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 Lana Del Rey’s long-awaited album and a Justin Bieber album that Donald Glover saw coming. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Lana Del Rey — Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Uproxx’s Steven Hyden writes of Del Rey’s latest, “Many of the songs on Chemtrails are about leaving LA and starting over in the suburbia of flyover-country, a reaction to Del Rey feeling burdened by the weight of fame. I know this because she literally says she’s ‘burdened by the weight of fame’ in the song ‘Dance Till We Die.’ As always, LDR is telling us exactly what’s on her mind. Maybe it’s time to take those words at face value.”
Justin Bieber — Justice
In a 2016 episode of Donald Glover’s Atlanta, Justin Bieber (not portrayed by himself) said he had a new album called Justice. Sure enough, five years later, Bieber actually dropped an album called Justice. The record touches on themes of social justice and includes Martin Luther King, Jr. samples, and his family seems grateful for the shout-out.
Ty Dolla Sign — “Be Yourself” Feat. Bryson Tiller, Jhené Aiko, and Mustard
Ty Dolla Sign is perhaps the most prolific collaborator in music today, which he cleverly referenced with the title of his 2020 album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. Naturally, last week he returned with another joint effort: A new Tiller-boosted version of his Aiko collab “Be Yourself.”
Lord Huron — “Mine Forever”
A few years after 2018’s Vide Noir, Lord Huron is ready to return with a new album, Long Lost. The group has shared a couple tracks from it so far, the latest being “Mine Forever,” a nostalgic mix of Americana and chamber pop.
IDK — “Just Like Martin”
Martin Lawrence becomes more and more beloved as the years go on, and he received a fitting tribute last week via IDK’s “Just Like Martin.” The rapper even paid homage to the actor with a lyrical reference to Lawrence’s self-titled TV show: “If we ain’t sexin’ (yeah), you might have to get to steppin’.”
Benny The Butcher and Harry Fraud — The Plugs I Met 2
Griselda rapper Benny The Butcher is back with a new project titled The Plugs I Met 2, which he made with help from Harry Fraud. He gets other assists throughout the record as well, like from 2 Chainz and Fat Joe, the latter of which got Joe in a bit of trouble.
CJ — “Whoopty NYC Remix” Feat. French Montana and Rowdy Rebel
CJ has a breakout hit on his hands with “Whoopty,” which has so far managed to peak in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That likely made it easier for him to attach some more established names to the track, as he got French Montana and Rowdy Rebel to hop on a new “NYC Remix” of it.
Foxing — “Speak With The Dead” Feat. Why?
It’s been a quiet past couple years for Foxing, but it’s 2021 and the group is back. Last week, they dropped their first new song in three years, “Speak With The Dead,” which features Why? and serves as a reminder that our loved ones are never fully gone.
DDG — Die 4 Respect
In a new feature, DDG told Uproxx about where he’s at right now, “Nobody can tell me that I’m not an artist. It sounds dumb. I just wanted to prove people wrong at this point. I’m more impactful than a lot of rappers that’s already lit because I got kids on lock. Every minority kid, every minority teenager know who I am. That was my goal. That was me at one point. I want these people to look up to me. I just got a cult following.”
Guapdad 4000 — 1176
Guapdad has been as productive as just about anybody over the past year: Last week, he dropped the Illmind-produced 1176, his third new project since April 2020. The rollout of the album has been entertaining and on the record, Guapdad keeps the focus on himself, as there is only a dash of featured guests sprinkled throughout the 14-track effort.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
