The Pulse is the Uproxx Music guide to the best new albums, mixtapes, and other music releases that matter this week.
Rappers haven’t felt like promoting their albums in traditional ways lately: First their was the surprise Future and Young Thug album a couple weeks ago, and now there’s a new out-of-nowhere collaboration from 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin, and a surprise EP from Skepta. Elsewhere, this week also saw new releases from a pop mainstay, hardcore veterans, and others.
21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin — Without Warning
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The surprise new record from 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin came completely out of nowhere, which makes sense given the title. The album comes at a time when the stock of all three artists has never been higher, making this the latest in a string of high-profile, full-album hop-hop collaborations.
Maroon 5 — Red Pill Blues
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Say what you will about the regrettable album title, but Maroon 5 has managed to stay with the times via a career full of quality collaborations. Their latest is the SZA-featuring “What Lovers Do,” a totally danceable pop track that’s just good, clean fun.
Skepta — Vicious
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Hip-hop has been full of surprises lately, so in light of the 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin collab, let’s not forget the EP that UK grime hero Skepta dropped on Halloween. The 6-track EP feels massive, and it also features guest appearances from ASAP Rocky and Lil B.
Shamir — Revelations
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After returning to music last year with a raw surprise album, Shamir is back with his third LP. While he hasn’t quite returned to his pop roots, Revelations is definitely more accessible than his previous effort, especially on the meme-filled ballad “90’s Kids.”
Yaeji — EP2
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Hopefully, the language barrier isn’t a problem here, because songs like “Drink I’m Sippin On” from Yaeji’s new EP are infectious dancefloor hits, even if they’re partially sung in Korean. Even though she sings in Korean “because I didn’t want people to understand what I was singing about,” I still feel like I get it.
Converge — The Dusk In Us
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Converge says their new record is “simply a new album about new chapters in our lives,” and their book’s already pretty long. The metalcore group’s ninth album comes 23 years after their debut, and on intense tracks like “A Single Tear,” they wear their age just fine.
Problem — Selfish
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The Compton rapper told us that the title Selfish came about because this time around, he really wanted to musically indulge himself: “I gotta do exactly what I want to do. I want to put out the songs that I want to put out. I want to work with the producers I want to work with and I can’t care if they don’t understand.” Check out our brand new interview with Problem here.
Willow Smith — The 1st
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“Whip My Hair” was so long ago and Willow Smith has been in our lives for so long that’s it’s easy to forget that she only just turned 17 years old. Her youth hasn’t stopped her from getting endlessly experimental on her music, though, a streak that continues on her second full-length album.
