly beautiful.

REI BROWN – FOREVER

Japan’s rei brown brings his prolific year to a close with the dream-inducing “Forever.” Written alongside We Are: The Guard favorite Joji, “Forever” is a stirringly romantic love letter that takes its inspiration from an array of 90s boy bands, with rei’s starry-eyed vocals even lending themselves to a classic key change in the song’s latter half.

LOOTE – WHO YOU ARE

They recently shared “Pushing Daisies,” a song about the despair felt ahead of the election, and today, Loote return with another narrative-driven beauty. “Who You Are” is a song about love, friendship, and being there for someone through the good and bad, with Emma Lov Block’s tender, lovely vocals rippling with emotional reliability.

JILLIAN ROSSI – SO WHAT

New York’s Jillian Rossi commits to being there for a loved one through the peaks and valleys of life on the stirring “So What.” “You’ve got your baggage /And I’ve got mine so what?” belts Jillian with the heart and soul of a veteran powerhouse on the moving piano ballad, which comes paired with a video starring a blend of TikTok superstars.

BENJI LEWIS – STAY AROUND

While it’s never easy entering a relationship following a breakup, Australia’s Benji Lewis is ready to try on “Stay Around.” “‘Stay Around’ is about getting over your fears and taking a risk on someone new who just might be worth it all,” writes Benji of the song, which builds a mixture of acoustic and electronic shards around its gorgeously raw soul.

BRIJEAN – DAY DREAMING

Ahead of the release of their debut album Feelings next year, California’s Brijean are getting lost in a little “Day Dreaming.” It’s a hypnotic disco groove that was engineered with help from Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bear, whose digitally programmed tropical beats make for quite the foil to Brijean Murphy’s captivating vocals. Tune in and drop out.

DUNCAN LAURENCE – SLEEPING ON THE PHONE

One year on from winning the Eurovision Song Contest with “Arcade,” Duncan Laurence has shared the glacial “Sleeping on the Phone.” Lifted from his recent debut album Small Boy, it’s a song about the struggle of maintaining a long-distance relationship, with Duncan’s resonant falsetto channeling Bon Iver over icy synthscapes.

YAEOW – TO MAKE IT RIGHT

Elton John once said “Sorry seems to be the hardest word,” but yaeow is doing everything he can to apologize on “To Make It Right.” “I understand if you don’t wanna take it/But at least I’ve tried/To make it right,” sings the We Are: The Guard favorite on the devastating olive branch, which showcases yaeow’s vocal range like never before.

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Photo by Nicole Wolf on Unsplash

Jess Grant is a frustrated writer hailing from London, England. When she isn't tasked with disentangling her thoughts from her brain and putting them on paper, Jess can generally be found listening to The Beatles, or cooking vegetarian food.