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Songs you need to hear is CBC Music’s weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.
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Paradis, ElGrandeToto feat. Charlotte Cardin
Moroccan rapper ElGrandeToto has enlisted pop star Charlotte Cardin for a danceable summer sizzler with Paradis, the musical portrait of a beachy utopia. On the opening verse, Cardin’s familiar voice floats in: “Paradis/ comme un soleil interdit,” as she sings about paradise being like a magical hidden sun. The sleek, Koboi-produced song emphasizes Cardin’s ability to harmonize with herself, and she gives a dreamy, full vocal performance before ElGrandeToto’s robotic, echoing voice slides in. Together they sound euphoric, with Cardin’s French lyrics meeting ElGrandeToto’s blend of French and Darjia (Moroccan Arabic) verses as he sings: “Khassni nkoun fin makayn aucun pépin/ Bronzé w f’yedi rosé,” about wanting to be in this paradise where he is tanned and sipping on rosé. Over the thumping bass, the two rise over the synth-pop instrumentals, which give the track a vibrant, retro energy. The song is part of the deluxe version of ElGrandeToto’s album Salgoat, Vol. 2, which dropped on June 26. — Natalie Harmsen
Whole Lotta Talkin’, Lisa LeBlanc
We’ve already put forward our contenders for song of the summer, but Lisa LeBlanc has dropped a new challenger. The surf-rock riffs on Whole Lotta Talkin’ take off after the very first drum roll, delivering a B-52s-inspired banger that serves spicy side-eye from start to finish. The second single that LeBlanc has released since her Polaris-shortlisted and Juno-nominated 2022 album, Chiac Disco, Whole Lotta Talkin’ is about “being cornered by someone who just won’t shut up,” according to the press release, and the accompanying video of LeBlanc and her puppet band, directed by Alexandre Pelletier, serves a fun revenge plot. Trust us: you’ll be singing the lines, “Whole lotta talkin’, not a whole lotta listenin'” for the rest of the summer. — Holly Gordon
Gameboi, SadBoi
With each new release this year, SadBoi has cemented her party queen status — and with Gameboi she proves that crown will not be slipping anytime soon. She released Money Talk in late May, a little pre-summer tease that was accompanied by a chaotic vlog of a night out in Toronto, then pre-party hype-up track All My Girls followed in June. Gameboi finds her in a fun and flirty mood, ready to dive straight into debauchery: “I wanna just kiss all night/ I wanna go ride your gameboy/ too many shots all damn night/ I don’t remember your name, boy.” Over ping-ponging drum kicks and dark-wave synths SadBoi revels in being a bit of a mess, and that’s the kind of energy that summertime allows us to indulge in. Follow her suit and save getting your life together for autumn and winter. — Kelsey Adams