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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, SZA and Doja Cat craft a killer reunion, Post Malone is back with some pop chemistry, and Metallica are still riding the lightning. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
SZA feat. Doja Cat, “Kill Bill (Remix)”
While SZA’s “Kill Bill” has been one of the defining smashes of the first half of 2023, the SOS single has done it while stuck outside of the Hot 100’s top spot — this week spending its eighth nonconsecutive week at No. 2 on the chart. Will this remix with her “Kiss Me More” pal Doja Cat give “Bill” the push it needs to No. 1? Regardless of chart effects, Doja’s inclusion on the track injects a new excitement: the superstar opens up the remix with detailed rap storytelling, documenting a violent run-in with her ex and his new girlfriend that makes SZA’s well-worn hook leap off the speakers once again and potentially serves as a prelude to the hip-hop album that Doja Cat has been hinting at for some time.
Post Malone, “Chemical”
When “Circles” became one of the biggest hits of Post Malone’s career upon its 2019 release, the hip-hop superstar seemed to be gesturing at a new pop-rock template for his crossover singles. Last year’s Twelve Carat Toothache downplayed that transition a bit, but “Chemical,” Posty’s first new release of 2023, adamantly embraces that sonic tweak: this single is giddy pop euphoria, with a driving beat, sunny guitar strums and upper-register singing about a relationship finally collapsing. Although Post Malone has demonstrated an ability to straddle both sounds, “Chemical” sounds like a nod toward top 40 radio, and a surefire summer smash.
Metallica, 72 Seasons
Metallica may take their time with studio albums these days — 72 Seasons arrives six-and-a-half years after 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct, which came eight years after 2008’s Death Magnetic — but whenever they return, they pummel longtime fans with riffs, hooks and kinetic energy. At 77 minutes, 72 Seasons presents its ideas over an extended period of time, but at a breakneck speed: Kirk Hammett’s technical skill works overtime on songs like “Lux Æterna” and “Shadows Follow,” while James Hetfield hasn’t lost a step across a four-decade career, conjuring personal pain and hoisting it up with classic thrash-god instincts. Metallica’s studio output may have slowed a bit, yet 72 Seasons showcases how vital they remain.
Ice Spice feat. Nicki Minaj, “Princess Diana (Remix)”
A key component of Ice Spice’s meteoric rise is her skill as a collaborator: from the top 10 smash “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress to “Gangsta Boo,” the Lil Tjay team-up that highlights her Like..? EP, the Bronx rapper knows exactly how to accentuate her own voice while making room for other types of artistry. The remix to “Princess Diana” not only slides a huge co-sign from Nicki Minaj into her back pocket, but seamlessly brings a larger-than-life personality into the world of a very good existing song — after Ice Spice’s slick cadence and internal rhymes glide across the beat, Minaj provides new highlights with quotable sneers like “She the princess, so f–k who you lames is?”
Dominic Fike, “Dancing in the Courthouse”
After experiencing some run-ins with the law while growing up in Florida, Dominic Fike synthesizes his experiences and resulting emotions on “Dancing in the Courthouse” — part tongue-in-cheek riff on our modern legal system, part joyful return of a rising singer-songwriter, whose sophomore album is due out later this year on Columbia Records. “Dancing in the Courthouse” makes good use of both Fike’s subtle wordplay and pop sensibility, with each barbed line eventually coalescing into one of the most soaring refrains of his career thus far.
Marshmello & Farruko, “Esta Vida”
One month after linking up with Colombian reggaeton star Manuel Turizo on the new single “El Merengue,” Marshmello continues his exploration of disparate Latin pop styles with “Esta Vida,” a summer-ready anthem co-starring Puerto Rican party-starter Farruko. “Esta Vida” clearly takes inspiration from the playbook Farruko used on the stadium-sized hit “Pepas” — the thousand-voiced effect returns on the chorus here — but both artists bring their A-game to the dance cut, with rubbery synth production backing Farruko’s smooth oscillation between rapping and singing.
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, Drake makes noise while awaiting rescue, Suga’s Agust D persona returns, and Youngboy Never Broke Again gets a high-wattage assist from Nicki Minaj. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Drake, “Search & Rescue”
While Drake’s decision to sample a Kim Kardashian speech and crash it into the middle of “Search & Rescue” — along with using a superimposed image of the two of them together in matching motorcycle helmets — will likely dominate social chatter around the new single, “Search & Rescue” also marks an interesting sonic choice from the superstar, who pivots away from the cutthroat rapping heard on the 21 Savage collaborative project Her Loss to croon about yearning for uncomplicated love. Both the sampled audio and Drake’s audio suggest emotional incompletion after many years of mind-boggling commercial success, and paired with subtly detailed production from Sad Pony and BNYX, the vulnerability proves effective.
Suga (Agust D) feat. IU, “People Pt. 2”
As the members of BTS continue rolling out solo projects, sometimes as their first officially released statements on their own, Suga’s upcoming D-Day has been a long time coming, as the end of his trilogy under the moniker Agust D (following 2016’s Agust D and 2020’s D-2). “People Pt. 2,” the sequel to one of D-2’s most fully realized pop-rap tracks, spins Suga’s narrative forward with a more complex blend of hip-hop, R&B and top 40 hooks: in between the swelling beauty of IU’s chorus, Suga reflects on connection and loss with a nimble vocal approach and an effortless sense of gravity.
Youngboy Never Broke Again feat. Nicki Minaj, “WTF”
“Cross YoungBoy, then you cross the Queen,” Nicki Minaj declares to open her verse on “WTF,” a new team-up with Youngboy Never Broke Again that juxtaposes their rap methods but still places them squarely on the same side. After Youngboy’s voice warbles, squeals and unfurls in the same intoxicating manner as heard on his album I Rest My Case from earlier this year, Minaj plays the more traditional role until making a vocal run at the end of her verse; as one of hip-hop’s greats who has expanded the ways in which singing can be deployed in rap music, Minaj sounds right at home alongside Youngboy on “WTF.”
Jonas Brothers, “Waffle House”
When Jonas Brothers made their grand comeback in 2019 with the Hot 100-topping smash “Sucker” and reunion full-length Happiness Begins, they timed the rollout to the spring of that year, so that the single and album could be enjoyed all summer long. “Waffle House,” the trio’s new single which precedes next month’s The Album, could be destined for a similar warm-weather flare-up: the JoBros are locked in with a huge, giddy anthem here, singing about how they’ll always arrive at the right path as bright harmonies explode around them. It’s only April, but don’t be surprised to hear “Waffle House” on this year’s beach playlists.
NF, Hope
Last week, NF announced an international tour that kicks off in July, runs for three months and will hit plenty of arenas along the way; in case anyone doubted the Michigan rapper and producer’s commercial appeal after becoming an underground titan over the years, that itinerary should put those worries to rest. New album Hope is less of a victory lap than another shot at telling his singular story: fusing elements of alternative rock, modern pop, classic soul and different eras of hip-hop, NF plays upon childhood nostalgia while pondering the state of the world and his own future.
Labrinth, “Never Felt So Alone”
Did you recognize that voice harmonizing with Labrinth on his woozy new single “Never Felt So Alone”? That’s Billie Eilish, who reached out to the singer-songwriter expressing how much she loved the in-the-works track being produced by her brother Finneas before providing some lilting vocals and leads the second verse. “Never Felt So Alone” certainly speaks to Eilish’s experimental side: Labrinth has long been capable of classically crafted balladry, but here, his words are warped and processed, the production shuddering around his falsetto as he contemplates his solitude.
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, Boygenius offers three-for-one greatness, Jisoo steps forward as a solo star, and Chlöe delivers on years of promise. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Boygenius, The Record
Five years ago, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker were all up-and-coming singer-songwriters who decided to combine their indie-rock stylings for a six-song EP, under the name Boygenius; since then, all three artists have enjoyed critical acclaim and exponentially bigger audiences, while their shared EP has adopted cult-classic status. A full Boygenius album could have very well never happened, but what a treat for fans that it now does: The Record not only rejoins three singular talents, but the reunion is rendered with effortless enthusiasm and remarkably affecting writing, as Bridgers, Dacus and Baker reflect on their friendships and artistic bonds by amplifying their solo and collective strengths.
Jisoo, Me
Roughly two weeks before Blackpink makes history by becoming the first K-pop Coachella headliner, the quartet’s Jisoo has made a promising solo debut, with a two-song project, Me, that combines the group’s arena-ready pop craft and a subtly revealed individual skill set. While “All Eyes On Me” unleashes an imposing, mass-appeal chorus defined by Jisoo declaring the titular phrase, “Flower” creeps forward with a vocal delicacy and rich production. Jisoo capably navigates both sonic approaches, turning Me into a well-rounded preview of (hopefully) a larger body of work.
Chlöe, In Pieces
Chloe Bailey possesses a generational level of talent — we’ve known this for a while, based on her work as one-half of Chloe x Halle and her years of solo singles preceding this debut album. Listeners have been waiting for an official project to let those gifts fully shine, and In Pieces functions as that long-awaited showcase, with dazzling vocal displays (the luxurious “Looze U” boasts some breathtaking technical skill) as well as crackling featured guests (“Cheatback,” in which Chlöe plots revenge on a cheating boyfriend alongside acoustic guitar strums and Future’s warbled encouragement, is an easy highlight).
Tyler, The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale
“Call Me If You Get Lost was the first album I made with alot of songs that didn’t make the final cut,” Tyler, The Creator shared on Twitter earlier this week. “Some of those songs I really love, and knew they would never see the light of day, so I’ve decided to put a few of them out.” Thus, one of the most critically acclaimed full-lengths of 2021 has been bestowed with eight extra tracks, as “The Estate Sale” deluxe edition, that thankfully live up to the quality of its host album: “Dogtooth” sounds like a no-brainer breakout hit, while “Wharf Talk,” featuring an especially nimble A$AP Rocky, is unrepentant hip-hop joy.
Becky G & Peso Pluma, “Chanel”
While Becky G has spent the past five years reinventing herself as a versatile Latin pop star, Mexican rapper-singer Peso Pluma has recently taken off as a corrido tumbado sensation, flooding the streaming charts with multiple ascendant singles. Together, the two artists inject regional Mexican music with a sense of yearning on the new duet “Chanel,” on which Becky enters relatively unfamiliar musical terrain with a natural ease, while her counterpart’s voice keeps up with her own — no easy feat, considering how Becky’s vocals can outshine plenty of other singers.
Melanie Martinez, Portals
If there were any lingering doubts that Melanie Martinez was not a typical pop singer-songwriter, new album Portals — a meditation on death, reincarnation, repeating patterns and gazing into the universe’s nothingness — should promptly put an end to them. Although Martinez has long operated within lofty concepts and ambitious multimedia executions, Portals also contains some of the most directly accessible songs of her career, from the rhythmic trot of “Spider Web” to the darkly lit pop-rock of new single “Void” — with the new album, Martinez caters to listeners who love enveloping themselves in her world, as well as those looking for a new pop-playlist jam.
Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this week’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 honors a fallen friend, Lana Del Rey hoists up her ambitions, and Luke Combs ages gracefully. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Ed Sheeran, “Eyes Closed”
One year after tragically losing his best friend, Jamal Edwards, to a sudden heart attack, Ed Sheeran has returned with a poignant single that makes his struggle universal and attempts to help any listener mourning a loved one. “Eyes Closed,” which previews the superstar’s affecting new album – (Subtract), combines producer Aaron Dessner’s knack for subtly whirring arrangements with Sheeran’s gift for delivering a memorable hook; grief is a tricky subject for a top 40 mainstay to address in a non-ballad, but “Eyes Closed” provides catharsis through lyrical detail and a unifying refrain.
Lana Del Rey, Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
“I’m a different kind of woman,” Lana Del Rey states plainly on “Sweet,” adding a few seconds later, “If you wanna go where nobody knows, that’s where you’ll find me.” The singer-songwriter has spent her career proving the former statement — taking a personalized approach to pop craft, forever valuing honesty and innovation — but Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, her mammoth and often luminous ninth full-length, indeed exists at a wholly unique intersection in modern music, as the artist’s most singular statement to date.
Click here to read a full review and tracks ranking of Lana Del Rey’s latest album.
Luke Combs, Gettin’ Old
As a companion piece to last year’s Growin’ Up, Luke Combs’ Gettin’ Old better plays to the songwriting strengths of the country superstar, who reflects on his experiences and the time he has left (“That hourglass we have don’t last forever / Been thinking ‘bout it more and more these days,” he sings in the opening minutes of the album) in a way that’s both gracious and entertaining. Whether he’s looking back on a lost love, his hometown, his career beginnings and the start of a more durable type of romance, Combs sounds comfortable in his own skin on Gettin’ Old, and the song quality lives up to his perspective.
Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro, RR
It’s not every day that a couple gets to announce their engagement concurrently with releasing a highly anticipated collaborative project, but Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro are in rarefied air: RR, a three-song release that captures the flamenco pop queen’s predilection for yearning melodies and the reggaeton star’s charisma across quickening tempos, could have been a vanity project for the happy couple but instead crackles with creative chemistry. And RR sound like it’s just the tip of the iceberg — as Alejandro puts it in a press release, “I will be spending my days writing and writing many more songs about and with her.”
Jimin, Face
It’d be easy (and a bit lazy) to place the BTS members’ solo projects side-by-side as they continue rolling out, but Jimin’s new album Face resists comparison: the tracks here represents an account of personal evolution amidst mind-boggling fame, a global pandemic, feelings of loneliness and the process of growing into the man that the singer-songwriter has become. Jimin’s gentle vocals ground songs like the sizzling “Face-off” and the ‘80s-indebted “Like Crazy,” accentuating the melodies with a light touch and expressing each lyric with impressive confidence.
Fall Out Boy, So Much (For) Stardust
Fall Out Boy’s new album, So Much (For) Stardust, arrives almost 10 years to the day after the band returned with 2013’s Save Rock and Roll, which ended a prolonged hiatus and returned the Warped Tour breakouts to arena audiences. The group has spent the subsequent decade humming along, collecting more hits and touring the world, and their new album represents the work of a locked-in collective: on songs like “Hold Me Like a Grudge” and “So Good Right Now,” Fall Out Boy’s long-running pop appeal remains intact but the turns are pinpoint and the grooves are tighter, as if the quartet is operating with machine-like efficiency for maximum enjoyment.
Billboard’s First Stream 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, Miley Cyrus makes summer last forever, TWICE prepares for their biggest year yet, and Calvin Harris re-teams with a pop-star pal. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Miley Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation
Miley Cyrus’ new album, Endless Summer Vacation, is many things: a self-described love letter to the city of Los Angeles, a full day in two distinct halves (the track list is divided into “AM” and “PM” songs), a fresh start on the new label home of Columbia Records, a commercial comeback thanks to lead single “Flowers” becoming Cyrus’ first Hot 100 chart-topper in nearly a decade. Above all, however, Endless Summer Vacation is an apotheosis. After spending the decade following her Disney Channel rise by trying on different styles of popular music, from hip-hop to country-pop to guitar-rock, Cyrus positions her latest full-length as a culmination of her experiences and strengths, with a variety of sonic approaches folded into the mix. Cyrus, one of the more gifted pop artists of her generation, knows exactly who she is, and Endless Summer Vacation reckons with both where she’s been and where she might be headed next.
Click here for a full review and preliminary track ranking of Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation.
TWICE, Ready To Be
Although Ready To Be marks TWICE’s 12th mini album, the K-pop stars have been making notable recent strides as both a commercial unit and recording group: as they make the rounds on U.S. television and prepare to embark on a world tour next month, TWICE is expanding the boundaries of their pop aesthetic and delivering some of their strongest hooks to date. Ready To Be highlights like “Set Me Free,” “Blame It On Me” and the previously released hit single “Moonlight Sunrise” will get stuck in your head, but more importantly, they’ll pull you into TWICE’s world by showcasing what they do best as individual members and a cohesive unit.
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding, “Miracle”
After previously conjuring dance magic with “I Need Your Love” in 2012 and “Outside” in 2014, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding have once again teamed up on “Miracle,” a trance track that instinctively plays to the best qualities of both artists. Goulding is able to inject warmth into the heart of the song’s intro before sending her voice skyward on the chorus, and Harris provides the throbbing blueprint — when the drop arrives on “Miracle,” the listener feels overwhelmed with movement, and unable to resist.
Lauren Daigle, “Thank God I Do”
With her 2018 album Look Up Child, Lauren Daigle became of the biggest breakout stars of the contemporary Christian music scene in recent memory; then, she stepped away, taking multiple years to finish her follow-up. “Thank God I Do” not only previews that self-titled full-length, due out on May 12, but also suggests an evolution of Daigle’s approach: the piano ballad features the signature soar that fans have been waiting to return, but her voice has deepened with time, matching the epic sweep of the strings on the track and readying the masses for a prolonged showcase this spring.
Fever Ray, Radical Romantics
As one-half of The Knife and within their Fever Ray project, Karin Dreijer has made some of the most urgent electronic music of this century — and on Radical Romantics, the follow-up to 2017’s Plunge, they are able to both recall some of their career’s most indelible moments (Siren Shout fans are going to love this project) as well as forge ahead with provocative new questions. Dreijer contemplates legacy, identity and the contours of love, with tempos shifting and then collapsing, and pop exercises giving way to experimentation; Radical Romantics builds upon a towering career with one of the most well-rounded projects in Dreijer’s catalog.
Billboard’s First Stream 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, Nicki Minaj revives a Lumidee smash, Morgan Wallen tries to take everything One Thing at a Time, and J-Hope links up with J. Cole for an ode to fans. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Nicki Minaj, “Red Ruby Da Sleaze”
After scoring her first solo Hot 100 No. 1 last year with “Super Freaky Girl,” a pop-rap smash that reanimated Rick James’ timeless 1981 hit “Super Freak,” Nicki Minaj jumps ahead to 2003 for her inspiration, and turns Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” into the backbone of new single “Red Ruby Da Sleaze.” Unlike “Super Freaky Girl,” however, the focus of Minaj’s latest swerves away from its sample on numerous occasions — the chorus here functions as a percussive breakdown, with only the faintest “Uh oooooh’s” in the background — and morphs that familiar hook into something new and modern, all while Minaj talks her game with (somehow) name-checks for her Christopher Reeve and Karl Malone.
Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
“I was a bad reputation, with an attitude to match,” Morgan Wallen sings on “Dying Man,” the closing track of his new 36-song album. “Hell, man, I’m goin’ nowhere / And gettin’ there lightnin’ fast.” The song is about romantic redemption — one of the primary themes of One Thing at a Time — but also provides a glimpse into Wallen’s mindset, as he grappled with being a magnetic vocalist and the biggest new country star of the past half-decade while also making personal missteps and being mired in endless controversy. Two years after Dangerous: The Double Album plowed to No. 1 — and a public fallout made its success taste bitter — Wallen’s epic new full-length prods at his frustrations and attempts at self-improvement while delivering some of the most agreeable country tunes you’ll hear this year; his reputation is still debated, but Wallen is no longer stuck in neutral.
J-Hope & J. Cole, “On the Street”
J-Hope accomplished a ton as a solo artist in 2022, from his bold Jack in the Box project to his prominent performance at Lollapalooza, and the BTS member uses new single “On the Street” to express his gratitude toward the fans who helped make it all happen. Meanwhile, J. Cole’s effortless flow sounds natural when placed next to J-Hope’s delivery: both artists understand how to pack heady thoughts into tight spaces, and operate above a whistle melody with confidence and charisma. Both artists are hungry, and bonus points to Cole for expressing as much: “You see a top 10 list, I see a Golden Corral.”
Kali Uchis, Red Moon in Venus
Kali Uchis continuously beguiles new fans by constantly pushing boundaries: the 28-year-old Colombian-American has spent her career dissatisfied with the parameters placed between Latin pop and R&B, then redrawing them in ways that she sees fit, whether that include sinking into dreamy hooks like on breakout hit “Telepatía” or exploring synth fantasias like on recent single “I Wish You Roses.” Red Moon in Venus, Uchis’ third album, maintains a singular approach but offers the most satisfying songwriting of her career — a love album that ranges from floating slow jams (“Worth the Wait,” with Omar Apollo) to pop come-ons (“Endlessly”), the full-length sounds like nothing else, and like Uchis’ mainstream arrival.
Marshmello & Manuel Turizo, “El Merengue”
“El Merengue,” the new team-up from dance superstar Marshmello and reggaeton sensation Manuel Turizo, begins with some subtle synths off in the distance, as if the song is being transmitted from another planet — and when the track fully kicks in, it charms and provokes movement without ever overpowering the listener. One of Marshmello’s strongest production traits is his ability to allow his collaborator ample room without getting outmuscled by a beat, and Turizo is more than game to play his foil on “El Merengue,” shimmying across the verses and crooning when needed on the chorus.
Portugal. The Man, “Dummy”
Portugal. The Man were more than a decade into their run as a successful, festival-ready alt-rock band when their single “Feel It Still” crashed the top 10 of the Hot 100, became inescapable on pop playlists and turned the band into Grammy winners; the group enjoyed a well-earned victory lap with the smash, then took a few years off to plot their next move. “Dummy,” which previews the Jeff Bhasker-produced new album Chris Black Changed My Life, serves as an apocalyptic jingle that’s ripe for alternative radio: lines like “Everyone I know / Is running from the afterlife” exist inside undeniable grooves, and Portugal. The Man nod to both longtime fans and casual listeners seeking another catchy-as-hell hit.
Billboard’s First Stream 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, Skrillex ends a long album drought, P!nk takes us on a journey, and both Janelle Monáe and Niall Horan return with splashy new singles. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Skrillex, Quest for Fire
Casual Skrillex fans might be shocked to learn that Quest for Fire is only his second album — after all, the 35-year-old was a defining figure of the EDM boom during the 2010s, a prolific producer and collaborator over the past decade, and one of the more exhilarating presences at the many festivals he played across several years. Quest for Fire is his first album in nine years, but perhaps Skrillex was simply winding up for this moment: the long-awaited follow-up to 2014’s Recess sounds just as vital in its dance visions as his best work, and riotously diverse, with a song like “RATATA,” in which Missy Elliott stops by to breathe new life into a “Work It” refrain, leading into “Tears,” a slam-bang showcase for dubstep king Joker.
P!nk, Trustfall
In a recent chat with Billboard about new album Trustfall, P!nk explained why her ninth studio LP is a “f–king journey” that can’t be contained by one mood. “This album could have easily been, Side A is Roller Skate Time, and Side B is No Sharp Objects in the Kitchen Time!” she said. “But that’s not life. Life is messy and beautiful and messy again.” And Trustfall is true to P!nk’s reality: working with a range of collaborators, from Max Martin to Chris Stapleton to Fred Again.. to First Aid Kit, the pop superstar presents herself as a woman, wife, mother and industry veteran capable of dancing away her troubles and pleading for understanding on the same collection of sometimes uptempo, often emotional songs.
Janelle Monáe feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, “Float”
Janelle Monáe lives up to the title of her new single: “Float” is all about hovering over muddled discourse and rising above petty details, being able to leave earthly trappings and find grace in artistry. It’s a skill that the multi-talented Monáe has flaunted over the course of her breathtaking career, and “Float,” created with Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, gives her a chance to bask in her achievements over simmering trap drums and a boisterous mid-tempo piece of production; “Float” may introduce a new body of work, but even if it doesn’t, Monáe has earned the chance to levitate above the naysayers.
Niall Horan, “Heaven”
When boy band members disperse, they often leap into establishing a solo presence to keep the public’s attention, then gradually settle into a sound for themselves. Such has been the case with the members of One Direction since they went on hiatus, and particularly with Niall Horan, who has found a warm pop-rock niche and strengthened his songwriting since debuting with solo hits like “This Town” and “Slow Hands.” “Heaven,” which previews third album The Show, reaches for eternal love with a vocal elasticity and guitar chug that play off each other with ease.
Polo G feat. Future, “No Time Wasted”
“I know you waitin’ / Gettin’ fed up, you runnin’ out of patience,” Polo G declares to open the chorus of “No Time Wasted”; he could be addressing his ravenous fan base, which didn’t get a new album from the Chicago rap star in 2022 after three straight years of doing so, but Polo spends the rest of the new single demonstrating that, when he does return, his storytelling instincts will be sharper than ever. Guest star Future slides onto Polo G’s contemplative level here, simultaneously bragging and commiserating about the trappings of fame, but Polo owns the track by mulling his fears, memories and nightmares in evocative detail.
Omar Apollo, “3 Boys”
Fresh off of a breakthrough year and a best new artist Grammy nod, Omar Apollo has returned with “3 Boys,” a smoky synthesis of doo-wop in which he concludes that a multiplication of romantic partners would be the only way to overcome a bitter heartbreak. The new single smartly showcases the multi-faceted enormity of Apollo’s voice — his ability to deliver ghostly harmonies, ethereal falsetto and desperate, full-throated cries — and becomes another winner for the rising star because of it.
Billboard’s First Stream 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, GloRilla feeds the “Trolls,” Shania Twain is ready to come back over, and Morgan Wallen previews a huge new release. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
GloRilla, “Internet Trolls”
After breaking through last year with the Hitkidd team-up “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” and proceeding to establish herself as a riveting new voice in hip-hop, GloRilla takes aim at those who have hid behind keyboards and tried to tear her down, with Hitkidd back to provide the soundtrack. “Internet Trolls” is a relatively short but dramatically rendered check-in, with GloRilla sneering, “They don’t wanna clap for you, they just want you to clap back,” while simultaneously proving those same haters wrong.
Shania Twain, Queen of Me
While Shania Twain has plenty of hits to enshrine her legacy and bring in packed audiences whenever she heads out on the road, Queen of Me, her new album and second since kicking off a comeback with 2017’s Now, continues to forge ahead with rollicking country-pop and a seasoned perspective. More than any one song on Queen of Me, Twain’s sense of perspective and determination shines through: the album offers more cup-hoisting anthems that recall her Come On Over days, but their fabric is time-honored, and their sense of joy is hard-earned.
Morgan Wallen, “Last Night” / “Everything I Love” / “I Wrote the Book”
A press release for Morgan Wallen’s forthcoming One Thing at a Time previews the 36-song effort as a “deeply personal album that combines Wallen’s musical influences — country, alternative and hip-hop.” And while the gargantuan LP will no doubt take some stylistic detours, this three-pack of songs ahead of its release finds Wallen in the crowd-pleasing modern country sphere that he’s become a force within: “Last Night” in particular sounds like it will be inescapable for months, its snappy rhythm and warbled harmonies ripe for endless country radio replays.
Karol G & Romeo Santos, “X Si Volvemos”
“X Si Volvemos” is a breakup song, with both Karol G and Romeo Santos acknowledging that lingering physical temptations bring complications to a clean split — and while both artists understand how to deliver wide-reaching choruses, the nuances of their vocal deliveries make this collaboration shine. Both artists’ vocals ache over Ovy On The Drums’ scintillating production, as they try to move on from a fractured reality but their tones keep circling back toward each other.
RAYE, My 21st Century Blues
To describe RAYE’s debut album “long-awaited” would be an understatement: the pop singer-songwriter tried for years to get her former record label to give the project a release date to no avail, eventually turned independent, and fortunately for her, scored a top 40 smash in “Escapism” to lead into My 21st Century Blues. Although her path has been winding, RAYE’s ambition has never wavered: the album soars with genre explorations (“Oscar Winning Tears” is a top-notch R&B showcase) and intimate songwriting (“Body Dysmorphia” is as harrowing as its title suggests), as she makes the most of her opportunity to finally share her story.
Billboard’s First Stream 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, Sam Smith continues a hot streak, Rosalía is down for fake love and The Kid LAROI brings things back to basics. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Sam Smith, Gloria
Sam Smith has scored several hits over the course of their career, but “Unholy,” his team-up with Kim Petras that became their first No. 1 single, sounded like none of them when it was released last year; the smash not only revitalized Smith’s voice at top 40 radio, but suggested a major shift in sonic approach. Gloria, their fourth studio album, sports a level of freedom rarely heard in Smith’s past oeuvre of precisely drawn pop: their vocal gifts are positioned toward sweaty, sexually liberated dance floor anthems like “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” as well as fearless midtempo confessionals like “Perfect,” with Smith sounding more relaxed in every mode on the album.
Rosalía, “LLYLM”
“I don’t need honesty / Baby, lie like you love me, lie like you love me,” Rosalía pleads on new single “LLYLM,” switching over to English and soaring into a falsetto as she explores the theme of fake affection. “LLYLM” is not a complicated single — created in part with Max Martin, the song’s handclaps and muted synthesizers eventually evaporate for a sparse, guitar-led interlude — but Rosalía remains one of the most magnetic vocal presences in music today, and powers “LLYLM” with technical skill and unadulterated emotion.
The Kid LAROI, “Love Again”
Anticipation is high for The Kid LAROI’s first full-length album, and the release of lead single “Love Again” was preceded by a lead-in intro track, “Can’t Go Back to the Way It Was,” last week, and is being paired with a one-of-a-kind Fortnite experience. Yet LAROI wisely decided not to one-up that rollout with an overly grandiose song: “Love Again” recalls the raw acoustic nerve that his breakout hit, “Without You,” touched to make LAROI a star, and this time he offers clipped, unflinching rhetorical questions while trying to find resolution in a relationship.
Chlöe, “Pray It Away”
After years of readying her solo debut, Chlöe’s first album will arrive in March, and “Pray It Away,” an ode to heading to church to shake off the energy of a romantic mistake, displays a greater confidence in personal craft that should excite longtime believers in the powerhouse vocalist. The harmonies on “Pray It Away” are downright gorgeous, even as Chlöe admits to unsavory thoughts and decisions — a gleeful juxtaposition of soulful R&B and pissed-off exclamations that the singer handles masterfully.
Zach Bryan feat. Maggie Rogers, “Dawns”
With his epic project American Heartbreak last year, Zach Bryan enjoyed the type of breakthrough year that Maggie Rogers, who issued her sophomore album Surrender, experienced three years earlier with her debut LP Heard It In a Past Life; the artists may be at slightly different chapters in their respective stories, but as two supremely gifted songwriters, a collaboration was always going to yield an interesting product. “Dawns” is delightfully haunted, a broken howl of a duet on which Bryan sounds lost as he navigates a breakup, and Rogers steadies his hand and centers the song’s intensity.
Lil Yachty, Let’s Start Here.
Let’s start here: Lil Yachty’s new album is not a rap project, even slightly. Those expecting the veteran hip-hop star to follow up his recent viral rap single “Poland” with a mainstream victory lap will be upended by this freaky, fuzzed-out psychedelic rock album, which Yachty created with a host of guitar-toting collaborators in an effort to capture his love of Pink Floyd. Somehow, the full-throttle detour completely works: Yachty’s warbling sounds natural over the swirling ‘70s-indebted production, and even when the instruments pile up, Let’s Start Here. never implodes, or bores the listener.
Billboard’s First Stream 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.
Explore
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See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week, Trippie Redd drops back in with a surprise, Kali Uchis gives us a kiss-off and The Kid LAROI introduces a new era. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Trippie Redd, Mansion Musik
If the title of Trippie Redd’s new surprise album is familiar, that’s because it’s one letter removed from Chief Keef’s fiercely beloved 2018 mixtape Mansion Musick; Keef serves as the executive producer, as well as something of a spiritual forefather, to Trippie’s latest opus, which boasts 76 minutes of unhinged energy and A-list guest stars. Mansion Musik begins with a zonked-out burst — Future, Lil Baby, Juice WRLD and Keef himself are all featured within the first five songs — never really lets up, with Trippie Redd flexing over distorted guitars, trap beats and anyone who doubts his ferocious power.
Kali Uchis, “I Wish You Roses”
Kali Uchis’ placement on the 2023 Coachella lineup — the third most prominent name on Sunday’s bill, right behind Frank Ocean and Björk — is a subtle indication for the perceived potential of the genre-blending singer-songwriter following a pair of beguiling albums and the viral sensation of “Telepatía.” “I Wish You Roses” delivers on that promise, a swaying, luxurious vocal showcase that acts as a fond farewell to someone circling out of one’s life and another showcase of Uchis’ power as a hook creator; her ability to conjure lush choruses and sing them with verve and tenacity nods to the artist stepping more into the mainstream this year.
The Kid LAROI, “I Can’t Go Back to The Way It Was (Intro)”
“I Can’t Go Back to The Way It Was (Intro)” may represent the soft launch of The Kid LAROI’s return: as the first song released from long-awaited full-length The First Time, its short run time and parenthetical note suggest that “Love Again,” which arrives next week, will more closely resemble a proper single. Yet that doesn’t mean the 95-second track isn’t full of intrigue: although “I Can’t Go Back” features LAROI’s brand of warbled melancholy, the pounding drums and ghostly harmonies hint at an expansion of his sound, which has yielded some major hits thus far but could be ballooning into something on a grander scale.
Måneskin, Rush!
Although Måneskin has taken a highly unorthodox path toward international fame — the Italian rock quartet blew up thanks in part to a years-old cover of a Four Seasons song being scooped up on TikTok and crossing over to streaming platforms — the group isn’t going anywhere now that they’ve arrived. Rush!, their first full-length since their global boom, capitalizes on the brighter spotlight with limitless hooks (some of which are courtesy of Max Martin) and clean, radio-ready guitar hooks; Måneskin is adept at pivoting to the mainstream without shedding any of their ostentatious personality or rock tenacity, which makes the album both a solid introduction as well as a logical next step.
Kim Petras, “Brrr”
Kim Petras is wasting no time harnessing the momentum of “Unholy,” her enormous No. 1 hit with Sam Smith: after ending the year with the single “If Jesus Was a Rockstar,” Petras quickly returns with “Brrr,” a hypnotic hyperpop track that more closely resembles the seductive swirl of “Unholy.” Petras has long been adept at tossing out double entendres and sinking her teeth into synth-pop refrains, but with newfound top 40 juice, a crackling song like “Brrr” could help translate a chart-topping assist into a major solo moment.
Mac DeMarco, Five Easy Hot Dogs
Last year, Mac DeMarco challenged himself to start driving and not return home until he had created a new album. “Maybe it’s the last couple of years, or maybe it’s my age now, but the idea of forgoing any sort of normalcy or comfort and making my entire life, for a segment of time, completely insane feels very inspiring to me,” he explains in a press release. “I stayed out on the road doing this for almost four months.” He came back with Five Easy Hot Dogs, a charming instrumental exercise that plays out in the order of his trip, and feels like a sumptuous conversation with a curious soul who happens to be an acclaimed, still-evolving indie singer-songwriter.
