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 new 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 Chance The Rapper link up with a legend and Demi Lovato share an important message. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the rest of the best new music this week below.
Ludacris — “Found You” Feat. Chance The Rapper
During a Verzuz session in May, Ludacris teased some new music, including a collaboration with Chance The Rapper. Now, months later, the pair have dropped the track, “Found You.” On the smooth cut, the duo have loving words for the objects of their affections.
Gorillaz — “Strange Timez” Feat. Robert Smith
Damon Albarn has become a collaboration king in recent months thanks to Gorillaz’s Song Machine series, which has paired the group up with a bevy of diverse and talented artists. The latest meeting of the musical minds had them joining forces with The Cure leader Robert Smith for the appropriately alternative “Strange Timez.” There’s a lot more to come, too, as the tracklist for their first Song Machine collection reveals collaborations with Elton John, 6lack, St. Vincent, Beck, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Jpegmafia, and Earthgang.
Dame D.O.L.L.A. — “Kobe” Feat. Snoop Dogg
The soundtrack for the NBA 2K is usually filled with hits, and in an uncommon move, one of the players got himself on the playlist. Damian Lillard (as Dame D.O.L.L.A.) is a more accomplished and skilled rapper than most pro athletes, and his contribution to this year’s soundtrack is “Kobe!.” The track features Snoop Dogg and Derrick Milano, and it’s a fitting tribute to the late basketball great.
Marshmello and Demi Lovato — “OK Not To Be OK”
Demi Lovato has been more open than many about her struggles with mental health, and she showed up in a big way on World Suicide Prevention Day last week. She and Marshmello teamed up for “OK Not To Be OK,” an empowering anthem with lyrics like, “When you’re high on emotion / And you’re losing your focus / And you feel too exhausted to pray / Don’t get lost in the moment / Or give up when you’re closest / All you need is somebody to say / It’s okay not to be okay.”
Conway The Machine — From King To A God
Conway recently explained his new album to Uproxx, “I elevated, you know what I’m saying? My pen, man… it’s like I went from: You thought I was good before, I’m great now. It’s like going from good to great — from king to a god. I just felt I’m at a level with my pen that’s like I’m even surprising myself sometimes with some of the sh*t I’m writing.”
T.I. — “Ring” Feat. Young Thug
T.I. and Young Thug are far from strangers, and the two have reunited yet again on “Ring.” Uproxx’s Aaron Williams called the track a “return to form” for both T.I. and Thug and noted that on it, “the Atlantan rappers trade bars with a back-and-forth flow that highlights their yin-and-yang chemistry and clever lyricism.”
Major Lazer — “Oh My Gawd” Feat. Nicki Minaj
2020 has been huge for Nicki Minaj, as she secured her first No. 1 single ever this year thanks to her appearance on Doja Cat’s “Say So.” Now she’s back working with big-time collaborators, this time giving Major Lazer an assist on the dance-ready “Oh My Gawd.”
Mxmtoon — “OK On Your Own” Feat. Carly Rae Jepsen
Mxmtoon is a rising force in indie-pop, and she’s getting noticed, but not just by fans. Her peers are seeing what she’s up to and want in. Carly Rae Jepsen hopped on Mxmtoon’s latest, “OK On Your Own,” about which Mxmtoon was amped, saying, “I was beyond excited to work on this track and have it be graced by Carly Rae Jepsen, someone who stands for empowerment and knows the themes of love and loneliness all too well.”
Beabadoobee — “Worth It”
After building up clout with a pair of EPs, Beabadoobee is gearing up to drop her debut album, Fake It Flowers, on the world. Before that, though, she has some more teasing to get in, which she did last week with “Worth It,” a nostalgic indie-rock tune that follows in the guitar-driven footsteps of “Care” and “Sorry.”
Trippie Redd — “I Got You” Feat. Busta Rhymes
Trippie samples Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey’s “I Know What You Want” on his own “I Got You,” so who better to feature on the track than Busta himself? The legend hops on the song (and in its video), providing a slick verse that helps to refresh his classic song for 2020.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.