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 Megan Thee Stallion unleash her long-awaited new album and Nicki Minaj come through with a heater of a single. 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. Also find our Uproxx HQ Spotify playlist, which is updated weekly with the best new music, at the end of this post.
Megan Thee Stallion — “Red Wine”
Last week, Megan announced Traumazine, her new album. And on Friday (after a stint co-hosting The Tonight Show) it was out. One of the 18 tracks that immediately caught people’s attention was “Red Wine,” a particularly sensual new song that just oozes sex, even more so than most of Megan’s other music that already very much does that.
Nicki Minaj — “Super Freaky Girl”
New Nicki is always welcomed, especially when it includes a killer Rick James sample. The tune is “Super Freaky Girl,” which sees Minaj in top form, rapping about her various levels of excellence over a catchy beat.
Ronald Isley and Beyoncé — “Make Me Say It Again, Girl”
Beyoncé is on top of the world right now fresh off the release of Renaissance and she apparently can’t stop dropping new music. Following her many “Break My Soul” remixes is a collaboration with Ronald Isley, a soulful and modernized rework of the 1975 Isley Brothers track “Make Me Say It Again Girl, Pts. 1 & 2.”
Ari Lennox — “Hoodie”
Shea Butter Baby came out in 2019 and fans have been eagerly awaiting Lennox’s sophomore album ever since. News of that finally arrived last week (it’s set for release in September) along with “Hoodie,” a smooth and rhythmic tune on which Lennox flexes her superlative vocal abilities while asking to wear her man’s hoodie.
Rod Wave — “Yungen” Feat. Jack Harlow
After announcing Beautiful Mind in May, Rod Wave’s latest is finally here. Immediately, fans were blown away by the album’s gorgeous melodies, including on the LP’s standout Jack Harlow collaboration “Yungen.”
Anitta and Maluma — “El Que Espera”
Anitta’s profile is rising by the day and now she’s teamed up with another international superstar, Maluma, on “El Que Espera.” The collaboration has a warm, mid-tempo, summery, tropical rhythm that should serve as a chill (but still groovy) respite from this season’s more upbeat hits.
Cordae — “So With That”
It recently dawned on Cordae that in his opinion, his debut album is better than his latest one, this year’s From A Birds Eye View, and that he now “got sumn to prove.” He did some proving last week with two new singles: “Unacceptable” and “So With That,” with Uproxx’s Armon Sadler saying the latter “sounds like he took a road trip to the past, with a backpack rap-type beat laced with high-pitched vocal samples.”
JID — “Dance Now”
JID released DiCaprio 2 nearly four years ago, but we won’t have to wait much longer for its follow-up. That’s set to drop later this month, but what dropped last week was a taste of it in “Dance Now,” on which JID’s slithering and rapid-fire flow sounds fantastic over a hard-hitting beat.
The Dare — “Girls”
Here’s an exciting new face: Harrison Patrick Smith, who has previously toured with Porches and performed as Turtlenecked, just re-branded as The Dare and dropped his debut single. The song is “Girls” and it’s a delightful, punchy, electro-pop romp reminiscent of early LCD Soundsystem material, meaning it’s made for dancing and has a bit of a rock/punk edge to it.
Niki — “Keeping Tabs”
88rising up-and-comer Niki (who once upon a time opened for Taylor Swift in her native Indonesia) is forging a path after her 2020 debut album Moonchild. Last week brought her sophomore LP, Nicole, which is highlighted by tracks like the head-bobbing indie-pop of “Keeping Tabs.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
