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 Travis Scott link up with a strong pair of collaborators and a slew of albums from indie favorites. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Travis Scott — “Franchise” Feat. Young Thug and MIA
People learned what the inside of Michael Jordan’s house looks like during the Last Dance documentary series, and now Travis Scott has given us another look at it. He secured the Illinois mansion as the shooting location for his latest video: “Franchise,” a fresh collaboration featuring Young Thug and MIA.
Sufjan Stevens — The Ascension
Sufjan Stevens has kept busy since his 2015 album Carrie & Lowell, but ultimately, the following years didn’t bring an honest-to-goodness Sufjan Stevens album. That changed in 2020, though, as he just dropped The Ascension, which stylistically doesn’t have as much in common with its predecessor as it does 2010’s electronic-leaning effort The Age Of Adz.
Fleet Foxes — Shore
Robin Pecknold told Uproxx why Fleet Foxes decided to surprise-release their new album, saying, “It just feels like a good moment to try a no BS ‘here you go’ vibe. I feel sick of reading the news a little bit, and I’m keeping up with what’s going on, but it’s not the least exhausting part of my day. So I didn’t want to feel like I was trying to garner attention over a three-month album cycle. Especially when the album was ready… and it’s not really a winter album. It’s kind of a summer-to-fall album, and I would like to capture that moment of transition.”
Swae Lee — “Dance Like No One’s Watching”
Swae Lee has dropped some singles to promote his next album, and he did so again last week with “Dance Like No One’s Watching.” On the smooth track, Swae is looking for somebody new to keep his mind off somebody from his past
Spillage Village — Spilligion
Hip-hop supergroups pop up every now and again, but Spillage Village is especially alluring. Consisting of 6lack, Earthgang, JID, Hollywood JB, Jurdan Bryant, and Mereba, the group reconvenes to show their persistently undeniable chemistry, despite the individuals finding success outside of the collective in recent years.
Action Bronson — Only For Dolphins
Action Bronson is about 100 pounds lighter than he was not long ago, and his new album is also pretty lean. Clocking in at 35 minutes, it features more of the throwback-style instrumentals and signature personality that has endeared him to many in music and beyond.
Deftones — Ohms
Chino Moreno recently told Uproxx of the new album, “‘Heavy’ is kind of subjective, you know? The last thing I ever want to do is be quoted saying, ‘This is our heaviest record!’ The first thing that’s going to happen is some dude’s going to be like, ‘No way dude! This is…’ You know what I mean? It’s kind of subjective. But I do feel like it’s got a little more energy. I think that is attributed to everybody being engaged completely. Everybody firing on all cylinders. There’s not one of us individually that was sort of sitting back just going along. Everybody was very present physically and emotionally, ready to work and to put the work in.”
Public Enemy — What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
Public Enemy have maintained a relatively consistent stream of output since establishing themselves as hip-hop icons in the ’80s, and now they’ve back with another. The longwindedly titled album features a similarly lengthy roster of guests, including Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, Questlove, YG, George Clinton, Run-DMC, and the surviving Beastie Boys.
Idles — Ultra Mono
Idles recently explained to Uproxx how the album’s title relates to the band’s mantra while they recorded it, saying, “It set the path forward for the creative process. I think we work so much better when things get narrowed down. If we know we’re working toward a title, if we know we’re working toward these strict concepts, then anything we do, we can go, ‘Is this ultra mono?'”
Polo G — “Epidemic”
The young rapper could have packed it in and called it good for 2020, since he already dropped The Goat, his second album and highest charting thanks to its No. 2 peak. Instead, he returned with a new non-album single, “Epidemic,” which might not be the epidemic you’re thinking of.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
