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Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Taylor Swift unveils her latest re-recording, TOMORROW X TOGETHER creates summer fun with Jonas Brothers, and new albums from Rauw Alejandro and Dominic Fike are ready to be fired up. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
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Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the newly released re-recording of Taylor Swift’s 2010 album, reanimates a country-pop masterpiece that was solely written by Swift as her teens gave her to her twenties. Speak Now showcased Swift’s aesthetic command and solidifying point of view during a period of personal growth — and along with revisiting one of the most complete projects of her career, the six “From The Vault” songs on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) are of a piece with that growth.
Click here to read more about all six “From The Vault” songs on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).
TOMORROW X TOGETHER & Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That”
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Shortly after offering a sparkling summer jam with “Waffle House,” Jonas Brothers have joined forces with TOMORROW X TOGETHER to faithfully provide fans with more fodder for their cookout playlists: “Do It Like That” is a no-frills jam from a pair of collectives whose brands of pop fit together quite easily. Much of the song’s immediate appeal comes from its percussive bounce, snaps and pops and found-sound clanging piquing eardrums, but the JoBros and TXT ride those drums admirably, offering plenty of charm over “Do It Like That’s” short run time.
Rauw Alejandro, Playa Saturno
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The cover of Rauw Alejandro’s new album Playa Saturno features the Puerto Rican superstar alone on a desolate planet, lounging in a beach chair under an umbrella; the implication is that, no matter what the environment, Alejandro will be ready to unleash summery pleasures. The best moments of Playa Saturno find Alejandro enhancing the kinetic grooves that he previously explored on hits like “Todo De Ti” and “Party” with Bad Bunny; “Si Te Pegas,” featuring Miguel Bosé, is saved for the final minutes of the full-length, but may be the most joyful distillation of Alejandro’s formula in recent memory.
Dominic Fike, Sunburn
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Florida is the beating, complicated heart of Sunburn, Dominic Fike’s second studio album, which examines the singer-songwriter’s upbringing as he refines his singular approach to emotionally honest pop. Songs like “Mona Lisa,” “Sick” and the Weezer collaboration “Think Fast” carry a hangdog appeal on top of more serious issues, as Fike pivots from rapping to crooning over fuzzed-out guitars with aplomb while prodding at the many issues in the past and present of his home state.
FendiDa Rappa feat. Cardi B, “Point Me 2”
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Cardi B’s year of blessing rising women in rap with scorching-hot guest verses continues: after hopping on GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2” and Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” — and sending both songs charging up the charts — the superstar has linked up with Chicago MC FendiDa Rappa on “Point Me 2,” scooping up the ominous beat as her own while also giving her new collaborator ample room to shine. Each of these guest verses have shown Cardi in smash-the-world mode, and here, she rips into lines like “I blow fifty racks in Target, on some stupid shit” with enough force to flatten a city block.
Editor’s Pick: NewJeans, “Super Shy”
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While songs like “OMG” and “Ditto” have helped NewJeans mount their position as one of K-pop’s most exciting new acts, their new single expands their boundaries even further, simply by locating a type of bubblegum wonder that fans of any strain of popular music can happily chew. “Super Shy” sports rapidly shuffling beats, subtle synth work and the NewJeans members seamlessly weaving in and out of rap breakdowns and melodic yearning, as they try to combat their bashfulness together and achieve one of the summer’s most undeniable pop tracks.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Doja Cat demands your “Attention,” Gunna contemplates a new reality, and Queens of the Stone roar back after too long away. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Doja Cat, “Attention”
Following a commercial run that has included a string of huge singles and an indelible mark on pop music, Doja Cat can go anywhere she wants — and on highly anticipated new single “Attention,” the multi-hyphenate flaunts her power by crashing sounds into one another and cutting off anyone trying to crash her party. After an intro that combines harp and finger-picked guitar, the melodies and rhythms of “Attention” snap into place, and Doja rattles off a pair of highly impressive rap verses; Doja had been teasing a more hip-hop-leaning project to follow 2021’s Planet Her, and here, she combines influences like Tyler, The Creator’s internal rhyming and Eminem’s wordplay into molten-lava bars about the balance of body image and artistic gravitas. “I am not afraid to finally say s–t with my chest,” Doja proclaims — a sentiment that “Attention” makes abundantly clear.
Gunna, A Gift & A Curse
In the spring of 2022, Gunna was riding high off of his DS4ever album and its standout single “Pushin P,” leading Young Stoner Life alongside Young Thug as a new hip-hop powerhouse. Soon after, YSL was the target of a sprawling RICO case, and Gunna was able to strike a plea deal last December after months behind bars — although many hip-hop fans perceived his release as an untrustworthy sign of cooperation with the authorities. Gunna unpacks his complex circumstances on the aptly named A Gift & A Curse, the formerly vibed-out rapper adopting a somber tone while reflecting on his journey and ultimately finding a semblance of peace in his craft on a compelling, guest-free project.
Queens of the Stone Age, In Times New Roman…
Six years after linking up with Mark Ronson and aiming to dance a little with 2017’s Villains, Queens of the Stone Age are back to what they do best: grand, crunchy rock, with the bluesy exterior and Josh Homme’s innate gift for hook-writing inviting a beer-hoisted boogie. In Times New Roman… follows a difficult period in Homme’s life that included a cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery, and the painful life experiences have been mined for a batch of snarling, self-produced songs –QOTSA hasn’t sounded this invigorated since 2005’s Lullabies to Paralyze, and Homme deserves credit for guiding this return to form.
Don Omar, Forever King
Don Omar has been a reggaetón pioneer long before the sound fought its way into the U.S. mainstream, and maintained his stature during a recording break following 2019’s The Last Album. With Forever King, however, Omar visits a variety of different sounds, from mambo to tropical to urban, expanding the contours of his reggaetón aesthetic while welcoming a slew of collaborators (Residente, Wisin, Nio Garcia and Maluma among them) and asserting his dominance within Latin music as a whole. Forever King plays out like the perfect type of album from a veteran artist: tasteful experimentation abounds, with plenty for longtime fans.
Read a full review and track ranking for the new Don Omar album.
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton, “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
“This song embodies a place that I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we’ve all felt at some point in a relationship,” Carly Pearce shared in a press release of her new Chris Stapleton collaboration, “We Don’t Fight Anymore.” “The distance that feels heartbreaking, yet you’re also indifferent.” Both country greats bring their A-game to this story of a relationship cold war, but Pearce and co-producers Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne nail the song’s atmosphere: an uncluttered country arrangement is marked by mournful fiddle and guitar, bubbling up as if to remind the voices of the fond memories before once again disappearing.
Asake, Work of Art
Fast-rising Nigerian artist Asake has delivered his second album, Work of Art, to lofty expectations: he’s touring North America in a few months, including a headlining show at Barclays Center in Brooklyn; collaborating with stars like Davido and Fireboy DML; and working with a handful of producers who know how to elevate artists on an international scale. Fortunately, Work of Art addresses the professional pressure with pure joy, a confident synthesis of different African music styles heavy of wide-reaching vocal harmonies and string flourishes, with a few clear hits (“Basquiat,” “Amapiano” with Olamide, “2:30”) headlining the potential breakthrough.
Editor’s Pick: Peggy Gou, “(It Goes Like) Nanana”
Need to physically shake off a long work week? “(It Goes Like) Nanana,” the first new track from dance auteur Peggy Gou in nearly two years, has arrived to inspire uninhibited movement with nods to classic house anthems, ‘90s jock jams and modern club sounds. Gou has long been capturing feelings of bliss, but “(It Goes Like) Nanana” is immediately one of the producer’s most self-contained and accessible singles to date; her first release on XL Recordings and the lead single of a long-awaited debut album, the song precedes an exciting artistic period, as well as a summer full of dance breaks.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week, Sam Smith gets “vulgar” with the Queen of Pop, Rosalía stays active in the studio, Niall Horan presents his latest solo vision and BTS salutes ARMY. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Sam Smith with Madonna, “Vulgar”
As “Unholy” became the first Hot 100 chart-topper of Sam Smith’s career last year, the Kim Petras collaboration doubled as their most unlikely hit to date, its sweaty electro-pop chants a far cry from the elegant vocal showcases that made Smith a superstar. “Vulgar,” then, represents a logical next step into that sound, as well as an exciting proposition as a Smith-Madonna team-up: a throbbing, purposely provocative banger that challenges all haters (“Say we’re ridiculous, we’ll just go harder!” Smith and Madge declare in unison), the single uses backlash as fuel, lets Madonna flip off the world, and potentially gives Smith another club-thumping hit.
Rosalía, “Tuya”
Although Rosalía released her acclaimed MOTOMAMI album a little over a year ago and has been traveling the world in support of the full-length, the Spanish superstar has continued one of the most prolific recording periods of her career with a handful of one-off tracks, as well as her RR project with Rauw Alejandro. New single “Tuya” crystallizes her sonic aspirations: the slithering track mashes up reggaeton with the Japanese instrument koto underneath Rosalía’s trademark vulnerability, showcasing an artist who continues to expand her profile but refuses to rest on her laurels.
Niall Horan, The Show
Three quarters of a decade removed from the last One Direction album and three albums into a subsequent solo career, Niall Horan has, at long last, settled into himself. After 2017 debut Flicker kick-started his solo artistry with some surefire radio hits (“This Town,” “Slow Hands”) and 2020’s Heartbreak Weather featured a handful of sonic chances (“Nice To Meet Ya,” “Put a Little Love on Me”), The Show, Horan’s best album to date, tells us what type of long-term career he wants to fashion by splitting the difference and achieving consistency.
Click here to read a full review of Horan’s new album.
BTS, “Take Two”
This month marks the 10-year anniversary of BTS, a group that revolutionized the reach and perception of Asian pop artists in North America and around the world — and as their downtime continues and various members score solo hits, the collective has offered fans a reflective new single that hopefully sets the stage for their second act. The best moments on “Take Two” involve two BTS members harmonizing, their voices intertwined as they croon about youth and their shared gratitude; the solo projects have been satisfying in recent months, but the power of a fully aligned BTS remains singular.
J Hus feat. Drake, “Who Told You”
If “Search & Rescue” — a downbeat single, released in April, about wanting to be saved by a monogamous relationship — served as Drake’s springtime smash, “Who Told You,” a new team-up with British rapper J Hus, may very well become his summer hit, an upbeat, Afrobeats-adjacent take on the idea that too-cool-for-school guys need to report to the dance floor, too. Drake changes up his flow to match his collaborator and beat, but still relies upon his tough-guy charms and melodic rap skill set, making “Who Told You” a throwback to his guest spot days of yore, when he was assisting artists like Rihanna, 2 Chainz and French Montana on party hits.
Janelle Monáe, The Age of Pleasure
After spending so much of her recording career constructing narratives and multilayer concepts, Janelle Monáe wants to party on new album The Age of Pleasure, a well-deserved celebration that may also be the most front-to-back satisfying listen in her catalog. Although the ambition of her previous projects remains, it’s pointed at straightforward R&B grooves and immediate pop hooks: songs like the boisterous “Champagne Shit,” swaying “Water Slide” and sexually charged “Lipstick Lover” invite the listener to get lost in their sensual worlds, while Monáe acts as a tour guide to her beautifully messy desires.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, The Weeknd stands alongside fellow Idols Madonna and Playboi Carti, Foo Fighters pay tribute to a fallen brother and Peso Pluma lays down a session with Bizarrap. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Peso Pluma & Bizarrap, “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 55”
Considering how their respective rises have been similarly meteoric, the pairing of Peso Pluma and Bizarrap, on the latest edition of the latter’s viral YouTube series, constitutes one of the biggest collaborations of 2023, in any genre — an unlikely proposition just a few months ago. Yet “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 55” makes the most of the ascendant Mexican artist’s increasingly ubiquitous croon and the Argentine producer’s knack for letting his collaborators shine, then swooping in with some nifty embellishments: listen to how the team-up takes off into the stratosphere when a trap beat and more production effects arrive in the song’s final minute.
The Weeknd with Playboi Carti & Madonna, “Popular”
This week, one HBO Sunday-night franchise shuts down and another opens up, as the series finale of Succession is followed by the premiere of the controversy-courting music industry drama The Idol, co-starring The Weeknd. On “Popular,” the latest track from the series’ forthcoming soundtrack, The Weeknd, Madonna and Playboi Carti function like Kendall, Shiv and Roman pre-boardroom drama: what looks like an odd collection of artists on paper complement each other nicely, with The Weeknd and Madonna providing pop flourishes over plinking rhythms and Carti accentuating the song with some clipped bars to polish off what could be a kicky summer song.
Foo Fighters, But Here We Are
A press release for Foo Fighters’ latest album describes But Here We Are as “hard-fought” — an understandable description, considering the shocking death of drummer Taylor Hawkins last year and the band’s decision to continue recording and touring in spite of his absence. Produced with Greg Kurstin and featuring some of Dave Grohl’s most nakedly heartfelt songwriting to date, But Here We Are finds power in grief: the 10-minute “The Teacher” towers above the rest of the album with choked-up ambition, but straightforward rockers like “The Glass,” where Growl howls “I had a vision of you, and just like that / I was left to live without it,” are just as effective.
Metro Boomin, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack
The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack combines two successful brand names: the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse produced the No. 1 hit “Sunflower” by Swae Lee and Post Malone, while Metro Boomin, who helms the sequel soundtrack, has been scorching hot himself lately, thanks for last year’s Heroes & Villains albums and its top 10 smash “Creepin.” Like its predecessor, the Across the Spider-Verse set boasts a cavalcade of hip-hop superheroes — Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Offset, A$AP Rocky — but contains a greater cohesion thanks to Metro’s watchful eye; in addition to unexpected turns by James Blake and Nas on standalone tracks, we also get a pair of Swae Lee Spider-Verse curtain calls, “Calling” and “Annihilate.”
Jelly Roll, Whitsitt Chapel
Jason DeFord, better known as Jelly Roll, knows that he is an unlikely music star, to put it mildly: “It’s the f–king wildest story ever to me,” he says of his rise across multiple genre charts, after years of false starts and run-ins with the law, in the latest Billboard cover story. One listen to new album Whitsitt Chapel, however, will convince you that Jelly Roll’s stardom was preordained: nimble enough to hopscotch across sounds, clamp down on an anthem and transform his most intimate failings into universal inspiration, the singer-songwriter has translated his gifts onto a grand scale with the project, and is likely to provoke a sizable response.
Stray Kids, 5-Star
Commercial expectations are naturally high for Stray Kids’ latest project — after all, their two mini-albums from 2022, ODDINARY and MAXIDENT, both topped the Billboard 200 chart, giving the K-pop collective a place in the history books. Anticipation around 5-Star has reached a fever pitch, but if Stray Kids feel any pressure, they certainly don’t exhibit an ounce on the ultra-confident 5-Star, which once again combines pop, rap, dance and electronica into a product that caters to the group members’ individual skill sets and features some of the group’s punchiest cuts, including the wild-eyed opening shot “Hall of Fame” and the whisper-hook-laden “Super Bowl.”
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Taylor Swift and Ice Spice both big-up “Karma,” Dua Lipa shimmies into the summer and Lil Durk continues to unspool his story. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Taylor Swift feat. Ice Spice, “Karma (Remix)”
Taylor Swift and Ice Spice may be at different phases in their respective experiences with fame — Swift the biggest name in music, headlining stadiums on the hottest tour of the year; Ice Spice a fresh-faced star in mainstream hip-hop, collecting her first top 10 hits after going viral last fall — but on the remix to “Karma,” from Swift’s Midnights album, the two artists share a musical sensibility marked by an effortless confidence in their craft. The highlight of Swift’s Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition), which also includes a “More Lana Del Rey” version of “Snow On The Beach” and the debut of “Hits Different” on streaming (among other goodies), the “Karma” remix finds Ice co-signing Swift’s philosophy that what goes around will come back around, in her favor: “It’s okay, baby, you ain’t gotta worry, karma never gets lazy / So, I keep my head up, my bread up, I won’t let up,” she raps.
Dua Lipa, “Dance The Night”
Rejoice: we have a new disco-pop single from Dua Lipa in time for summer. “Dance The Night,” which leads the upcoming soundtrack to the Barbie movie, functions as an uptempo stopgap between Lipa albums in the same way that singles like “One Kiss” and “Electricity” helped soothe impatient fans in between Lipa’s 2017 self-titled debut and 2020’s Future Nostalgia: working with Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Caroline Ailin on the track, Lipa sends “Dance The Night” into the same hustle-ready stratosphere as “Levitating,” her forceful voice turbo-charging the hooks in the first half of the song and then delivering one of the sleekest bridges in mainstream pop this year.
Lil Durk, Almost Healed
As Lil Durk has transformed from promising new talent to commercial question mark to late-blooming superstar over the course of his career, the Chicago rapper has remained introspective as both a solo artist and collaborator: put him in any context, over any beat, and he’ll likely share personal stories of past brutalities that help explain his present-day hardened exterior. Almost Healed, which opens with a literal therapy session with Alicia Keys and ends with Durk begging someone not to lie to him over a squealing electric guitar, also boasts guests like J. Cole, Future and 21 Savage, but is once again defined by his confessional, affecting tone.
Peso Pluma, “Bye”
For as singular a voice as Peso Pluma possesses, and how quickly his profile has expanded from the popular Mexican music scene to the entire world, the 23-year-old has often done so while joined by other artists, from Eslabon Armado on “Ella Baila Sola” to Yng Lvcas on the “La Bebe” remix to Becky G on “Chanel.” “Bye,” his first solo single since 2021’s “Por Las Noches,” capitalizes on both Pluma’s individual momentum and the rapidly shifting boundaries of regional Mexican: as horns and guitars mournfully careen off one another, Pluma proves unafraid of baring his soul and extending his syllables for maximum listener engagement.
d4vd, Petals to Thorns
Over the course of his short career, as songs like “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me” graduated from TikTok flare-ups to streaming smashes with nine-figure plays, d4vd has revealed himself to be a canny, cross-genre multi-hyphenate, an 18-year-old whose songs evoke strong reactions from older rhythmic-pop fans and screen-scrolling teens alike. All of new nine-song EP Petals to Thorns, and particularly stormy new single “The Bridge,” demonstrates his quick-grade evolution: even though “Romantic Homicide” is a highlight of the project, the newly unveiled songs sound more carefully considered than d4vd’s breakthrough hit, as if his songwriting has already adjusted to the brighter lights.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Bad Bunny has a summer banger to offer, Summer Walker checks in between full-lengths, and Post Malone is working at a furious pace. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Bad Bunny, “Where She Goes”
Bad Bunny is not satisfied with simply dominating one summer: after Un Verano Sin Ti was released last May and proceeded to take the world by storm, the superstar bursts back into view with “Where She Goes,” a new single that, unlike his recent Grupo Frontera team-up “un x100to,” is clearly designed to conjure summertime perspiration. After about 40 seconds of stormy synths and emotional crooning, the clubby percussion kicks in, and Bad Bunny morphs into a master of ceremonies, his energy never flagging even as the tempo of the track shifts around him. Bad Bunny is in a Midas-touch phase of commercial success — but even divorced from the timing of its arrival, “Where She Goes” sounds like a surefire smash, ready to pounce upon the season with hungry melody.
Summer Walker, Clear 2: Soft Life EP
At the beginning of 2019 — a year that would be momentous for Summer Walker, thanks to the October release of her Over It album — the R&B singer-songwriter released and EP, Clear, which would continue the momentum from her Last Day of Summer mixtape and set the parameters of her artistic formula. While fans await the proper follow-up to 2021’s Still Over It, Walker returns with Clear 2: Soft Life, a nine-song stopgap defined by her uncompromising perspective, whether it’s applied to yearning for company (like on the Childish Gambino collaboration “New Type”) or rejecting easy comforts (like on the spectacularly performed “Hardlife”).
Post Malone, “Mourning”
“Got a lot of s–t to say, couldn’t fit it in the chorus,” Post Malone declares at the end of the “Mourning” hook, and he’s correct, even outside of the context of the song: after 2022’s Twelve Carat Toothache marked Posty’s first full-length in three years, he’s already back next month with Austin, his fifth studio album, which was preceded by the single “Chemical.” Unlike that more pop-leaning offering, “Mourning” finds Post Malone operating within singsong rap, yelling at God and refusing to sober up while grappling with the excesses of fame; in this prolific period, the superstar is prodding at his sound and identity, and the results are intoxicating.
Kesha, Gag Order
The reinvention of Kesha’s pop career during her years-long legal battle against Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald has simultaneously been heartbreaking and revelatory: while the personal trauma that the “TiK ToK” singer has experienced during this time has been incalculable, she has mined the depths of her artistry and come up with wholly impressive sonic explorations like new album Gag Order. This album demands attention: as Kesha embraces throbbing cacophony and tries to make sense of senseless circumstances, her songwriting and vocal technique evolve with zero abandon and riveting results.
Lewis Capaldi, Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent
The list of modern artists not named Adele who can guide heart-wrenching ballads to the billion-stream club is exceedingly short, but Lewis Capaldi, who earned international success with “Someone You Loved” and “Before You Go,” is on it, understanding the cocktail of vulnerable songwriting, tender production and vocal skill needed to affect the tear ducts of global listeners. On Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent, the Scottish singer-songwriter doesn’t rip up the formula that made him a star — instead, he offers more stories that aim to stir, using songs like “Haven’t You Ever Been In Love Before?” and lead single “Forget Me” to reach wide and inspire as many listeners as possible to simply, effortlessly feel.
Kaytraminé, Kaytraminé
The combination of singer-rapper Aminé and production multi-hyphenate Kaytranada not only makes sense on paper as a fusion of two like-minded creatives who have worked well together over the years, but Kaytraminé, the duo’s self-titled debut album, also works brilliantly as a late spring release, primed to soundtrack Memorial Day Weekend hangouts and months of hazy beach days. With guests like Freddie Gibbs, Pharrell Williams and Snoop Dogg stopping by to buttress Aminé’s silky flow and Kaytranada’s luxurious beats, Kaytraminé is a summer essential on the same level of shorts and sunscreen.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Jonas Brothers are back for more summer fun, Lil Durk and J. Cole turn contemplative, and Shakira tries to continue her hot streak. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Jonas Brothers, The Album
Happiness Begins was, for all intents and purposes, Jonas Brothers’ comeback album, a wildly successful return in 2019 after a 10-year gap between full-lengths that brought the trio to the top of the Hot 100 for the first time and launched a long-running, mega-selling arena tour. Four years later, The Album smartly does not try to recapture lightning in a bottle: instead of trying to manufacture another “Sucker,” the project moves briskly across shared ideas and throwback musical interests, as songs like “Waffle House,” “Summer Baby” and “Montana Sky” function like retro FM radio offerings stuffed with warm harmonies. The JoBros have little to prove at this point in their careers, and the looseness of The Album seems to telegraph: this is where the real fun begins.
Lil Durk feat. J. Cole, “All My Life”
“All my life, they been trying to keep me down,” a choir of children sings on the new Lil Durk/J. Cole team-up “All My Life,” a nod to the doubt that both rappers faced from hip-hop gatekeepers as they evolved their careers over the past decade-plus. Instead of a straightforward proved-the-haters-wrong anthem, Durk and Cole wisely expand their shared focus on the track, with Durk lamenting the systemic issues that forced him to turn to rap as a form of survival, and Cole sounding haunted by the violence that too often pervades his world.
Shakira, “Acróstico”
Casual fans might regard “Acróstico,” the tender new single from Shakira, as a heat check from the Colombian superstar, considering the monumental success she’s already achieved this year with her Bizarrap collaboration “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and Karol G duet “TQG” both hitting the top 10 of the Hot 100. Yet Shakira has spent her entire mastering this sort of piano ballad as powerhouse vocal display: “Acróstico” shimmers with restrained production and technically dazzling emotion, as Shakira follows a pair of ostentatious team-ups with a gorgeously stripped-down solo showcase.
Bailey Zimmerman, Religiously. The Album
Bailey Zimmerman’s Leave the Light On EP, featuring his smash hit “Rock and a Hard Place,” is barely six months old at this point, but considering the commercial breakthrough that the country singer-songwriter has experienced since its release, it’s little surprise that his debut album has promptly arrived in time for summer streaming. Fortunately, Religiously. The Album finds cohesion in Zimmerman’s songwriting: the Illinois native supplements his husky drawl with phrases that cut right to the listener’s core, whether he’s asking rhetorical questions (“Fix’n To Break”), setting a dimly lit scene (“You Don’t Want That Smoke”), or asserting the “broken roads that I’m tryin’ to mend” (“Where It Ends”).
BTS, “The Planet”
A soundtrack single from the action-adventure animated film Bastions, “The Planet” marks a welcome check-in from BTS as the world-conquering K-pop group continues its break from group activities. And while it remains to be seen how much the BTS members can actively promote the new track, “The Planet” sounds like a hit regardless of the marketing plan: a snappy electro-pop track with a pogoing beat and playful vocal performances from all of the members, the song contains the hooks and tempo to highlight several summer playlists.
Lauren Daigle, Lauren Daigle
Nearly five years have elapsed between Lauren Daigle’s 2018 album Look Up Child, which turned the singer-songwriter into one of the most successful artists in contemporary Christian music in recent memory, and this year’s self-titled follow-up, during which Daigle signed a new label deal with Atlantic Records, teamed up with veteran producer Mike Elizondo and generally pushed her artistry into several exciting new directions. Instead of doubling down on the stately balladry of her breakthrough hits, Daigle explores ‘60s pop, folk, jazz and R&B on the project, creating a fantasia of inspiration powered by her mammoth vocal takes.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Ed Sheeran makes a bold left turn, Lil Baby unearths an old hit, and Megan Moroney presents her first full statement. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Ed Sheeran, – (Subtract)
In early 2022, Ed Sheeran’s world was upended — so he decided to examine his feelings through his craft. As suggested by muted lead single “Eyes Closed” and a rollout focused squarely on the acoustic nature of the project, – is not your typical Sheeran album, and doesn’t contain the no-brainer radio hits that have colored his full-lengths over the past five years. Yet if – marks a searing left turn in Sheeran’s recording career, his songwriting has long been working up towards an unfiltered, emotionally intelligent statement like this. A superstar who grew from busking on the street to playing stadiums — with just himself onstage — over the course of a decade, Sheeran has been gradually improving his song construction without relying too much on pop machinery, and sounds ready to meet this moment.
Click here to read the full review and track ranking of Sheeran’s new album.
Lil Baby, “Go Hard”
While Lil Baby is currently impacting the charts with a years-old song, “Low Down,” that went viral during March Madness, another fan favorite has been revived for streaming services: “Go Hard” has floated around the Internet for roughly three years as “Again” and “Again (Go Hard),” but now, the official song is here, and hasn’t lost any luster. “I’m not into losin’, I go hard as I can go to win,” Baby declares, providing a mantra — along with the track’s quickened pace — that can be motivation for a top-notch workout.
Toosii feat. Khalid, “Favorite Song (Remix)”
Toosii scored a viral hit on his own this year with the undeniable groove “Favorite Song,” but before his TikTok flare-up, the North Carolina artist had been known for his guest spots on projects by Latto, Lil Tjay and DaBaby. Now, he gets to play host to Khalid, who hops on the “Favorite Song” remix and expertly navigates its woozy vibe with some well-placed crooning; Khalid has been a radio fixture in the past, and this rework will hopefully get some run on rhythmic formats.
Megan Moroney, Lucky
Georgia native Megan Moroney’s voice possesses an earthy rasp that grounds her vulnerable songwriting in a sense of hard-earned reality — it’s part of the reason why she’s become one of country music’s breakout stars of this year. Debut album Lucky makes good on the promise of recent hits “Tennessee Orange” and “I’m Not Pretty,” showcasing Moroney’s storytelling panache and technical skill over the course of 42 satisfying minutes; expect this project to garner lots of love from the country awards, and for Moroney to keep rising.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Dermot Kennedy & Bailey Zimmerman, “Won’t Back Down”
Only Dominic Toretto and co. could bring together YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Dermot Kennedy and Bailey Zimmerman for a shared mission: “Won’t Back Down,” from the soundtrack to the upcoming Fast & Furious entry Fast X, finds the three artists’ disparate sounds coming together for some surprisingly effective high-speed inspiration. In particular, Zimmerman’s country warble balances out YoungBoy’s singsong rhyming, helping “Won’t Back Down” speed up and achieve a feeling of multiplex grit.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Jack Harlow grows from boy to man., Niall Horan keeps his cool, and Kesha takes a bold step forward. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Jack Harlow, Jackman.
Jack Harlow didn’t have to release a new album in 2023: after all, his 2022 LP, Come Home the Kids Miss You, spawned a No. 1 smash in “First Class,” and in a few weeks he’ll be starring in the White Men Can’t Jump remake. Instead of resting on his laurels and focusing on Hollywood, however, Harlow is back with Jackman., a semi-surprise release and a surprisingly urgent showcase of his technical skills as an MC. Rapping over soul samples and veering away from radio-ready choruses, Harlow treats the 24-minute project as a quick simplification of his craft — after becoming a star, he’s gone back to basics to illustrate his skills before the spotlights arrived.
Niall Horan, “Meltdown”
“When it all melts down, I’ll be there,” Niall Horan promises on new single “Meltdown” — addressing a romantic partner, most likely, but also serving as a beacon of support to the millions of listeners who have leaned on his voice throughout his solo career and time in One Direction. “Meltdown” finds Horan biting off a jumpy pop-rock production and swaggering through some ooo-ooo-ooo melodies; the heartbeat of the song is steady, and the singer-songwriter underlines the reliable pop presence that he was born to inhabit.
Kesha, “Fine Line” / “Eat the Acid”
Anyone who’s been paying attention to Kesha’s output over the past few years won’t be surprised about the sparse sound and unflinching attitude of her two new singles, “Fine Line” and “Eat the Acid” — yet even as she roamed farther away from the turbo-pop sound of her career beginnings, the singer-songwriter has never approached her craft with quite this much unfiltered lyricism and musical fragility. Both songs capture the bitter exhaustion that Kesha has documented during her years-long legal battle with former producer Dr. Luke, and both are striking in their intimacy, as if the listener is sitting next to Kesha during a breathtaking, two-part confessional.
Labrinth, Ends & Begins
Earlier this month, Labrinth scored one of Coachella’s biggest flexes when he brought out Billie Eilish during the first weekend to duet on “Never Felt So Alone,” then welcomed Zendaya onstage for weekend 2 for a pair of songs from the Euphoria soundtrack. The singer-songwriter has long been a highly respected collaborator and well-connected studio presence, and while new album Ends & Begins may be arriving during a particularly high-wattage moment in his career, the project highlights what he’s always been doing: utilizing his sparkling voice to find personal redemption, tinkering with the seams of modern R&B, and playing well off of others (especially Zendaya, who appears uncredited on the searing opener “The Feels”).
Eslabon Armado, Desvelado
As regional Mexican music experiences a frankly astonishing explosion across the U.S. mainstream, “Ella Baila Sola,” the collaboration between Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, is helping to lead the charge, pushing into the top 5 of this week’s Hot 100 chart and setting up the California trio’s new album, Desvelado. For both longtime genre supporters and curious new fans, Eslabon Armado’s latest project functions as the perfect flash point: not only do rising stars like Grupo Frontera and DannyLux stop by along with Pluma, but the trio carve out a unique lane within regional Mexican on their own with songs like “Dame Otro Beso” and “Gracias a Ti.”
The National, First Two Pages of Frankenstein
Although The National’s ninth full-length is certainly the indie-rock stalwarts’ most star-studded affair to date — Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens all stop by, with guest appearances that will surely cause some rubbernecking streams from unfamiliar listeners — First Two Pages of Frankenstein is not some overdue play for mainstream adulation. If anything, The National have never been this hushed before: the 11 songs here sprawl out artfully, providing subtle reflections on the evolution of relationship details and corralling the band’s famous friends into their quiet, graceful atmosphere.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, The Weeknd and Future are “Double” trouble, Bad Bunny co-signs an ascendant regional Mexican group, and Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj are not, in fact, better off alone. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
The Weeknd & Future, “Double Fantasy”
As The Weeknd’s embattled HBO series The Idol finally premieres in June and looks to prove the doubters wrong, the superstar has preceded the fictional music-industry drama with a new single that should heat up the charts in real life: “Double Fantasy” reunites The Weeknd and frequent co-star Future, who brought Abel Tesfaye into his trap universe on past collaborations like “Low Life” and “Comin Out Strong,” and returns the favor by contributing to The Weeknd’s synth-pop fantasia here. “Double Fantasy” has plenty of double entendres built around a juicy, radio-ready chorus, but works because both A-listers sound especially engaged on the track, making a bid for another hit rather than tossing out a loose soundtrack single.
Grupo Frontera & Bad Bunny, “un x100to”
While Bad Bunny has broken barriers for Spanish-language music across the mainstream over the past year, regional Mexican music has become absolutely dominant in recent months, with multiple artists unlocking chart achievements that would have been unthinkable at the beginning of this decade. One of those artists is Grupo Frontera, who have already established a global footprint despite only forming as a group last year — and “un x100to,” a high-wattage new collaboration with Bad Bunny, will only grow their presence, as the artists share a breezy, charmingly sincere love song about using the final one percent of a phone battery to express how you really feel.
Kim Petras with Nicki Minaj, “Alone”
Alice Deejay’s timeless dance hit “Better Off Alone” gets a modern facelift thanks to Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj, who join forces for a new single that was summer-song aspirations apparent in every detail. The sample propels “Alone” forward, but Petras is steadily in the synth-pop lane of her excellent early singles, and Minaj provides some extra juice to the song in its second half — this is smartly orchestrated pop that offers both low-stakes fun for listeners as well as carries lofty commercial ambitions for its two stars.
YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Don’t Try This at Home
Hip-hop’s most prolific artist is actually speeding up: a little over three months after YoungBoy Never Broke Again released the sonic left turn I Rest My Case, he’s already back with Don’t Try This at Home, a 33-song opus that offers something for every type of fan thanks in part to its gargantuan run time. The new album may be as long as a feature film, but Don’t Try This at Home never feels like a slog: YoungBoy is adept at telling gritty street stories that command the listener’s attention, and when the guests (Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, The Kid LAROI, Mariah the Scientist) show up, they agreeably switch up the album’s flavor.
Foo Fighters, “Rescued”
“It came in a flash,” Dave Grohl sings to open the new Foo Fighters single, “it came outta nowhere / It happened so fast, and then it was over.” Hearing those introductory words, one can’t help but think of the shocking death of longtime Foos drummer Taylor Hawkins last year, and how the rest of the band must be processing that loss — yet the arena rockers soldier on with “Rescued,” reaching out for help without wallowing in sorrow, and honoring Hawkins’ memory with a song that slams forward with guttural growls, crisp guitar work and, yes, righteous drum fills.
Agust D (Suga), D-Day
With D-Day, Suga not only resumes his Agust D moniker to close out a trilogy of projects that he started in 2016 — the BTS member also grows in front of our eyes, evolving his songwriting and presentation in meaningful ways as more global fans than ever before pay attention to his solo work. Although the boisterous “HUH?!?,” featuring J-Hope, will surely please BTS fans, D-Day also contains several highlights featuring Suga on his own, from the swaying “SDL” to the percussive “Haegeum,” the latter of which boasts some of his tightest rhymes to date.
