Welcome to the third volume of SOTBMusic Quickies. You should know the deal by now. I get a lot of good music. However, some songs (mainly due to the time constraints of mostly being a one-man show), I won’t be able to get a whole write-up on. Each Friday, I take a group of songs and write brief pieces on them. And look, I even have a (quickly made) logo now.

NU GODZ – “Lonely Night”

UK rap quartet NU GODZ’ latest track, “Lonely Night,” gives me heavy cypher bars. That’s the main reason I like this one, aside from, you know, the fact that each rapper raps their ass off. I’m a sucker for tracks that have that “brothers just spitting to get their voices heard” element to them. The beat on this one allows each artist to float over it, with some of the most-hype boombap bars I’ve heard this week.

Joelle Buyckx – “Separate Ways”

This one sounds like a mix between SZA on the vocals and a bit like Summer Walker with the songwriting. It’s a throwback R&B jam that finds Buyckx saying she’s better off without her (ex)partner. I love her vocals, because they’re sweet but also intense (it’s also because she’s layered her vocals at key points on the verses and hooks). This is grown folks R&B because it’s less about just sexing exes or randos and more about growing up and moving on.

Robeson, Sophia Lili and Sam Ellwood – “En Route”

I love this one, because it reminds me a bit of Mac and later-day Asher Roth. It’s boombappy and snappy, but still contains “I’m going to gain what I desire” vibes throughout. Robeson’s verses are bouncy, but still quite lyrically sound. This one is a highlight of SOTBMusic Quickies because the UK trio on this one make something that had me bobbing my head and rewinding it while also whistling the hook’s melody.

Velleese – “Holy Water Baby”

I like the church parallels Velleese employs here, comparing being saved by religion to being saved from insecurities within a relationship. Unfortunately, Velleese’s partner isn’t up to snuff on the saving aspect. This one has a Rihanna sing-rap vibe to it and kind of even reminds me a bit of the homie NighLawn‘s most-recent tracks. If that piques your interests, I recommend checking it out above.

Shirlvin Desir – “Your Way”

This one is Christian R&B in the way that it’s clean and has a several references to living like Jesus in one’s daily life and getting away from the sin(s) of the secular world. However, it’s also a beautiful track that can be played along with your Bryson Tillers as it’s bass-heavy and harmonious. I like that this one does have as much of a religious overtone as it does because it helps push the message along without being cloying in its approach. Desir can sing and he uses his gift to speak on The Word. That’s great in my opinion, even though I typically feature a lot of secularly-bound music on SOTB.

Trevor Lee, Sammy Cokas, DJ SnapShot, G Wiz and Berki – “Everyday is Christmas”

I love this song, because it’s like what’d happen if Mac Miller and Justin Bieber at his most soulful would’ve made a Christmas song together (and yes, I remember the “Boyfriend” remix from 2012). That’s it, that’s the reason you should check it out. Oh…you need more? Well, seeing that I’m always here for Christmas songs that don’t exactly fit the “Jingle Bells”/”Someday at Christmas” sound, I’m here for this one because of its playful nature and its “let’s cuddle up and be together” vibes.

See you next week on SOTBMusic Quickies, the place where short-form reviews and dope music coincide. Check out these songs above and support dope music in all its forms.