The singles bar: Coachella 2017 edition

It’s Coachella time, kids, and you know what that means: flash tattoos, day drinking, questionable celebrity fashion, unfortunate instances of cultural appropriation and new tunes from some of our favorite artists. Even if you can’t spend upwards of $399 per weekend to attend either of the festival’s extravagant weekends in Indio, lots of new music is already available for streaming, so you can listen while you save money! Don’t worry, Beyoncé couldn’t go either.

“The Cure” – Lady Gaga

For Gaga fans who hated the stripped down, folksy “Joanne” (2016), you’re in luck. During her Coachella headliner performance on Saturday night, Lady Gaga included the surprise debut of a brand new song called “The Cure” that’s pure contemporary pop. One Tufts fan lovingly described the track as “so 2008,” but it’s more reminiscent of something from Selena Gomez’s “Revival” (2015) than anything from the beginning of Gaga’s career. Infectious electronic rhythms are paired with toned-down vocals and snapping that build to a chorus as catchy as the flu. The lyrics are sweet and easy, as Gaga gives her unconditional love and support to the object of her affection. "If I can't find the cure / I'll, I'll fix you with my love / And if you say you're okay / I'm gonna heal you anyway / Promise I'll always be there / Promise I'll be the cure,” she sings. No doubt you’ll be hearing it at your next party.

Rating: 4.5/5

“Seize the Block” – Migos

In the wake of “Culture” (2017) and the insane success of “Bad and Boujee,” Migos has been keeping a pretty low profile. The Atlanta trio dropped their first new material since the album with “Seize the Block,” their contribution to the soundtrack for “The Fate of the Furious” (2017), the eighth installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise. Migos holds their own against the rap heavy-hitters like Lil Uzi Vert, Quavo, 2 Chainz and Young Thug on the rest of the soundtrack. “Seize the Block” is the pump-up rap song that’s unassuming enough to support on-screen action, but big enough to fuel your workout. Fans shouldn’t be disappointed by the new material, but there’s no promising that it will hold them over until the next album.

Rating: 3/5

“Homemade Dynamite” – Lorde

Lorde fans are over the moon about the amount of new music that the New Zealand ingénue has been dropping lately. In March, we got the first taste of her sophomore album “Melodrama” (2017) with “Green Light,” an energetic break-up anthem, and “Liability,” a lonely piano ballad. Ahead of her set at Coachella this past weekend, Lorde premiered another single, “Sober,” at a surprise warm-up show in Pioneertown, Calif., her first full performance since 2014. While recordings of “Sober” sound promising, the real gem is yet another song she previewed during her Sunday night Coachella performance, “Homemade Dynamite.”

The single is still the same sultry, breathy Lorde we know and love, but with a new party edge and catchy, tongue-in-cheek chorus: “Blowin’ shit up with homemade dynamite.” The singer explained before the performance that “Homemade Dynamite” is about “the moment at the party when you’re with all your friends and it’s sick. Everyone's there.” This feel-good approach to pop is very different from the moody teen angst we get on “Pure Heroine” (2013), but it doesn’t quite sound like selling out, either. Hopefully both new tracks will be available on streaming services before the album’s release on June 16.

Rating: 3.5/5

“Squatting in Heaven” – Black Lips

Black Lips, the Atlanta garage rock ensemble you probably know from the “(500) Days of Summer” (2009)soundtrack, just dropped the second single from their forthcoming LP, “Satan’s grafitti or God’s art?” (2017). The rough-and-ready preview single, appropriately titled “Squatting in Heaven,” will sound familiar to fans of Black Lip’s “Good Bad Not Evil” (2017), but unfortunately doesn’t have the same devil-may-care bounce of songs like “Bad Kids.” “Squatting in Heaven” is heavy on horns that drone rhythmically, making the whole thing sound pretty monotonous. However, producer Sean Lennon’s psychedelic influence shines through in some of the guitar riffs. It’s a good listen if you’re feeling moody, but their first single, “Can’t Hold On,” is the stronger track.

Rating: 2.5/5