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Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs picks below:
Ed Sheeran, â (Subtract)
In early 2022, Ed Sheeranâs world was upended â so he decided to examine his feelings through his craft. As suggested by muted lead single âEyes Closedâ and a rollout focused squarely on the acoustic nature of the project, â is not your typical Sheeran album, and doesnât contain the no-brainer radio hits that have colored his full-lengths over the past five years. Yet if â marks a searing left turn in Sheeranâs 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 â with just himself onstage â 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 Sheeranâs new album.
Lil Baby, âGo HardâÂ
While Lil Baby is currently impacting the charts with a years-old song, âLow Down,â that went viral during March Madness, another fan favorite has been revived for streaming services: âGo Hardâ has floated around the Internet for roughly three years as âAgainâ and âAgain (Go Hard),â but now, the official song is here, and hasnât lost any luster. âIâm not into losinâ, I go hard as I can go to win,â Baby declares, providing a mantra â along with the trackâs quickened pace â that can be motivation for a top-notch workout.
Toosii feat. Khalid, âFavorite Song (Remix)âÂ
Toosii scored a viral hit on his own this year with the undeniable groove âFavorite Song,â 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 âFavorite Songâ 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, LuckyÂ
Georgia native Megan Moroneyâs voice possesses an earthy rasp that grounds her vulnerable songwriting in a sense of hard-earned reality â itâs part of the reason why sheâs become one of country musicâs breakout stars of this year. Debut album Lucky makes good on the promise of recent hits âTennessee Orangeâ and âIâm Not Pretty,â showcasing Moroneyâs 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, âWonât Back DownâÂ
Only Dominic Toretto and co. could bring together YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Dermot Kennedy and Bailey Zimmerman for a shared mission: âWonât Back Down,â from the soundtrack to the upcoming Fast & Furious entry Fast X, finds the three artistsâ disparate sounds coming together for some surprisingly effective high-speed inspiration. In particular, Zimmermanâs country warble balances out YoungBoyâs singsong rhyming, helping âWonât Back Downâ speed up and achieve a feeling of multiplex grit.
Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs picks below:
Jack Harlow, Jackman.Â
Jack Harlow didnât 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 âFirst Class,â and in a few weeks heâll be starring in the White Men Canât 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 â after becoming a star, heâs gone back to basics to illustrate his skills before the spotlights arrived.
Niall Horan, âMeltdownâÂ
âWhen it all melts down, Iâll be there,â Niall Horan promises on new single âMeltdownâ â 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. âMeltdownâ 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, âFine Lineâ / âEat the AcidâÂ
Anyone whoâs been paying attention to Keshaâs output over the past few years wonât be surprised about the sparse sound and unflinching attitude of her two new singles, âFine Lineâ and âEat the Acidâ â 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 & BeginsÂ
Earlier this month, Labrinth scored one of Coachellaâs biggest flexes when he brought out Billie Eilish during the first weekend to duet on âNever Felt So Alone,â 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 heâs 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 âThe Feelsâ).
Eslabon Armado, DesveladoÂ
As regional Mexican music experiences a frankly astonishing explosion across the U.S. mainstream, âElla Baila Sola,â the collaboration between Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, is helping to lead the charge, pushing into the top 5 of this weekâs Hot 100 chart and setting up the California trioâs new album, Desvelado. For both longtime genre supporters and curious new fans, Eslabon Armadoâs 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 âDame Otro Besoâ and âGracias a Ti.â
The National, First Two Pages of FrankensteinÂ
Although The Nationalâs ninth full-length is certainly the indie-rock stalwartsâ most star-studded affair to date â Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens all stop by, with guest appearances that will surely cause some rubbernecking streams from unfamiliar listeners â 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 bandâs famous friends into their quiet, graceful atmosphere.
Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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This week, The Weeknd and Future are âDoubleâ 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 weekâs picks below:
The Weeknd & Future, âDouble FantasyâÂ
As The Weekndâs 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: âDouble Fantasyâ reunites The Weeknd and frequent co-star Future, who brought Abel Tesfaye into his trap universe on past collaborations like âLow Lifeâ and âComin Out Strong,â and returns the favor by contributing to The Weekndâs synth-pop fantasia here. âDouble Fantasyâ 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, âun x100toâ
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 â and âun x100to,â 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, âAloneâÂ
Alice Deejayâs timeless dance hit âBetter Off Aloneâ 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 âAloneâ 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 â 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, Donât Try This at HomeÂ
Hip-hopâs 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, heâs already back with Donât 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 Donât Try This at Home never feels like a slog: YoungBoy is adept at telling gritty street stories that command the listenerâs attention, and when the guests (Post Malone, Nicki Minaj, The Kid LAROI, Mariah the Scientist) show up, they agreeably switch up the albumâs flavor.
Foo Fighters, âRescuedâÂ
âIt came in a flash,â Dave Grohl sings to open the new Foo Fighters single, âit came outta nowhere / It happened so fast, and then it was over.â Hearing those introductory words, one canât 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 â yet the arena rockers soldier on with âRescued,â reaching out for help without wallowing in sorrow, and honoring Hawkinsâ memory with a song that slams forward with guttural growls, crisp guitar work and, yes, righteous drum fills.
Agust D (Suga), D-DayÂ
With D-Day, Suga not only resumes his Agust D moniker to close out a trilogy of projects that he started in 2016 â 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 âHUH?!?,â featuring J-Hope, will surely please BTS fans, D-Day also contains several highlights featuring Suga on his own, from the swaying âSDLâ to the percussive âHaegeum,â the latter of which boasts some of his tightest rhymes to date.
Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs picks below:
SZA feat. Doja Cat, âKill Bill (Remix)âÂ
While SZAâs âKill Billâ 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 100âs top spot â this week spending its eighth nonconsecutive week at No. 2 on the chart. Will this remix with her âKiss Me Moreâ pal Doja Cat give âBillâ the push it needs to No. 1? Regardless of chart effects, Dojaâs 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 SZAâs 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, âChemicalâÂ
When âCirclesâ became one of the biggest hits of Post Maloneâs career upon its 2019 release, the hip-hop superstar seemed to be gesturing at a new pop-rock template for his crossover singles. Last yearâs Twelve Carat Toothache downplayed that transition a bit, but âChemical,â Postyâs 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, âChemicalâ sounds like a nod toward top 40 radio, and a surefire summer smash.
Metallica, 72 SeasonsÂ
Metallica may take their time with studio albums these days â 72 Seasons arrives six-and-a-half years after 2016âs Hardwired⊠to Self-Destruct, which came eight years after 2008âs Death Magnetic â 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 Hammettâs technical skill works overtime on songs like âLux Ăternaâ and âShadows Follow,â while James Hetfield hasnât lost a step across a four-decade career, conjuring personal pain and hoisting it up with classic thrash-god instincts. Metallicaâs studio output may have slowed a bit, yet 72 Seasons showcases how vital they remain.
Ice Spice feat. Nicki Minaj, âPrincess Diana (Remix)â
A key component of Ice Spiceâs meteoric rise is her skill as a collaborator: from the top 10 smash âBoyâs a Liar Pt. 2â with PinkPantheress to âGangsta Boo,â 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 âPrincess Dianaâ 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 â after Ice Spiceâs slick cadence and internal rhymes glide across the beat, Minaj provides new highlights with quotable sneers like âShe the princess, so fâk who you lames is?â
Dominic Fike, âDancing in the CourthouseâÂ
After experiencing some run-ins with the law while growing up in Florida, Dominic Fike synthesizes his experiences and resulting emotions on âDancing in the Courthouseâ â 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. âDancing in the Courthouseâ makes good use of both Fikeâs 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, âEsta VidaâÂ
One month after linking up with Colombian reggaeton star Manuel Turizo on the new single âEl Merengue,â Marshmello continues his exploration of disparate Latin pop styles with âEsta Vida,â a summer-ready anthem co-starring Puerto Rican party-starter Farruko. âEsta Vidaâ clearly takes inspiration from the playbook Farruko used on the stadium-sized hit âPepasâ â the thousand-voiced effect returns on the chorus here â but both artists bring their A-game to the dance cut, with rubbery synth production backing Farrukoâs smooth oscillation between rapping and singing.
Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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This week, Drake makes noise while awaiting rescue, Sugaâs Agust D persona returns, and Youngboy Never Broke Again gets a high-wattage assist from Nicki Minaj. Check out all of this weekâs picks below:
Drake, âSearch & RescueâÂ
While Drakeâs decision to sample a Kim Kardashian speech and crash it into the middle of âSearch & Rescueâ â along with using a superimposed image of the two of them together in matching motorcycle helmets â will likely dominate social chatter around the new single, âSearch & Rescueâ 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 Drakeâs 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, âPeople Pt. 2âÂ
As the members of BTS continue rolling out solo projects, sometimes as their first officially released statements on their own, Sugaâs upcoming D-Day has been a long time coming, as the end of his trilogy under the moniker Agust D (following 2016âs Agust D and 2020âs D-2). âPeople Pt. 2,â the sequel to one of D-2âs most fully realized pop-rap tracks, spins Sugaâs narrative forward with a more complex blend of hip-hop, R&B and top 40 hooks: in between the swelling beauty of IUâs 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, âWTFâÂ
âCross YoungBoy, then you cross the Queen,â Nicki Minaj declares to open her verse on âWTF,â a new team-up with Youngboy Never Broke Again that juxtaposes their rap methods but still places them squarely on the same side. After Youngboyâs 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-hopâs greats who has expanded the ways in which singing can be deployed in rap music, Minaj sounds right at home alongside Youngboy on âWTF.â
Jonas Brothers, âWaffle Houseâ
When Jonas Brothers made their grand comeback in 2019 with the Hot 100-topping smash âSuckerâ 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. âWaffle House,â the trioâs new single which precedes next monthâs 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 theyâll always arrive at the right path as bright harmonies explode around them. Itâs only April, but donât be surprised to hear âWaffle Houseâ on this yearâs beach playlists.
NF, HopeÂ
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 producerâs 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, âNever Felt So AloneâÂ
Did you recognize that voice harmonizing with Labrinth on his woozy new single âNever Felt So Aloneâ? Thatâs 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. âNever Felt So Aloneâ certainly speaks to Eilishâs 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.
Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs First Stream picks below:
Boygenius, The RecordÂ
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, MeÂ
Roughly two weeks before Blackpink makes history by becoming the first K-pop Coachella headliner, the quartetâs Jisoo has made a promising solo debut, with a two-song project, Me, that combines the groupâs arena-ready pop craft and a subtly revealed individual skill set. While âAll Eyes On Meâ unleashes an imposing, mass-appeal chorus defined by Jisoo declaring the titular phrase, âFlowerâ 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 PiecesÂ
Chloe Bailey possesses a generational level of talent â weâve 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 âLooze Uâ boasts some breathtaking technical skill) as well as crackling featured guests (âCheatback,â in which Chlöe plots revenge on a cheating boyfriend alongside acoustic guitar strums and Futureâs warbled encouragement, is an easy highlight).
Tyler, The Creator, Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate SaleÂ
âCall Me If You Get Lost was the first album I made with alot of songs that didnât make the final cut,â Tyler, The Creator shared on Twitter earlier this week. âSome of those songs I really love, and knew they would never see the light of day, so Iâve decided to put a few of them out.â Thus, one of the most critically acclaimed full-lengths of 2021 has been bestowed with eight extra tracks, as âThe Estate Saleâ deluxe edition, that thankfully live up to the quality of its host album: âDogtoothâ sounds like a no-brainer breakout hit, while âWharf Talk,â featuring an especially nimble A$AP Rocky, is unrepentant hip-hop joy.
Becky G & Peso Pluma, âChanelâÂ
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 âChanel,â on which Becky enters relatively unfamiliar musical terrain with a natural ease, while her counterpartâs voice keeps up with her own â no easy feat, considering how Beckyâs vocals can outshine plenty of other singers.
Melanie Martinez, PortalsÂ
If there were any lingering doubts that Melanie Martinez was not a typical pop singer-songwriter, new album Portals â a meditation on death, reincarnation, repeating patterns and gazing into the universeâs nothingness â 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 âSpider Webâ to the darkly lit pop-rock of new single âVoidâ â 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.
Billboardâs Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this weekâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs picks below:
Ed Sheeran, âEyes ClosedâÂ
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. âEyes Closed,â which previews the superstarâs affecting new album â (Subtract), combines producer Aaron Dessnerâs knack for subtly whirring arrangements with Sheeranâs gift for delivering a memorable hook; grief is a tricky subject for a top 40 mainstay to address in a non-ballad, but âEyes Closedâ provides catharsis through lyrical detail and a unifying refrain.
Lana Del Rey, Did you know that thereâs a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
âIâm a different kind of woman,â Lana Del Rey states plainly on âSweet,â adding a few seconds later, âIf you wanna go where nobody knows, thatâs where youâll find me.â The singer-songwriter has spent her career proving the former statement â taking a personalized approach to pop craft, forever valuing honesty and innovation â but Did You Know That Thereâs 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 artistâs most singular statement to date.
Click here to read a full review and tracks ranking of Lana Del Reyâs latest album.
Luke Combs, Gettinâ OldÂ
As a companion piece to last yearâs Growinâ Up, Luke Combsâ Gettinâ Old better plays to the songwriting strengths of the country superstar, who reflects on his experiences and the time he has left (âThat hourglass we have donât last forever / Been thinking âbout it more and more these days,â he sings in the opening minutes of the album) in a way thatâs both gracious and entertaining. Whether heâs 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 Gettinâ Old, and the song quality lives up to his perspective.
RosalĂa & Rauw Alejandro, RRÂ
Itâs not every day that a couple gets to announce their engagement concurrently with releasing a highly anticipated collaborative project, but RosalĂa and Rauw Alejandro are in rarefied air: RR, a three-song release that captures the flamenco pop queenâs predilection for yearning melodies and the reggaeton starâs charisma across quickening tempos, could have been a vanity project for the happy couple but instead crackles with creative chemistry. And RR sound like itâs just the tip of the iceberg â as Alejandro puts it in a press release, âI will be spending my days writing and writing many more songs about and with her.â
Jimin, FaceÂ
Itâd be easy (and a bit lazy) to place the BTS membersâ solo projects side-by-side as they continue rolling out, but Jiminâs 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. Jiminâs gentle vocals ground songs like the sizzling âFace-offâ and the â80s-indebted âLike Crazy,â accentuating the melodies with a light touch and expressing each lyric with impressive confidence.
Fall Out Boy, So Much (For) StardustÂ
Fall Out Boyâs new album, So Much (For) Stardust, arrives almost 10 years to the day after the band returned with 2013âs 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 âHold Me Like a Grudgeâ and âSo Good Right Now,â Fall Out Boyâs 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.
Billboardâs First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs First Stream picks below:
Miley Cyrus, Endless Summer Vacation
Miley Cyrusâ 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 âAMâ and âPMâ songs), a fresh start on the new label home of Columbia Records, a commercial comeback thanks to lead single âFlowersâ becoming Cyrusâ 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 sheâs been and where she might be headed next.
Click here for a full review and preliminary track ranking of Cyrusâ Endless Summer Vacation.
TWICE, Ready To BeÂ
Although Ready To Be marks TWICEâs 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 âSet Me Free,â âBlame It On Meâ and the previously released hit single âMoonlight Sunriseâ will get stuck in your head, but more importantly, theyâll pull you into TWICEâs world by showcasing what they do best as individual members and a cohesive unit.
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding, âMiracleâÂ
After previously conjuring dance magic with âI Need Your Loveâ in 2012 and âOutsideâ in 2014, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding have once again teamed up on âMiracle,â a trance track that instinctively plays to the best qualities of both artists. Goulding is able to inject warmth into the heart of the songâs intro before sending her voice skyward on the chorus, and Harris provides the throbbing blueprint â when the drop arrives on âMiracle,â the listener feels overwhelmed with movement, and unable to resist.
Lauren Daigle, âThank God I DoâÂ
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. âThank God I Doâ not only previews that self-titled full-length, due out on May 12, but also suggests an evolution of Daigleâs 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 â and on Radical Romantics, the follow-up to 2017âs Plunge, they are able to both recall some of their careerâs 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 Dreijerâs catalog.
Billboardâs First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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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 weekâs First Stream picks below:
Nicki Minaj, âRed Ruby Da SleazeâÂ
After scoring her first solo Hot 100 No. 1 last year with âSuper Freaky Girl,â a pop-rap smash that reanimated Rick Jamesâ timeless 1981 hit âSuper Freak,â Nicki Minaj jumps ahead to 2003 for her inspiration, and turns Lumideeâs âNever Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)â into the backbone of new single âRed Ruby Da Sleaze.â Unlike âSuper Freaky Girl,â however, the focus of Minajâs latest swerves away from its sample on numerous occasions â the chorus here functions as a percussive breakdown, with only the faintest âUh ooooohâsâ in the background â 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 TimeÂ
âI was a bad reputation, with an attitude to match,â Morgan Wallen sings on âDying Man,â the closing track of his new 36-song album. âHell, man, Iâm goinâ nowhere / And gettinâ there lightninâ fast.â The song is about romantic redemption â one of the primary themes of One Thing at a Time â but also provides a glimpse into Wallenâs 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 â and a public fallout made its success taste bitter â Wallenâs epic new full-length prods at his frustrations and attempts at self-improvement while delivering some of the most agreeable country tunes youâll hear this year; his reputation is still debated, but Wallen is no longer stuck in neutral.
J-Hope & J. Cole, âOn the StreetâÂ
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 âOn the Streetâ to express his gratitude toward the fans who helped make it all happen. Meanwhile, J. Coleâs effortless flow sounds natural when placed next to J-Hopeâs 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: âYou see a top 10 list, I see a Golden Corral.â
Kali Uchis, Red Moon in VenusÂ
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 âTelepatĂaâ or exploring synth fantasias like on recent single âI Wish You Roses.â Red Moon in Venus, Uchisâ third album, maintains a singular approach but offers the most satisfying songwriting of her career â a love album that ranges from floating slow jams (âWorth the Wait,â with Omar Apollo) to pop come-ons (âEndlesslyâ), the full-length sounds like nothing else, and like Uchisâ mainstream arrival.
Marshmello & Manuel Turizo, âEl MerengueâÂ
âEl Merengue,â 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 â and when the track fully kicks in, it charms and provokes movement without ever overpowering the listener. One of Marshmelloâs 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 âEl Merengue,â shimmying across the verses and crooning when needed on the chorus.
Portugal. The Man, âDummyâÂ
Portugal. The Man were more than a decade into their run as a successful, festival-ready alt-rock band when their single âFeel It Stillâ 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. âDummy,â which previews the Jeff Bhasker-produced new album Chris Black Changed My Life, serves as an apocalyptic jingle thatâs ripe for alternative radio: lines like âEveryone I know / Is running from the afterlifeâ exist inside undeniable grooves, and Portugal. The Man nod to both longtime fans and casual listeners seeking another catchy-as-hell hit.
Billboardâs First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Fridayâs most essential releases â the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.Â
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This week, Skrillex ends a long album drought, P!nk takes us on a journey, and both Janelle MonĂĄe and Niall Horan return with splashy new singles. Check out all of this weekâs First Stream picks below:
Skrillex, Quest for FireÂ
Casual Skrillex fans might be shocked to learn that Quest for Fire is only his second album â 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 2014âs Recess sounds just as vital in its dance visions as his best work, and riotously diverse, with a song like âRATATA,â in which Missy Elliott stops by to breathe new life into a âWork Itâ refrain, leading into âTears,â a slam-bang showcase for dubstep king Joker.
P!nk, TrustfallÂ
In a recent chat with Billboard about new album Trustfall, P!nk explained why her ninth studio LP is a âfâking journeyâ that canât be contained by one mood. âThis album could have easily been, Side A is Roller Skate Time, and Side B is No Sharp Objects in the Kitchen Time!â she said. âBut thatâs not life. Life is messy and beautiful and messy again.â And Trustfall is true to P!nkâs 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 MonĂĄe feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, âFloatâÂ
Janelle MonĂĄe lives up to the title of her new single: âFloatâ is all about hovering over muddled discourse and rising above petty details, being able to leave earthly trappings and find grace in artistry. Itâs a skill that the multi-talented MonĂĄe has flaunted over the course of her breathtaking career, and âFloat,â 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; âFloatâ may introduce a new body of work, but even if it doesnât, MonĂĄe has earned the chance to levitate above the naysayers.
Niall Horan, âHeavenâ
When boy band members disperse, they often leap into establishing a solo presence to keep the publicâs 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 âThis Townâ and âSlow Hands.â âHeaven,â 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, âNo Time WastedâÂ
âI know you waitinâ / Gettinâ fed up, you runninâ out of patience,â Polo G declares to open the chorus of âNo Time Wastedâ; he could be addressing his ravenous fan base, which didnât 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 Gâs 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, â3 BoysâÂ
Fresh off of a breakthrough year and a best new artist Grammy nod, Omar Apollo has returned with â3 Boys,â 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 Apolloâs voice â his ability to deliver ghostly harmonies, ethereal falsetto and desperate, full-throated cries â and becomes another winner for the rising star because of it.