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 a 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 a pair of celebratory new songs from Drake and the first official posthumous Mac Miller verse. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Drake — “Omertà” and “Money In The Grave”
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When the Toronto Raptors prevailed over the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA Finals in six games, few people on the planet were more excited about it than Drake was. In the midst of his celebration, he declared he would release two new songs in honor of the team. Sure enough, he shared “Omertà” and “Money In The Grave,” the latter of which features Rick Ross.
The Free Nationals — “Time” Feat. Mac Miller and Kali Uchis
There have been a couple of attempts to release posthumous Mac Miller material since his passing, but now we have our first officially sanctioned verse from Miller, on a new track from Anderson .Paak’s backing band, The Free Nationals. Kali Uchis carries most of the vocal burden on the soulful track, and when Miller’s voice comes in, it’s clear the song would have fit in well on his previous album, Swimming.
Radiohead — Minidiscs [Hacked]
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Somebody demanded a $150,000 ransom in order to not release a bunch of Radiohead demos. The band decided to stick it to that hacker by just releasing the 18 hours of audio themselves. It’s definitely a release for superfans, as even Radiohead themselves don’t plan on giving it a spin. Jonny Greenwood said of it, “It’s only tangentially interesting. And very, very long.”
Gucci Mane — “Backwards” Feat. Meek Mill
Gucci Mane just put out his latest album, Evil Genius, six months ago, but he’s already on his way back with a new one, and it’s coming real soon. He previewed that with the Meek Mill collab “Backwards,” and said that given their pasts with law enforcement, recording this song was moving: “Just sitting down talking, man, just you know what we had in our lives, man, that was special.”
BTS — “A Brand New Day”
BTS have a new mobile game on the way, BTS World, in which players will be able to see what it’s like to manage the uber-popular boyband. They’re also releasing a few new songs from the game, and following their Charli XCX collab “Dream Glow” is “A Brand New Day.” The song features Zara Larsson and borrows influences from around the world, including Middle Eastern music, tropical music, and hip-hop.
Julien Baker — “Red Door” and “Conversation Piece”
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These songs aren’t technically new: Julien baker previously released the songs as a Record Store Day-exclusive 7-inch. However, this is the first time the tracks are available digitally. They were both written during the sessions for Turn Out The Lights, so they pack the same emotional punch as other tracks from that stellar release.
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib — “Giannis” Feat. Anderson .Paak
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib are a formidable duo, but pair them with Anderson .Paak, and that trio is a tough one to beat. That’s true on the new collaboration between the three, “Giannis.” Of course, it features a nod to the NBA player it’s named after, like when Gibbs raps, “Real Gs move in silence like Giannis / My Greek freak, we did a ménage with a friend in St. Thomas.”
Bruce Springsteen — Western Stars
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Bruce Springsteen had a big 2018 thanks to his Springsteen On Broadway show, but after that dust settled, he promised a new album, saying a few months ago that it’s “a jewel box of a record.” It turns out that he was right about that: Uproxx’s Steven Hyden believes this record is Springsteen’s best in a long while.
Crumb — Jinx
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Psychedelic rock has been done a ton since the ’60s, but Crumb are bringing a fresh approach to it in 2019, combining elements of post-punk and dream pop into their sound. This results in songs that are entrancing in their ability to envelop observers in a haze, like the woozy “Ghostride” and “Fall Down,” which simultaneously sounds present and a little far away.
Madonna — Madame X
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Madonna is one of the most impactful pop stars American culture has ever had, and she’s apparently not done making her mark. Her new album, Madame X, proves that she’s more than capable of keeping up with the times, as she still knows how to craft a catchy tune. She also gets assists from some of today’s best, like Swae Lee and Quavo.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
