Despite the holiday weekend, this week was a busy one for new pop releases. Spanish flamenco-pop superstar Rosalía dropped a new song bundle, “F*cking Money Man.” Leading up to last week’s BTS World soundtrack release, the Korean pop band have been releasing a bunch of new singles. Just because BTS World is out now doesn’t mean it has to stop — the Japanese single pack for their song “Boy With Luv” features a new song, “Lights.” No one knew what to expect from an Ed Sheeran, Chris Stapleton, and Bruno Mars collab, but their ACDC-esque rock anthem “Blow” is a fun surprise.
Every week, Uproxx will round out the best new pop releases of the last seven days. Listen up.
Rosalía, “Milionária”
Rosalía is known for her lush flamenco-pop, but the Spanish singer-songwriter’s recent releases have seen her branching out. Her collab with J Balvin, “Con Altura,” is bouncy reggaeton, and her newest single “Aute Cuture” has a more R&B influence. “Milionária” is more in line with Rosalía’s flamenco sound, but she sings in the Catalan native to her hometown of Barcelona instead of Spanish.
“Milionária” is the first of two new songs included in her “F*cking Money Man” bundle. On “Milionária” she sings about acquiring the wealth that she’s destined to earn. She sings playfully and tongue-in-cheek, admitting the appeal of money before she sings about burning it all up. The “F*cking Money Man” bundle is sonically and lyrically rich, proving why Rosalía is one of the most exciting stars in pop right now.
Ed Sheeran Feat. Chris Stapleton And Bruno Mars, “Blow”
Watch out, Jackson Maine. Ahead of its release, “Blow” was one of the most puzzling items on No. 6 Collaborations Project‘s tracklist. What would a collaboration between sensitive guitar rocker Ed Sheeran, country superstar Chris Stapleton, and retro R&B-pop king Bruno Mars even sound like?
It turns out “Blow” is a raucous, rocking guitar anthem. Sheeran, Stapleton, and Mars are some of the most successful stars in their respective genres, and they have a ton of fun with “Blow.” If Sheeran ever felt like ditching his acoustic guitar onstage and setting up some pyrotechnics, he might be able to pull it off, and Bruno Mars proves himself a genuine rock star. No. 6 Collaborations Project is the most star-studded album of the year, and when it’s released later this week hopefully there’s even more genre-bending fun like “Blow.”
Sam Fender, “Will We Talk?”
English singer-songwriter Sam Fender’s latest single sounds like taking a shot and running through the city at night. “Will We Talk?” is a high energy pop-rock anthem, half James Bay, half The Killers. Over a driving guitar riff, Fender muses on one-night stands and human connection, finding euphoria in wild nights and wondering what comes next. Fender’s debut album Hypersonic Missiles is due out sometime soon.
BTS, “Lights”
BTS just released an album full of superstar collabs and brand-new tracks, but the Korean boy band are blessedly keeping the new stuff coming. As part of a bundled trio of songs, BTS have released a new Japanese-language track. A lot of the BTS World singles featured the band in pairs performing with famous collaborators, but “Lights” shows that they’re at their strongest performing as a seven-member group. Jin and Jimin’s voices are peak dreamboat sweet, and the switch from J-Hope and RM’s rap verses to the soaring vocals of the chorus is genuinely thrilling.
Cassie, “Hungover”
R&B queen Cassie is back with another great new single. “Hungover” is a spare, guitar-driven heartbreaker about a love that feels like a rush, but only ends with a headache. “Hungover off your words / Playing them over, makes my head hurt / I’ve had too much of you for one night,” she sings, letting her verses come like a stream of consciousness. “Hungover” is Cassie’s third new single of 2019. She hasn’t released an album since 2006, and if this is the start of a new era, it’s been a long time in the making.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
