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 a boundary-expanding new album from Julien Baker and some name near-doppelgangers linking up. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Julien Baker — Little Oblivions
Baker recently told Uproxx of the stylistic departure (or perhaps lack thereof) on her new album, “It’s actually not that extreme, it just feels extreme for me. I’m like, ‘Drum machines, wow.’ I’m slow to change, I’m slow to changing who I am as a person. It takes me a while to adjust to stuff. So, I thought of this as a weird record.”
Chloe x Halle — Ungodly Hour (Chrome Edition)
Months after releasing their breakthrough album Ungodly Hour last summer, the sister duo of Chloe x Halle returned with a new “Chrome Edition” of the album. This release adds a pair of new tracks onto the original tracklist: “Hazy” and “80/20,” which Uproxx’s Caitlin White describes as “[taking] on an even more confident, swaggering feel.”
Kyle — “But Cha”
Kyle always drops some of the most fun, smile-inducing music in all of hip-hop, and he’s back with more of that with “But Cha.” On the poppy tune, Kyle’s all in on his dream girl as he assures her he doesn’t intend to go anywhere.
Shelley — “Exposure”
Remember when DRAM hilariously dropped the periods from his name in 2017? Well, get ready to update his name in your internal contacts list again, because now he’s going by Shelley, his legal first name. His first release under the new moniker is “Exposure,” on which he wants his love interest to show him all of her, inside and out.
Noname — “Rainforest”
Noname has proven to be more thoughtful than a lot of her music peers, so fans are eagerly awaiting what she has to say on her upcoming album, Factory Baby. She offered a preview last week with “Rainforest,” on which she offers her thoughts on everything from extreme wealth to personal identity.
Bryson Tiller — Anniversary (Deluxe)
The progression of the deluxe edition album was one of 2020’s more interesting musical developments, one that seems here to stay. Tiller has dropped an expanded version of Anniversary, which adds five new tracks, including the Big Sean-featuring “Still Yours.”
Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats — “Cosmic.m4a (The Alchemist Version)” Feat. Joey Badass
Curry and Beats highlighted 2020 with their short-but sweet Unlocked project, and thankfully, they’re blessing 2021 with a new version of it. They previewed it last week with an Alchemist rework of “Cosmic.m4a,” for which they brought Joey Badass into the fold to add his vocal talents to the track.
Post Malone — “Only Wanna Be With You”
Noted catcher of ’em all Post Malone has teamed up with Pokémon to help to legendary media franchise celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, and ahead of his virtual concert over the weekend, he covered Hootie And The Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You.” Despite the song not having a preexisting relationship with Pokémon, its themes of love and friendship feel relevant, and the musical Easter egg that nods to the older games was a nice touch.
Pop Smoke — “AP”
Pop Smoke has had an active posthumous presence since his passing around this time last year. A few days ago, for example, his estate dropped “AP,” a braggadocios tune that flexes the lavish lifestyle his rising star allowed him to enjoy before his untimely death.
Drakeo The Ruler — “Talk To Me” Feat. Drake
Drakeo The Ruler is just a backspacing of an “o The Ruler” away from sharing a pseudonym with Drake, and now the similarly named pair have linked up on a track, “Talk To Me.” All in all, this is quite the life turnaround for Drakeo, since he was in jail just about four months ago.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.