Skott's new single Amelia is the best song of the week

It starts off as a folk song and ends up sounding like The Joker blowing up Kanye West's mansion. Amelia, the new single by Scandinavian singer Skott, is immediate, thrilling and, dare I say, essential.

The key to her idiosyncratic style can be found in an official biography, which reads: "Skott grew up in a remote small town forest commune run by outcast folk musicians. The small supportive community exposed her to music while she grew up in this unorthodox childhood, however Skott didn’t actually hear any contemporary music until she went to the city for the first time in her mid-teens."

Amelia, she says, is about reaching a crisis point in a relationship. "Is it worth continuing or is this the end?" she says.

"The song's about not giving up, fighting to keep that special someone next to you despite the hardest of times.

"'Amelia' reminds me of my first love as a young teenager when I'd dream up crazy plans for the future. They weren't always realistic but they were honest and dramatic."



Skott's over in the UK next week, supporting Canadian girl-rock band Muna - who are equally excellent. If you want to see some of 2017's break-out stars before they become too big for their boots, then head down to Notting Hill's Art Club next Wednesday. I'll see you there.

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New Music Friday: Five of the best

New Music Friday... Sounds exciting, doesn't it? But it's the middle of summer and the release schedules are looking a little thin, so you can probably give it a miss. EXCEPT, of course, for these songs. Which are all at least a 6/10.

1) Jason Derulo - Kiss The Sky
Jason Derulo never met a bandwagon he didn't like, so here he is with his Uptown Funk rip-off tribute. It's from a greatest hits album, if you can believe such a thing exists.




2) Nao - In The Morning
Nao's debut album is out today, which is good news for anyone who likes woozy, murky R&B. This song, a staple of her live set for over a year, starts like a million other gloomy pop songs but stick around for the climax. OMG.




3) Offaiah - Trouble
Just a great, upbeat dance track, straight out of Argentina. It's been creeping up the dance charts since May - but gets its official release today.




4) JoJo - Fuck Apologies (feat Wiz Khalifa)
Former America's Most Talented Kids contestant JoJo proves she's all grown up by swearing unnecessarily on what is otherwise a perfectly-serviceable pop song.





5) Skott - Wolf
Lorde-endorsed, dreamy Scandanavian pop.

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