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 new music this week.
This week saw the culmination of Janelle Monáe’s attention-grabbing album cycle and the continued unfurling of The Weeknd’s The Idol universe. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.
Janelle Monáe — “Champagne Sh*t”
After much skin, Janelle Monáe’s new album The Age Of Pleasure has arrived. While Monáe’s often-NSFW promotional cycle was the talk of the album lead-up, the music itself is strong. Among the highlights is “Champagne Sh*t,” which, like many other songs on the project, is full of confidence, fun, and warm summer vibes.
The Weeknd — “The Lure (Main Theme)”
Whether or not you’re into The Idol, at least the show means new music from The Weeknd. He plans to drop new singles from the show weekly, and last week brought “The Lure,” a meditative and dramatic theme for the show that sounds very much like the kind of distinctive, standout music HBO shows tend to have.
Sam Smith and Madonna — “Vulgar”
Madonna recently entered the world of The Idol with a Weeknd collab, but now she’s shifted gears by linking up with Sam Smith on “Vulgar.” Both artists have prominently dealt with detractors over the years, and they self-assuredly address them on “Vulgar,” which includes lyrics like, “Do you know how to spell my name? / B-*-T-C-H / Go f*ck yourself, you heard me, b*tch / Say our f*cking names.”
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit — “This Ain’t It”
The pop world popped off last week, but meanwhile, Jason Isbell had an achievement of his own: Weathervanes, a new album. He recently told Uproxx about how making this album compared to his previous one, Reunions. He said, “This one was a lot easier. And I think the main reason for that was that I just admitted to what was bothering me. It took a long time because I’m still learning this stuff. And I am still a man from Alabama at my core, so sometimes it can be a big challenge for me to actually be honest with myself and say, ‘Okay, you’re scared.’ But once I did that, things got a lot better, and it became much more enjoyable for me to write and record songs again. It’s something that I struggle with every single day: ‘What exactly am I feeling and how do I work up the courage to say that out loud?’ Because once you do, things just sort of magically start to get better.”
Rosalía — “Tuya”
Rosalía has found acclaim and an audience by being undeniably herself, which she continues on her latest single, “Tuya.” The track incorporates the reggaeton rhythms that are commonplace in her work, but she brings even more international flavor into the fold with the koto, the national instrument of Japan.
BTS — “Take Two”
BTS has been releasing a surprising amount of new music for a group on a hiatus. They couldn’t just let their tenth anniversary go by without celebrating, though, so they shared “Take Two,” a song that sees the group (all seven members are on the song despite their various commitments) showing love to the fans who have helped them reach the heights they have.
PinkPantheress — “Angel”
PinkPantheress became a genuine hit-maker earlier this year with “Boy’s A Liar,” especially via the Ice Spice-featuring remix. She further found herself in good company last week with her contribution to the stacked Barbie movie soundtrack: “Angel” stays true to her sound and is a bright tune that fits wonderfully into the perpetually sunny Barbie universe.
City Girls — “I Need A Thug”
It appears City Girls have a new album landing this summer, and they’re certainly getting ready for a strong season with “I Need A Thug.” It’s a perfect contender for a warm-weather party playlist and is memorable despite being over after just a couple minutes. (If you need more City Girls, they dropped another new song, “Piñata,” just hours later.)
J Hus — “Who Told You” Feat. Drake
J Hus has been a Drake associate for a few years now, since he popped up at one of his London shows just hours after being released from prison. Now they’ve linked up on a song: “Who Told You” has an undeniably fun rhythm and groove, while Drake’s signature vocal stylings only further the cause.
Sexyy Red — “SkeeYee”
How’s this for a pleasant surprise: Sexyy Red announced a new album, Hood Hottest Princess, last Tuesday and it was out by Friday. The timing for a new project is certainly good, as Red is riding the momentum of the viral hit “Pound Town” and its Nicki Minaj-featuring remix.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
