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 The Weekend say bye to After Hours and Nas say hello to a couple of fellow hip-hop legends. 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.
The Weeknd — “Take My Breath”
For months now, there have been hints from The Weeknd that he was getting ready to move on from the After Hours era. Last week, he officially did: He dropped “Take My Breath,” which has the nostalgic sound of the album that preceded it but is more of a straight-up dance tune than anything else on the album.
Nas — “EPMD 2” Feat. Eminem and EPMD
Whenever an Eminem song pops up (or even just a verse), it makes waves. It was no surprise, then, that the reactions to last week’s new Nas song, “EPMD 2” featuring Eminem and the titular rap group, were plentiful. This is the first time Nas and Eminem have appeared on a song together, and Em made the most of the meet-up by spitting some fiery bars.
Rico Nasty — “Buss”
It seems we could be blessed with a Rico Nasty project at some point this summer, and if that ends up being the case, “Buss” could be an early look at it. As Uproxx’s Wongo Okon notes, the song finds Rico “in an extremely confident state where she brags about the support of her team, her jewelry, and the inability of the competition to bring her down.”
Big Red Machine — “Mimi” Feat. Ilsey
Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine is a project built on collaboration, and indeed, that spirit is present throughout the group’s upcoming album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?. The album is more than its (appropriately hyped) Taylor Swift collaborations, as BRM proved last week with the Ilsey-featuring “Mimi.”
Foxing — “737”
Foxing have a daring new album, Draw Down The Moon, out now, and it begins with the audacious “737.” In his interview feature with the band, Uproxx’s Ian Cohen notes that the song “explodes like a punctured Surge can, the first time a song has ever inspired me to use ‘chamber pop’ and ‘Linkin Park’ in the same sentence.”
KSI and Lil Wayne — “Lose”
KSI isn’t far removed from his new album All Over The Place, but he’s followed it in a big way by linking up with Lil Wayne on “Lose.” While it’s certainly a rap song, the tune, as has become en vogue lately, incorporates strong rock/pop-punk influences as well.
Tinashe — “X” Feat. Jeremih
After beginning her journey as an independent artist with 2019’s Songs For You, Tinashe carries on now with another new album, 333. She’s independent, but not alone, as among the highlights from the new album are the Jeremih collaboration “X,” as well as songs with Kaytranada, Kaash Paige, and Buddy.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett — “I Get A Kick Out Of You”
While it was previously indicated that singing legend Tony Bennett would be backing away from public life in light of his Alzheimer’s, he’s not hanging it up just yet. He and Lady Gaga are teaming up for another joint album, and last week, they shared the classic “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” a jaunty rendition that features a back-and-forth rapport between Gaga and Bennett that oozes delightful fun.
Finneas — “A Concert Six Months From Now”
Now that Billie Eilish’s new album is out, Finneas is taking a moment to enjoy some of his own spotlight. His latest solo single is “A Concert Six Months From Now,” the opening cut from his upcoming album Optimist that’s understandably not too far removed from the style of his sister’s more intimate numbers.
Vince Staples — “Got ‘Em”
The storied Pokémon franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and it has done so in part with a handful of musical partnerships. That latest is The Red EP, which dropped last week and featured a new Vince Staples cut called “Got ‘Em,” which is named in reference to the series’ “Gotta catch ’em all” tagline and has plenty of fan-pleasing nods to the multimedia empire.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.