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 yet another Gucci Mane release, and the highly anticipated debut of Noname, Saba, and Smino’s supergroup, Ghetto Sage. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Gucci Mane — Woptober II
Gucci Mane is one of the most prolific rappers around, and he proved that yet again last weekend with the release of Woptober II, his second album of the year (and his seventh since 2016). October 17 is an important date in Mane’s life (Woptober II came out the day after, though), and he marked the occasion by dropping a new album featuring contributions from DaBaby, Quavo, Megan Thee Stallion, and a host of other hip-hop talents.
Ghetto Sage — “Häagen Dazs”
Noname, Smino, and Saba have appeared on songs together on a handful of occasions (on Noname’s “Ace” and “Shadowman”), and for a minute now, they’ve been teasing a collaborative project. The presumed upcoming release from the Chicago trio (known collectively as Ghetto Sage) will be one of the most anticipated of whatever year it is released, as evidenced by “Häagen Dazs,” a tease of tremendous things to come.
Vagabon — Vagabon
Vagabon (real name Laetitia Tamko) has established herself as a truly unique voice, and on her self-titled album, she does a little bit of everything. Songs like “Every Woman” are ethereal folk, while “Water Me Down” is a lush piece of introspective-yet-dance-ready indie pop (and one of my personal favorite songs of the year).
Read our interview with Vagabon here.
Matt Berninger and Phoebe Bridgers — “Walking On A String”
The National’s fearless leader has involved himself in some collaborations outside of his main band, and the latest one is with Phoebe Bridgers. They recorded “Walking On A String” for Between Two Ferns: The Movie, but the track is no joke, and it perfectly suits the Americana bar where they perform the song in the film.
Kash Doll — Stacked
After collaborating with Big Sean and Rick Ross, opening for Drake, and otherwise generating a lot of buzz for herself, Kash Doll has finally dropped her debut album. Although Stacked has features from rappers like Lil Wayne abd Big Sean, Kash Doll is mostly unaccompanied here, and her huge personality is big enough to fill all the tracks here and some.
Read our review of Stacked here.
Electric Guest — Kin
Since 2012, Electric Guest have low-key been releasing some of the finest indie pop the decade has to offer. On their latest, the duo comes across as as purely pop as they’ve ever been, and it’s a space they expertly occupy, like on the jaunty, catchy-as-hell single “Dollar”
Read our interview with Electric Guest here.
Rex Orange County — “Pluto Projector”
On the recent single “10/10,” Rex Orange County revealed that the previous year wasn’t one of the best he’s ever had, and while he’s said he’s been doing better lately, the struggle from that era has found its way into the songs from his upcoming album, Pony. On his latest, “Pluto Projector,” he asks, “The great protector: Is that what I’m supposed to be? / What if all this counts for nothing, everything I thought I’d be? / What if by the time I realize, it’s too far behind to see?”
Caroline Polachek — “Look At Me Now”
Caroline Polachek described “Look At Me Now” as “an umbilical connection to the Lilith-Fair-era artists I grew up listening to, like Jewel and Sarah McLaughlan.” Indeed, the single sees her straying into singer-songwriter territory as much as she ever has, and the song proves that her vocals work wonderfully outside of the more straightforward pop context in which they’re usually heard.
Yo Gotti — “Pose” Feat. Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Uzi Vert
Megan Thee Stallion is in the business of bangers, and he just appeared on another one alongside Yo Gotti and Lil Uzi Vert. Right off the bat, “Pose” is an assault of bass and drums, and the boastful lyrics from all three rappers are perfect for the in-your-face track.
Perfume Genius — “Pop Song”
While Perfume Genius’ involvement in the The Sun Still Burns Here performance might sound like just a side project at first blush, the endeavor has actually resulted in some of the most fascinating music Mike Hadreas has made yet. Like “Eye In The Wall” before it, “Pop Song” is the result of movement and rhythm being one of the primary considerations in the songwriting process, and what has come from that are super strong grooves from Hadreas.
Some artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. .
