What we’re listening to this week at The Shift

The summer of music continues. This week, we finally got to hear Beyoncé’s long-awaited album, as well as a project from Wiz Khalifa and a heat-filled single from Nav, featuring Travis Scott and Lil Baby, along with a single from Migos… or at least some of them. 

Usually, we link the official THE SHIFT playlist on Spotify but this time around, we’re very excited to share our latest project, THE SHIFT ON ROAD playlist, an homage to the celebration of Caribana weekend in Toronto. A rude bwoy starter pack, be sure to tune in. Now onto the music! 

Beyoncé - RENAISSANCE

It’s been a long few years since Beyoncé released Lemonade, but let me tell you, fans’ patience has been rewarded with the dance album of the year.

And I think that’s fitting given the times and recent releases. This sudden shift to dance music in 2022 blew up not too long ago with House Drake, a project that’s been hit with mixed reviews for the most part, but with Bey, it seems to mesh just right. She’s been around for two decades now, and her artistry and influence in pop culture has been at the top ever since.

RENAISSANCE blends a variety of themes and styles to make it one of the hottest albums to get down to on the dance floor. It pays homage to decades of dance music, from funk to ballroom, and features some rather lusty moments. It’s an album of queer representation and culture as well, as Bey makes the works of Black transgender producer Honey Dijon and queer alt-R&B star Syd very prominent on the project, along with a special tribute to her uncle, whom she calls “the most fabulous gay man I’ve ever met.”

The 16-track project was first announced as “Act I” of an upcoming saga, with Queen Bey confirming at least two more “acts” to come!

Wiz Khalifa - Multiverse

It’s Wiz’s first solo album since 2018’s Rolling Papers 2. It features appearances from Girl Talk and THEY. and it’s the classic Wiz Khalifa vibe we all know and love.

The face of Taylor Gang is a feel-good figure in hip hop who regularly arrives with good vibes and music to chill to, and that’s exactly what he’s done with Multiverse. And given that the album’s title refers to a relatively new concept of virtual stature, it echoed in Wiz’s efforts to put this project together, as he noted.

"It was to make the best music possible and to have fun and try to come up with something I haven’t done before, but also to really get ideas out that I’ve been having for a minute,” Khalifa told Stereogum just days before the album’s release, “But musically, it’s really cool and it kind of takes you on a journey. That was the idea behind it, just to make something that gives people a chance to sit down and really enjoy some sh*t."

Nav ft. Travis Scott & Lil Baby - “Never Sleep”

Nav recently announced that his upcoming fourth studio album Demons Protected By Angels is “coming soon,” and now, he’s released the lead single off of the upcoming project, “Never Sleep.”

The Toronto artist links up with Travis Scott and Lil Baby, two collaborators he certainly isn’t a stranger to working with, in his latest hit that features production from Tay Keith and Grayson, along with co-production from Mike Dean. 

Quavo & Takeoff ft. Gucci Mane - “Us vs. Them”

Before you go any further, yes, many speculate that the “Them” part of the title refers to Offset, the third of the Migos trio. Rumours have been swirling for months now of a possible split between the group, especially considering this is Quavo and Takeoff’s second single dropped lately without Offset, although nothing has been confirmed.

Nevertheless, this time around, 2/3 of the crew partnered up with the immortal Gucci Mane for “Us. vs. Them.” Takeoff provides a fire hook while Quavo jumps in with his signature flow in his vibrant verses. Gucci Mane finishes off this joint with his hard raps and enormous energy.