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 The Weeknd precede the Grammys with one of the year’s biggest albums so far and Jennie make some noise of her own with a big collaboration. 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.
The Weeknd — “Open Hearts”
The Weeknd has some issues with the Grammys… or at least that was the case until he and the Recording Academy kissed and made up last night. His Grammy comeback weekend was made extra special with the recent release of his big new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, and the new video for album highlight “Open Hearts.”
Jennie and Dominic Fike — “Love Hangover”
Between BTS and Blackpink, we’ve been in a bit of a golden age for K-pop group solo projects lately. The latter group’s Jennie has been among those getting after it, as she linked up with Dominic Fike last week on “Love Hangover,” a smooth track with a fun video.
Sasami — “In Love With A Memory” Feat. Clairo
Sasami has a big year looming: Her album Blood On The Silver Screen lands in March, then she kicks off a tour in April. Clairo certainly has her back, as the two collaborate on the Rostam-produced single “In Love With A Memory.”
Jamie xx — “F.U.” Feat. Erykah Badu
At an afterparty, Erykah Badu was having some equipment issues and went on a bit of a half-joking rant. Jamie xx took that lemon and made it into something sweeter, using the recordings as the basis of “F.U.,” a fun new collab with Badu.
Julien Baker & Torres — “Sylvia”
Everybody’s going country these days, and now that includes Julien Baker and Torres. They’ve been performing together and seemingly gearing up for something big in recent months, and last week, they finally confirmed a collaborative album and shared the breezy, dog-inspired “Sylvia.”
Zach Bryan — “Blue Jean Baby”
The Philadelphia Eagles made the Super Bowl this year and Zach Bryan is pretty darn psyched about it. In celebration, he want ahead and dropped a new song, “Blue Jean Baby,” which he sort of downplayed, but hey: new Zach Bryan is new Zach Bryan.
Will Smith and Big Sean — “Beautiful Scars” Feat. OBanga
Is Will Smith starring in a Matrix reboot? He’s not, no, but he did just leverage the fact that he famously turned down the role of Neo all those years ago, for his new Matrix-themed video for his Big Sean collab “Beautiful Scars.”
2hollis and Nate Sib — “Afraid”
2hollis is on the rise, as his recent signing with Interscope clearly indicates. He shared his first new music of the year last week, teaming with tourmate Nate Sib for the glitchy “Afraid.”
MIKE — “Man In The Mirror” and “Artist Of The Century”
The 2025 release calendar is coming into focus now, and an early highlight from the Q1 rap landscape is MIKE’s new one, Showbiz!. He got creative with his joint video for “Man In The Mirror” and “Artist Of The Century,” too, using the two markedly different tracks to show off his versatility.
Larry June, 2 Chainz, and The Alchemist — “I Been”
The Alchemist is among the busiest people in hip-hop, and now he has yet another endeavor on the way: He, Larry June, and 2 Chainz are teaming up for a new album, Life Is Beautiful. It’s out soon, on February 7, and last week, the trio shared “I Been,” which sees June and Chainz doing their thing on Alchemist’s soulful production.
