This Week's Must-Listen Singles: G Flip, Illy, Carmouflage Rose + more

Every week, we're hammered with tonnes of new music from Australia and afar, so much so that at times, it feels a little overwhelming and you're not quite sure where to begin. Every week, we run down this week's must-listen singles and releases, this week featuring names like Adrian Eagle, Bootleg Rascal, Vera Blue and more. Check out Pilerats' homepage for more brilliant music and news, or subscribe to our Spotify Office Playlist for easy listening.

G Flip - Stupid

It's hard to believe that it's been just over twelve months since G Flip's sudden arrival. However, unlike many surprise stars to come from the last few years, the Melbourne-based musician and multi-instrumentalist has proved that she's got the longevity needed to do something special, whether it be nationally - performing Splendour and Groovin the Moo amongst three sold-out national tours - or internationally, where she's often found on writing trips or performing dream festivals like Lollapalooza. After the success of her two 2019 singles thus far - Drink Too Much and I Am Not Afraid - she's followed it up with a third, Stupid, and a nod to her break-out hit About You with the announcement of her debut album, About Us - out August 30th. Stupid, meanwhile, is a refined slice of pop music that showcases how far G Flip has come on a songwriting level despite the strength of her work thus far, continuing her trend of evolving from one song to the next as she grapples intimate songwriting and pairs it with accessibility, combining for a masterful track that feels like the perfect evolution for G Flip as she enters album mode.

Illy - Codes

With ten years of consistent, yet forward-thinking releases solidifying Illy's place as one of Australia's hip-hop essentials, it appears he's switching things up - slightly. In Then What, his first release his career-defining 2016 album Two Degrees, Illy debuted a new sound that felt pristine and ready for radio, pinpointing and fleshing out the pop mannerisms that highlight some of his biggest hits - the Vera Blue-assisted Papercuts for example - for a track that felt like a real evolution of his work thus far, and a step in the right direction as the boundaries between commercial hip-hop and pop continue to blur. On Codes, however, he finds the meeting point between this sound and his signature Australian rap edge, paying homage to his roots in that distinct rap sound while also layering it with elements that bring excitement for whatever he has next - presumed to be his long-awaited sixth album. Produced and written alongside close friend and collaborator Cam Bluff, the track is just another example of how Illy always stays on top - no matter how far he's been away.

Carmouflage Rose - Sele

Only growing since his sudden arrival with 2017's Late Nights, it's become clear ten times over that Carmouflage Rose is one of Australia's next best things in hip-hop, and in 2019, that's not changing. After his 2018 debut EP Taste explored his many facets as a rapper-on-the-rise, he's now back again with his first track for 2019 in Sele, and it's one that showcases exactly what we've come to love from Rose over the years. Written after a trip to his birth country Zimbabwe earlier this year, Sele feels like a deeper look not just into Carmouflage Rose's sound but also him as a human, capturing newfound energy that came with reconnecting with his roots as he sets his upbeat rap sound onto a new course. "Reconnecting with my roots and family gave me a new direction and focus with my music," he says on the track, which arrives with a huge national tour through September - deets and tickets HERE. "Experiencing the studio culture in Zimbabwe helped me approach the way I record in a way that demanded my best. Over there you are in a small space with five other rappers all trying to get on the same beat, so you have to be at your best and own it first take."

Thomston - Deal

Over the last four years, New Zealand's Thomston has time and time again proved his worth as one of his country's most exciting names in pop music. In fact, even in the time since his debut album Topograph in 2016, he's continually blossomed into one of pop music's most consistent and down-right great; his romanticised, R&B edge setting himself a unique lane to dominate in. After sharing a single, Lightweight, just a few weeks back, he's already followed it up with one just as addictive, with Deal. Unlike the previous single, Deal is a track that highlights those R&B tones to his sound, channelling names including Khalid as his gentle voice soothes above a hypnotic production that feels like a strong step forward (it was produced alongside Nicholas Chrisp (of Sachi), Jacob Schdroski (of LA Women) and Montell 2099, each some of New Zealand's best), while lyrically, it highlights his knack for finding intimate moments in pop. "People are so accessible, that we’ve grown increasingly disposable. We’re messaged until we’re ghosted, and that can mess with your sense of self-worth," he says. "Deal is facing that disposability head-on, demanding clarity about a relationship."

Eliott - Find A Way

One of our favourite discoveries of the past few years would have to be Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Eliott, who with a steady run of releases capped with last year's debut EP Bold Enough, seems to be finding success in this intimate connection between subtle pop and emotive songwriting. It's something that was also on display with her first track of 2019, Shaking My Hips, and again now, as she continues the momentum with Find A Way. Written with Dylan Nash and Jack Grace, Find A Way is a shimmering moment of capturing pop music which highlights this musical intersection, keeping the distinct emotive boldness of her past work even as she explores sounds more traditionalist pop. "Find A Way is about losing all your insecurities and finally finding peace in who you are and where you are," she says on the single, which arrives after a series of tracks showcased her in the guest artist and songwriting chair - The Kite String Tangle's Doing Time, LUCIANBLOMKAMP's Doing This For You, and Montaigne's Ready. "Having trust in not only yourself but your surroundings, in a place where your intuition brings serenity and allows you to get your shit together."