Celebrate George Washington’s 288th (and that extra day off) with these hot new tunes. #NMM!

“Animal” – Aurora

After the release of her gorgeous and criminally underrated EP, Infections of a Different Kind (Step I), Aurora dropped a new track for the next phase of this musical project, “Animal.” Focusing on the basic primal instincts of humans searching for love, the song is echoey, sparse, and ironically disturbing as Aurora sings about “hunting for love / killing for pleasure” over upbeat marimba sounds. With her quintessential voice dripping with reverb, Aurora offers nothing new vocally here, but instead blends lyrics and instrumentation masterfully. Racing drum beats and dense, dark synth chords drive every chorus, creating a near-perfect sonic landscape for what Aurora calls being “lost in a concrete jungle.” – Rachel Saywitz

“Bad Habit” – Ben Platt

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It’s almost as if Ben Platt’s career was prewritten, and willed into existence by some sort of outside force. I remember seeing The Book of Mormon when it first came to Chicago and recognizing Platt (as many people did) from Pitch Perfect. Platt’s national profile expanded even further after landing a Tony for the hit Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. Now his lucrative existence continues, and this time Atlantic Records is getting in on the action, as a series of songs have been dropping in preparation for his debut studio album. The latest single, “Bad Habit” is par for the course, sounding like a generic blend of Hozier and Sam Smith. Obviously the selling point is Platt’s vocal performance, which is as strong as ever, but aside from the Broadway pipes the track is terribly bland. It’s clear Platt is trying to paint a different picture of himself, something more mature and sexy than striped shirts and arm casts. Arguably, he succeeds in this, but that doesn’t stop “Bad Habit” from being a paint-by-numbers ballad. – Isaac Shur

“Are You Bored Yet?” (ft. Clairo) – Wallows

Their debut album, Nothing Happens, is set to release on March 22nd, but they’ve recently released the first single from the album, “Are You Bored Yet?,” a collaboration with singer-songwriter Clairo. The track sets the tone for what fans can expect out of a full-length album from Wallows, which seems to be more of the same. “Are You Bored Yet?” sounds like your typical indie-rock song, with Minnette and Clairo singing over a catchy instrumental while questioning whether or not their partner is as committed to their relationship as they are.

While they don’t do much to separate themselves from any other young indie-rock group, Wallows continues to produce music that connects with listeners and is fun to listen to. – Rachel Feinberg

“Lucky You” – Miyachi

As bilingualism bleeds into hip hop Miyachi becomes a top contender for the ability of blending two languages in one song beautifully. In “Lucky You,” released just two days ago Miyachi dips between rapping in English and Japanese. He tells stories of a dream and challenges fads present in hip hop today. “No 40 glocks or face tats,” is indicative of his true-to-hip-hop style that transcends the “quick buck” mentality of most mainstream artists today. The song starts with him retelling a dream he had, and then moves to issues he’s faced as a hip hop artist. Miyachi’s quick rapping and thoughtful rhymes are tell-tale signs of true talent. Most of the press surrounding Miyachi has been from Japanese outlets or in Japanese, further proving the dynamic and original ability he brings to the table. – Vana Pistoftzian