Welcome to “Songs of the Week” a weekly segment where I highlight three of the best new songs released the week prior along with one throwback song of the week. To stay up to date on all new music, follow my Spotify playlist “What I’m Feeling” which is updated weekly to always include the freshest new music. Always 30 songs, hottest always at the top. Stream it here:

A playlist updated weekly with whatever new songs I'm feeling at the time. Always 30 songs and in order with what I'm feeling the most at the top.

New Songs of the Week:

“Dreams” by Aaron May

Dreams, a song by Aaron May on Spotify

This week Houston newcomer Aaron May dropped his debut project, Chase. The buzzing 18-year-old clearly has a lot to say and “Dreams” is the best track on the exciting new mixtape. Over the two minute and forty second duration May flexes his excellent lyricism and polished flows over a simple yet pulsing instrumental that tastefully takes a back seat to his bars. Tap into Chase and make sure Aaron May is on your radar.

“I serve em like it’s nothin’ til I’m stuntin’ overseas
Bitch stop frontin, hoe you know you can’t put nothin’ over me
I’m the hottest fuckin youngin they been bumpin my releases
You gon see this,
Wavy flow gon’ make them seasick”

— Aaron May "Dreams"

“Trap” by SAINt JHN (Feat. Lil Baby)

Trap (feat. Lil Baby), a song by SAINt JHN, Lil Baby on Spotify

SAINt JHN is one of the most intriguing artists in the game right now. It seems likely that “Trap” is the third and final single off his newest album and here at StereoVision we couldn’t be more excited. “Trap” is a dreamy cut which features a mesmerizing hook sung by JHN. Lil Baby comes through for the second verse and delivers with a refreshing feature that compliments JHN’s melodic style exceptionally well.

“I ain’t never tellin’ lies, cross my heart and hope to die
If it’s real, it’s real forever, maybe never testify
Put the pedal to the floor, look the devil in the eye
If you tell me that you love me, promise not to change your mind”

— SAINt JHN "Trap"

“i” by Lil Skies

i, a song by Lil Skies on Spotify

The intro to Lil Skies newest project Shelby is an emotional reflection on his negative experiences with love, drugs, and other struggles. While lyrically the song is average, Skie’s auto-tuned voice makes this looping hook extremely addicting. On “i” you can hear the pain in his voice making it a powerful listen about loss.

“I ain’t never tellin’ lies, cross my heart and hope to die
If it’s real, it’s real forever, maybe never testify
Put the pedal to the floor, look the devil in the eye
If you tell me that you love me, promise not to change your mind”

— Lil Skies "i"

Throwback Song of the Week:

“Blow My High (Members Only)” by Kendrick Lamar

Blow My High (Members Only), a song by Kendrick Lamar on Spotify

In this classic Section 80 cut Kendrick samples Pimp C’s iconic verse on big pimpin’ to create a fun and familiar hook. The verses are equally entertaining as Kendrick dances over the funky Tommy Black instrumental impressing us and seemly one-upping himself with every line. The song’s bounce is indisputable and the way Kendrick switches between a deep voice and his layered singing flow on the chorus is genius.

“Wonder what’s behind them Ray Bans
Eyes of a coward, I understand
Niggas like the gossip, like bitches
Sip Don Perignon, when we finish”

— Kendrick Lamar "Blow My High (Members Only)"

Check back in next week for three new hot songs and one new throwback! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to get updated when we post:

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By Spencer Lobdell

SAINt JHN is a superstar, he’s just waiting for the rest of the world to notice. Carlos St. John was born in Brooklyn New York but spent an equal amount of his childhood in Guyana. JHN is the product of a hustler for a father and preacher for a mother. His childhood was split between being dirt poor in America and some kind of rich in Guyana. In 2016 JHN spoke on the music scene (or lack thereof) in Guyana. While he made sure to let it be known there was plenty of talent in Guyana, he said there was no real economy for music, limiting its accessibility. With that being said, as a kid, he was always around reggae and dancehall in Guyana and Jay-Z in Brooklyn. These influences come through strongly and his unique upbringing is almost palpable in his current music.

JHN’s music career began in 2010 when he started writing songs for local artists. In 2010 he wrote the hook to Hoodie Allen’s breakout hit “No Interruptions” and shortly after his career began to take off. Over the next four years, he wrote songs for the likes of Joey Bada$$, Chris Brown, and others. Although JHN was making money and gaining respect as a songwriter he was tired of living through the success of others. In 2016 he decided to put all bets on himself and began releasing music as SAINt JHN.

After a few hot singles and some intriguing music videos, JHN released his debut project in 2018. Collection One is smooth, sexy, and extremely tasteful. During an interview with Billboard JHN was asked how it came together:

“Collection One is a selfish project. I make music that I want to hear. If someone made the music I wanted to hear, I probably wouldn’t be doing music. If there was someone to cover the spectrum of all of the things I wanted to hear, then I would have nothing to contribute to the conversation.”

— SAINt JHN

There isn’t a bad track on the 44-minute project and the whole tape truly occupies its own lane. The production is some of the best of 2018 and JHN creates a deeply immersive and absorbing vibe. His unique fusion of influences and life experiences leads Collection One to be one of the most captivating albums of 2018. The whole project is definitely worth a listen but an easy stand out is the catchy bop, “N***a Sh*t (Swoosh).” Stream Collection One here:

Collection One, an album by SAINt JHN on Spotify

As good as Collection One was, JHN wasn’t ready to be done for 2018. He continued to model for Gucci’s Guilty campaign and was a part of an extremely passionate and modern project with his ex-lover (read about it here). While it was cool to see JHN in this context, music fans were more interested in the two, high-energy singles released at the end of the year. “McDonalds Rich” and “White Parents Are Gonna Hate This” were two head-banging cuts and with similar cover art, the chances we get a new SAINt JHN album in the very near future is high. Listen to “White Parents Are Gonna Hate This” below:

This article is for my “Artists Up Next” series and while I will admit that SAINt JHN is already “up” (1.75 million monthly listeners on Spotify) I thought it fit here because of the 2019 I expect JHN to have. I firmly believe we are months away from the explosion of SAINt JHN. He has a unique enough sound where his next release could propel him to true stardom and he is in his own lane meaning there is no ceiling on his potential. When it’s all said and done SAINt JHN could be one of the top recording artists of 2019.

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