There's a specific kind of bleak bartering that happens at 2 AM, and Rusty Reid’s single “Piece of the Action” builds a whole four-minute economy around it. This isn't a song about the sweeping grandeur of romance; it’s a clinical look at turning “dissatisfaction” into “a transaction of love.” The language is deliberate, almost like a contract being signed on a napkin under a...

She gives off an air of seriousness and composure when singing, but her performance belies the depth of feeling she channels. A new song by the French singer and songwriter Naya, named "Vaguémo," has been released recently. The song is about melancholy and being on one's alone. She has a distinctive style—dream pop—and a voice like velvet, so smooth and alluring it captivates as she expertly...