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 more Happier Than Ever teasing from Billie Eilish and two of hip-hop’s premiere Lils joining forces. 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.
Billie Eilish — “Lost Cause”
We’re about two months away from a new Billie Eilish album, and in the meantime, she’s been good to her fans in terms of singles to hold them over until then. Last week saw the release of her fourth Happier Than Ever single, “Lost Cause,” another fine example of Eilish’s distinct brand of alternative, subtle-yet-catchy pop.
Lil Baby and Lil Durk — “Hats Off” Feat. Travis Scott
Baby and Durk’s joint project Voice Of The Heroes was supposed to be out sooner, but the rappers pushed it back out of respect for a posthumous album from DMX (a rap hero with an iconic voice). They did end up dropping it a few days ago, though, Travis Scott’s appearance on “Hats Off” was a highlight. Aside from Cactus Jack, the album also features Meek Mill, Young Thug, and Rod Wave.
Roddy Ricch — “Late At Night”
Roddy Ricch became a defining artist of 2020 thanks to Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial (which came out in late 2019, but “The Box” made its impact the following year). Post Please Excuse Me, though, Ricch has mostly kept to himself and seldom popped up with new material. He did just that last week, though, with “Late At Night,” a smooth, romantic, and laid-back single.
Japanese Breakfast — “Slide Tackle”
In an interview with Uproxx’s Steven Hyden, Michelle Zauner said that of all the songs on her new album Jubilee, there’s one that has grown on her more than any other: “I hated ‘Slide Tackle’ for a long time. I was like, ‘Man, I should have really buried that record. It’s so basic.’ I didn’t know what I wanted it to be for a really long time. And then, re-listening to the album, I was like, ‘These sounds are weird, and kind of cool. And not really like anything that we’ve done before.’ I don’t know if other people will feel that way, but I certainly did while I was re-listening to it.”
Dua Lipa — “Can They Hear Us”
The Future Nostalgia era has been a long one, beginning with the release of “Don’t Start Now” in October 2019 and extending through to the present day. However, Lipa shared her first post-Future Nostalgia song last week (on the same day she shared a new video for one of the album’s songs). The song is “Can They Hear Us,” which appears on the Gully soundtrack and is appropriately cinematic.
Denzel Curry — “Bad Luck”
Speaking of soundtracks, Denzel Curry also found himself in that world last week. DC Comics is dropping their Dark Nights: Death Metal Soundtrack this month, and it serves as a complement to the new Death Metal storyline. Curry’s contribution, “Bad Luck,” definitely strays into the titular music genre, and while it’s not necessarily familiar territory for Curry, his distinct energy is a natural fit in this style.
John Mayer — “Last Train Home”
So far, John Mayer’s new era for his Sob Rock album has been defined by a retro aesthetic and it really is reflective of the music, at least so far. He dropped the album’s first single, “Last Train Home,” last week, and it sees Mayer going head-first into an ’80s-inspired sound for the first time on a song that sounds like a step-sibling to Toto’s “Africa.”
Fousheé — “My Slime”
In a recent Uproxx cover story, Fousheé said she wants her debut album to “be genuine, organically me,” adding, “I want to take out a new sort of space.” She certainly seems to be doing just that on her latest, “My Slime.” Lush production carries the languid track alongside Fousheé’s singing, which addresses the thrill of falling head over heels over a new romantic interest.
Bad Bunny — “Yonaguni”
2020 wasn’t awesome for a number of reasons, but it was at least great for Bad Bunny fans, who got three (three!) full-length projects from the pop star. The WWE champion isn’t resting now, though, as he dropped “Yonaguni,” a warm and soothing reggaeton tune that will find its way onto innumerable playlists this summer.
Hayley Kiyoko — “Chance”
Last week was the first one of Pride Month, and a new track from Hayley “Lesbian Jesus” Kiyoko was the perfect way to kick things off. Her latest is called “Chance,” and as Kiyoko describes the song, its theme of getting past self-doubt is perfectly timely: “[It’s] based on those moments when I denied my true feelings for someone out of fear of rejection, and therefore didn’t allow someone to take a chance on me.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.