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 music released in the last week.
This week saw a long-awaited SZA collaboration and Phoebe Bridgers’ first solo song in a while. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
SZA and Justin Timberlake — “The Other Side”
For months now, SZA and Justin Timberlake have had something cooking, as evidenced by multiple signs on social media. Last week, the fruit of their efforts finally surfaced: “The Other Side,” a joint effort for the Trolls World Tour soundtrack. The first Trolls movie yielded Timberlake’s hit “Can’t Stop The Feeling,” and teaming up with SZA here, he has another catchy and fun tune on his hands.
Soccer Mommy — Color Theory
Sophie Allison teased her growth as Soccer Mommy with a handful of exemplary pre-album singles, and on Color Theory, she has delivered a worthy follow-up to her 2018 album Clean. She told Uproxx of writing the album while on the road, “I think that the only thing I can say about touring is that some places I was in, occasionally the imagery was really inspiring, and some of that gets into the album.”
Lady Gaga — “Stupid Love”
It’s been a few years since Lady Gaga shared an all-out pop album, but now, one is on the way. She heralded her new era with “Stupid Love,” an upbeat electronic pop tune that’s made to get feet moving. She said of her upcoming album, “We are definitely dancing. […] I want people to dance and feel happy.”
Princess Nokia — Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful
Princess Nokia’s breakout album 1992 Deluxe came out three years ago, and last week, they followed it up with a new album. Strike that: They returned with a pair of new records, the dichotomous Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful. The records were prefaced with a video for “Green Eggs & Ham,” in which they make a major nod to Matilda by re-creating a magical breakfast scene.
G Herbo — PTSD
Juice WRLD has popped up on a limited number of posthumous tracks since his untimely passing, and he has contributed another one to G Herbo’s new album, PTSD. That’s not the only way Juice is honored on the record: The cover art features Herbo holding up a tattered and bloody American flag, with the stars replaced by the faces of Herbo’s friends who have passed away.
Aminé — “Shimmy”
Aminé kept largely quiet in 2019 after breaking out in the years prior, but after a hushed year, the rapper is back for 2020. Last week, he dropped off a new clip for “Shimmy,” his first song of the year. The track, featuring a ’90s-referencing instrumental, isn’t officially connected to an announced upcoming album, so here’s hoping official word on that front emerges soon.
Phoebe Bridgers — “Garden Song”
Indie hero Phoebe Bridgers has kept busy in recent year, but in a way, she also had a quiet past couple years. She released an album with Boygenius in 2018, and last year, she teamed with Conor Oberst for a self-titled Better Oblivion Community Center album. With her time devoted to collaborations, Bridgers hasn’t paid much attention to her solo career since her 2017 debut album. “Garden Song” is her first single since then, and it’s proof that, while she thrives with others, it was when she carried tracks by herself that the world fell in love with her.
100 Gecs — “Ringtone (Remix)” Feat. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, and Kero Kero Bonito”
One of the weirdest music stories of the past year is the very existence of 100 Gecs, the bizarre, genre-less (or perhaps they encompass every genre?) duo busting out tunes that raise eyebrows in a number of ways. There’s an undeniable appeal to what they do, though, at least enough to get some high-profile collaborators on a song with them: Their new “Ringtone” remix features Rico Nasty, Charli XCX, and Kero Kero Bonito.
RMR — “Rascal”
If somebody watched the video for RMR’s “Rascal” for the first time on mute, it wouldn’t be a leap if they guessed the track was a rap song, based on the goons pointing firearms at the camera and other aesthetic giveaways. It turns out the song is actually a heartbroken country ballad, though, and this juxtaposition earned the clip some viral attention last week.
Lil Baby — My Turn
Lil Baby has been rolling out his new album for a while now, so much so that it doesn’t feel like much time has passed between it and his 2018 debut, Harder Than Ever. Everything has led up to My Turn, a massive 20-track effort that includes features from Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, and Young Thug.
Perfume Genius — “Describe”
After spending much of 2019 promoting a collaborative dance performance project (which yielded some excellent music), Mike Hadreas is back to doing more traditionally Perfume Genius things. His first single of 2020 is “Describe,” which launches the rollout for his upcoming album, the evocatively titled Set My Heart On Fire Immediately.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
