Keeping up with the best 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 Charli XCX’s quarantine album and an absolute bunch of hip-hop to get into. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Charli XCX — How I’m Feeling Now
Charli XCX has been working on perhaps the defining project of this strange quarantine era: A new album, which is now out. The record was made with virtual collaboration with her fans, and the result is an appealing experimental pop beauty and some of the best new music this week.
Future — High Off Life
When Future teamed up with Drake for “Life Is Good” (which was titled before the coronavirus situation came to a head), the rapper was actually kicking off a new era. High Off Life hit virtual shelves last week, and aside from the Drake reunion, it also includes a Lil Uzi Vert meet-up, along other highlights.
Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit — Reunions
Isbell told Uproxx of his new album, “When we were making Reunions, I was really tense. Just really f*cking tense the whole time. […] Sadly, for me, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the process of making that record as much as I could have, which, in hindsight, I regret because I think it’s a great record.”
Read the full interview here.
Migos — “Racks 2 Skinny”
Like many artists, Migos have been cooking something up during quarantine. While Culture III (which may not end up being called that, actually) is on the way, they plan to drop a mixtape to hold fans over. They previewed the tape with “Racks 2 Skinny,” which is driven by a flute-heavy beat from DJ Durel.
Perfume Genius — Set My Heart On Fire Immediately
Mike Hadreas told Uproxx about the new album, “The whole record, I was imagining performing it live. It’s about being outside and it’s about connection; it’s about the people, and all the ideas that are formulating around performance, and how I was going to get the music to people beyond just releasing it.”
Check out the interview here.
Moses Sumney — Grae
Moses Sumney has established himself as one of today’s most boundary-breaking musical creatives, and that continues strongly on Grae. Labels tend to not do Sumney justice, but highlights like “Me In 20 Years” and “Cut Me” can at least offer a quick example of the diversity within Grae.
Deante’ Hitchcock — Better
Hitchcock found his way into the Revenge Of The Dreamers III sessions, but now he’s ready to lead his own charge with his debut album. He shines mostly on his own here, although the record features a handful of assists from hip-hop peers like JID and 6lack.
Polo G — The Goat
While Polo G may still have a way to go before reaching the legendary heights his new album’s title suggests, he’s certainly putting his best foot forward. After breaking out in 2019, he’s back with an album that includes highlights like a Lil Baby collaboration and a posthumous Juice WRLD feature.
Retirement Party — Runaway Dog
The Chicago trio has followed-up their indie-favorite debut with an engaging effort. The album was initially heralded by its title track, an album-opener that does a tremendous job at creating anticipation with its energetic and promising build-up.
Rico Nasty — “My Little Alien”
Rico Nasty found herself on the soundtrack for the animated Scooby-Doo reboot Sccob!, and she made the most of the opportunity. Her contribution is “My Little Alien,” a catchy number that can both bring joy to a family movie and work as a banger in its own right.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.