With the Hummingbird Rotation, we hope to give folks a closer look at the songs that get the most play at Hummingbird HQ. This installment, hear about Florence + The Machine, Brothers Osborne, and Pusha T.

What The Water Gave Me // Florence + The Machine

There’s really something to be said about a song that gives you the chills while seemingly transporting you to a different world when you hit play. “What The Water Gave Me” does just that to the listener, bombarding them with eerie yet hopeful emotion in what can only be described as a sonic baptism. That’s not that surprising though considering the song’s name.

The track consists of multiple build-ups followed by increasingly cathartic releases. As lead singer, Florence Welch, begs for relaxation and reprieve from struggle and effort, a manic organ, passionate drums, and subtle guitar back her powerful vocals. The cascade of sound eventually overflows as every instrument hits max intensity while Welch, almost as if possessed, croons “eeeeyeaaaa” repeatedly. The epic progression is absolutely worth your time.

It’s the type of song that belongs at the end of a movie and, perhaps, the end of your night.

It Ain’t My Fault // Brothers Osborne

Brothers Osborne are a damn good time. The Maryland duo pack real country punch. “It Ain’t My Fault”, and its passionate rejection of responsibility for a night of partying, fit seamlessly into both their amped discography and your electric summer.

As mentioned, the premise is pretty simple. Kicking off with a consistently enticing drum beat, the track soon adds the howls of the electric guitar before dropping out briefly so lead singer, T.J. Osborne, can inform us of what exactly it is that isn’t his fault. Lyrics like “blame my lack of knowing better on public education” and “blame the ex for the drinkin’, blame the drinkin’ for the ex, blame the two for one tequila’s for whatever happens next” ooze just the right amount of carelessness you need for a Friday night. I haven’t even mentioned the choir-backed choruses that give the song a soulful thump and propel the party even higher.

Put it on whenever you want to go fast or raise the stakes. Just please do it responsibility because, despite the name, it will not serve as a valid legal defense.

Intro // Pusha T

From the first lines of “Intro,” Pusha T sets the tone for King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (a fantastic, seriously underrated album you should listen to if you haven’t already), delivering bars with his signature steely, scathing sneer: “Leave your conscience at the door / We done hid the monsters in the floor / I speak to the trap lords / and n*ggas with they hands in the white like blackboards.”

The beat is ridiculously aggressive, hard-hitting, and grimy — guaranteed to give you stank-face like you just shoved your nose into a pair of old sneakers. Its rhythm is unconventional, mostly lacking a snare or snare-esque element. Instead, the tempo is maintained by explosive, bruising kicks that rattle the track at a cruising pace.

“Intro” is a clinic in time-tested, refined lyricism from a rap veteran of twenty-six years. From time comes perspective, and Push’s view of how the rap game has changed is made clear: “I’m watching this three-ring circus / Old lions don’t roar so the clowns ain’t nervous / Even you fools serve purpose / Let ‘em run amok until the king resurface.” In short, “Intro” is the sound of the king resurfacing.