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 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 Nicki Minaj finally dropped her long-awaited new album Queen, Dave Grohl did everything on his own, and indie artists Foxing and Tomberlin made their cases for year-end list inclusion. Yeah, it was a pretty good week for music. Check out the highlights below.
Nicki Minaj — Queen
[protected-iframe id=”35c80943e9ac2c6a0d1144c6b8230242-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:album:2acDkDTWdNFie1HjcFa4Ny” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Were the delays worth the wait? That’s going to be the question that people are asking with the biggest release of the week and one of the marquee albums of the summer, Nicki Minaj‘s Queen. Previously released singles “Rich Sex” (Feat. Lil Wayne), “Bed” (Feat. Ariana Grande), and “Chun-Li” all pop up and Minaj is back to her party-starting self, cementing why she is such a captivating figure and one of the most important figures in hip-hop today.
Trippie Redd — Life’s A Trip
[protected-iframe id=”6a6ab2c7d838a3d864e5d95b17216f4b-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/214f4uAY0p2KgY7Fl4fBgk” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
From the Soundcloud to the radio — that’s the jump that has become a common narrative in today’s hip-hop world. But Trippie Redd isn’t just another rapper with a familiar story, and his debut album seeks to prove just that. Travis Scott and Young Thug pop up for guest appearances, while Diplo and Murda Beatz both get production credits.
Tomberlin — At Weddings
[protected-iframe id=”5dd17ce10c9925389385f75a57da3211-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/1v55LXxVAFvFV02xGMImwP” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Every once in a while a new songwriter emerges that hits on all the big emotions that remind us why we love music: Sadness, longing, healing, heartache. Tomberlin is one of those, but she’s also her own entity that comparisons just don’t quite accurately describe. And at a young age and full of promise, the overwhelming feeling is that this is just the beginning for the evocative indie musician.
Foxing — Nearer My God
[protected-iframe id=”0e31e118f42d31f3d64dbbcfb956f1f3-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/6l3mTuQHtjeqoyYWkTxld8″ width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
Ambition is never something to take lightly in music, and Foxing’s latest is loaded with it. In Steven Hyden’s RX interview with the band, they call the record to their equivalent to OK Computer, meaning they set out to make a masterpiece and didn’t land that far off. Bandleader Conor Murphy expands: “We’re realizing what this band actually could sound like, where we can jump off and maybe make something like a Kid A, or maybe a Hail To tTe Thief.”
Quavo — Huncho Bubba EP
[protected-iframe id=”71b2eda70f432861d50e162bf0f4e3a0-60970621-76566046″ info=”https://open.spotify.com/embed/album/4oMiA12pUkEghmi9mw9OAm” width=”650″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″]
One of the hardest working artists in the music world is back again, determined to ride his way through Migos fatigue. Quavo’s latest is a three-song EP featuring the tracks “Workin Me,” “Lamb Talk,” and “Bubblegum,” that was announced just a few hours before its release. As our own Andre Gee writes, the songs show “Quavo at his best, unleashing his quick-tongued flow over thumping production.”
Dave Grohl — “Play”
One man, seven instruments, 23 minutes. For fans of the Foo Fighters, Nirvana, prog, or rock in general, this sounds like a dream come true. But “Play” is more than just a song, it’s also a love letter from Grohl to the action of continuing to master his instruments and the action of playing in the first place. If Dave Grohl has reached the inspirational portion of his career, then this is a pretty great place to start.
Mitski — “Two Slow Dancers”
Through already releasing a pair of great singles from her new album and getting the upcoming collection, Be The Cowboy, released as the next Vinyl Me, Please record of the month, Miski looks to be topping the impressive run from her breakthrough previous album, Puberty 2. Her latest, “Two Slow Dancers,” is another different look for the artist, featuring lush orchestration and a tender, spare melody. She can impress with grandeur and she can impress with intimacy. Basically, Mitski can do it all.
Dilly Dally — “Sober Motel”
Dilly Dally takes on a very real subject on their raw, sludgy new song “Sober Motel“: sobriety when you’re surrounded by substances. But lyrics aside, frontperson Katie Monks sells the song’s emotional power through her guttural wails and the music’s towering heights. There’s a reason why this album is one of our most anticipated rock releases in the coming months.
Aphex Twin — “T69 Collapse”
With the announcement of a new EP, Collapse, comes a glitchy, propulsive new track from the electronic music legend. Aphex Twin is still relatively fresh off his return to American performances and the song, for the most part, is par for the course from the often great artist. But it’s at its most interesting when the song turns itself inside out at its midway, getting lodged inside computer bleeps and pinball percussion.
Kacey Musgraves — “Kansas City Star”
Kacey Musgraves has already released one of the best albums of the year in the form of Golden Hour. For her next action, she’s covered a song from a stone-cold legend, reworking Roger Miller’s “Kansas City Star.” The cover works perfectly for Musgraves’ voice, her sense of humor, and her general aesthetic, placing herself in county’s rich musical tradition and able to confidently stand up to the task of paying tribute to her idols.
