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 Nicki Minaj linking up with Lil Baby, as well as Dr. Dre officially releasing his GTA Online songs. 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.
Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby — “Do We Have A Problem?”
Nicki Minaj has some people she just won’t work with, but Lil Baby clearly isn’t on that list, as the pair dropped “Do We Have A Problem?” last week. To accompany the hard-hitting, synth-driven number, Minaj and Baby came through with a cinematic video, that runs for nine minutes and is inspired by Angelina Jolie’s Salt.
Dr. Dre and Eminem — “Gospel”
Late last year, Dr. Dre dropped a handful of new songs as part of GTA Online: The Contract, but the only way to hear them was through the game. Now, though, the tracks have been made available on streaming platforms, and a highlight is the Eminem collaboration “Gospel,” which also serves to drum up anticipation for the duo taking part in the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Rosalía — “Saoko”
After sharing her Motomami cover art, on which Rosalía is completely nude save for a helmet and strategic hand placement, Rosalía dropped “Saoko,” which is heavily based on Daddy Yankee and Wisin’s 2004 track “Saoco.” Therefore, it’s driven by a reggaeton rhythm, but with Rosalía delivering rap-sung lyrics instead of the reggaeton pioneers.
Mitski — “Stay Soft”
After some personal trials, which included almost leaving music behind, Mitski returned last week with Laurel Hell, as well as a video for “Stay Soft.” Uproxx’s Caitlin White notes the song feels “like it swings between two poles, a rollicking synth-pop melody and Mitski’s always-pristine alto vocals, but even when the song hits a crescendo on the chorus, it never really opens up to anything.”
Lucy Dacus — “Kissing Lessons”
Lucy Dacus has shown on many an occasion that she’s one of music’s most engaging storytellers, a skill she showed off last week with “Kissing Lessons.” This isn’t a traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus ordeal, as it’s pretty much a straight-shot run through a tale of a formative childhood experience.
Saba — “Still” Feat. 6lack and Smino
Saba fans are eating as Few Good Things is out now and an immediate highlight is “Still,” which features 6lack and Saba’s fellow Ghetto Sage member Smino. Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes of the song, “In Saba’s verse, the Chicago rapper touches on his love for his work and how it conflicts with his love for his significant other, while on Smino’s verse, the soulful St. Louisan offers a scintillating take on a long-lost relationship, wondering if she kept his things around. 6lack’s chorus brings things full-circle, as he contrasts his superstar lifestyle with the toll it takes on his home life.”
YG — “Scared Money” Feat. J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo
While J. Cole has an up-and-down relationship with collaborations, he’s in an up phase right now, as he and Moneybagg Yo joined YG on “Scared Money” last week. As the title suggests, the track sees the rappers discussing wealth, how they acquired it, and how they’re hanging onto it.
King Von and 21 Savage — “Don’t Play That”
It’s been a year and change since the passing of King Von, and some posthumous tracks from the rapper have emerged since then. The latest is “Don’t Play That,” on which he’s joined by 21 Savage. Uproxx’s Wongo Okon says of the song, “The track serves as another example of Von’s straight-to-the-point raps which left little to no room for any fun or games.”
Tate McRae — “She’s All I Wanna Be”
Tate McRae saw her stock rise big time as she continued her emergence as a name to watch in the pop sphere. Further evidence of that came last week with “She’s All I Wanna Be,” a propulsive pop anthem with a bit of the pop-punk edge that has been all the rage lately.
Machine Gun Kelly — “Emo Girl” Feat. Willow
Most of the time Machine Gun Kelly pops up in the news, it’s because of some sort of antic, whether it’s related to his relationship with Megan Fox or his quickly outdated tattoos. Those who aren’t paying attention to his musical output, though, are missing on some solid pop-punk. He busted out another example of that last week with “Emo Girl,” a nostalgic-sounding link-up with fellow pop-punk revivalist Willow.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
