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 two of hip-hop’s most enigmatic characters linking up and a similar connection happening on the rock side of things. 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.
Lizzo — “Rumors” Feat. Cardi B
Cardi B and Lizzo have established themselves as two of music’s most vibrant personalities of the past few years, so it’s about time they finally got on a song together. The pair leverage their senses of humor on “Rumors,” on which they go heavy on the sarcasm to deliver a message to their haters.
The Killers — “Runaway Horses” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
Last week brought the second new album from The Killers in under a year, Pressure Machine. While Brandon Flowers and company aren’t a band known for loading up their tracklists with guests, they used Phoebe Bridgers and her backing vocals wonderfully on the album highlight “Runaway Horses.”
Elton John and Dua Lipa — “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)”
Dua Lipa and Elton John teamed up earlier this year with a joint performance at John’s annual Oscars party, and the two enjoyed each other’s company so much that they decided to link up for a studio recording. Lipa joined John on a remix of “Cold Heart,” which is more than just that song, as it interpolates segments from a handful of John classics.
Wizkid — “Essence (Remix)” Feat. Justin Bieber
Wizkid has an unexpected song of the summer contender on his hands with “Essence,” which is doing as well on the US charts as just about any song by an African artist ever has. Now, he has teamed up with somebody who knows a thing or two about taking an international hit (“Despacito,” in this case) to new heights for a new remix: Justin Bieber.
Big Thief — “Little Things”
After recent solo albums from members Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek, Big Thief is getting back to group projects. The latest is a pair of songs, “Little Things” and “Sparrow,” that perhaps signal a follow-up to the 2019 album Two Hands.
J Balvin — “Que Locura”
Balvin dropped Colores, his 2020 album, just days before the pandemic put the music industry on pause. His next album, José, will arrive in a completely changed world, but what will stay the same is Balvin knowing his way around a song, as he shows on the smooth “Que Locura.”
Coi Leray — “Okay Yeah”
Leray has spent 2021 establishing herself as an artist who deserves your attention. Her latest big for it is the single “Okay Yeah,” on which, as Uproxx’s Wongo Okon notes, “Leray extends her streak of consistent flexing by bragging about her wealth, shopping habits, and jewelry all while also brushing off her haters in the process.”
Denzel Curry — “The Game”
Last week brought the Madden NFL 2022 soundtrack, and one song from last week that wasn’t on it but seems like it should have been is Denzel Curry’s “The Game.” Aside from its obvious title connection, the track came accompanied by a video modeled after the 1995 installment of Madden.
Swae Lee — “Ball Is Life” Feat. Jack Harlow
Somebody who did find their way into that Madden soundtrack, though, is Swae Lee. His contribution is a link-up with Jack Harlow titled “Ball Is Life,” which Uproxx’s Aaron Williams describes as “a spacey, trap&b head-nodder on which Swae croons about ‘balling every day’ over ethereal synths and booming 808. Harlow comes in on the bridge with his usual rags-to-riches braggadocio.”
Tierra Whack — “8”
That soundtrack actually ended up being one of the more noteworthy music releases of last week, evidenced by the fact that is the third straight entry on this list that mentions it. Tierra Whack offered a song for Madden as well, and hers is “8,” which Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes is “a short but hypnotic track that’s easy to imagine backing a late-night session of shotgun passes and QB dives.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.