Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best music released in the last week.
This week saw Cage The Elephant ascend to the rock throne, Beyonce delivering a live album to end all live albums, and Lizzo prove why she is one of music’s most intriguing new stars. Yeah, it was a great week for music. Check out the highlights below.
Lizzo — Cuz I Love You
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No matter how many times I write about Lizzo, I feel the need to say the same thing: Lizzo is a star. That word gets thrown around a lot, but her infectious personality, her body-positive message, and her often incredible music work together to create something truly special in the current music climate. Cuz I Love You is her first collection of music in three years, and could be the moment where the culture at large finally gets on board with what many music writers have been screaming from the rooftops.
Cage The Elephant — Social Cues
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Cage The Elephant don’t really identify as rock musicians, but regardless, they are becoming one of the biggest rock bands in the world. As I wrote in my interview with them, “Every album from the band is equal parts reinvention and refinement, and Social Cues finds Cage The Elephant more confident than ever in that formula, not relying on the tricks that got them to this point, but moving bravely into the unknown.”
Beyonce — Homecoming: The Live Album
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It was a huge week for Beyonce fans. Not only did they receive a Netflix doc about her Coachella performance, but she also gave them a massive, 40-song live album. It features three previously unreleased songs as well as classics from her solo career and her Destiny’s Child run. Nothing quite replaces the experience of being there, but this live album sure comes close.
Elva — Winter Sun
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In the first half of this decade, indie pop band Allo Darlin’ offered up three great albums whose muted fanfare resulted in the band ultimately calling it quits. But bandleader Elizabeth Morris is back with her partner Ola Innset on Winter Sun, the first album from their project Elva. Morris’ voice is just as soothing and sweet as ever, with inviting songwriting that harkens back to C-86, Belle & Sebastian, and twee-leaning aughts indie.
The Rolling Stones — Honk
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The Rolling Stones may have had to cancel their stadium tour due to Mick Jagger’s heart surgery, but fans can wait for the rescheduled dates by enjoying this new hits collection. Honk packages the hits from The Stones from 1971-2016, including one disc (or LP) of ten live tracks recorded from the band’s recent outings. The collection spans three discs and four LPs in total, and provides another angle to explore one of the most celebrated music institutions of the rock and roll era.
Field Medic — Fade Into The Dawn
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Los Angeles songwriter Field Medic makes a big splash with his latest album. Writing about the record for Uproxx, Steven Hyden said, “The austere music is a nod to the early ’60s Bob Dylan albums that Patrick cut his teeth on — The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan is a particular favorite — though to his credit he’s not a slavish imitator intent on reviving a long-gone era. Rather, he’s taken the aesthetic of the road-weary troubadour and imbued it with a millennial sensibility.”
Kelsey Lu — Blood
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Following 2016’s Church EP, Kelsey Lu is finally ready to unveil her debut album, Blood. She’s already been such a presence at festivals, guesting with other artists, and releasing her own music that it’s hard to believe this is still her first record. Jamie xx and Skrillex both feature as producers on some of the new tracks.
Flying Lotus — “Fire Is Coming” Feat. David Lynch
First singles from albums are generally about piquing interest. For Flying Lotus, who just announced his first proper album in five years, that means not even releasing something that would be considered a traditional song by most. “Fire Is Coming” sounds more like an interlude, with David Lynch babbling on over disturbing squeaks and creeks, setting the mood for what may come. It’s a supreme act of confidence and one that bodes well for this cycle for FlyLo.
Beck — “Saw Lightning”
2019 seems to be about showing off how well Beck works with others. We’ve seen him rap with Cage The Elephant, collaborate with Robyn and The Lonely Island for the second Lego Movie, and now, we witness what it’s like when Beck works with Pharrell. The tune is full of energy with a skittering beat, essentially an exercise in organized chaos, with Uproxx’s Derrick Rossignol noting, “It seems Pharrell (who also contributed drums, keyboards, and “mumbles” to the track) has amplified Beck’s experimental nature and made a genuinely interesting song.”
Carly Rae Jepsen — “Julien”
When Carly Rae Jepsen releases her much-anticipated follow-up to Emotion next month, “Julien” is the track that will lead off the collection. Writing about the song for Uproxx, Derrick Rossignol said, “The electro-dance track has kinetic verses that bloom into a subtle, disco-inspired chorus, as Jepsen sings about somebody she wishes she was with.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
