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 cinematic new album from The Weeknd and Gunna adding to his own growing legacy with a third LP. 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 — “Sacrifice”
While The Weeknd is used to traditional lengthy album lead-ups, but he didn’t go that route this time: He officially announced Dawn FM last Monday, and a work week later, it arrived. On release day, he supplemented the album with a cinematic visual for the dancefloor-ready single “Sacrifice.”
Gunna and Future — “Pushin P” Feat. Young Thug
While The Weeknd had the headlining release of the week, don’t sleep on Gunna, who just dropped his third album, DS4Ever. While Dawn FM may end up preventing the Gunna LP from topping the charts, there’s a lot going on here, including the Future and Young Thug collaboration “Pushin P,” which Uproxx’s Wongo Okon described as “a braggadocios anthem that captures the three Atlanta-based rap stars in confident spirits thanks to their success in rap, their wealth, and their large collection of lavish items.”
The Smile — “You Will Never Work In Television Again’”
Radiohead fans ate last week, but they weren’t feasting on new Radiohead music. Rather, the band’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood teamed up with Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner for the first official release from their side project group, The Smile. The song is “You Will Never Work In Television Again,” a sub-three-minute effort that’s as straightforward of a guitar-driven rocker that Yorke’s voice has been heard on in years.
Earl Sweatshirt — “Titanic”
As fans eagerly await Sick!, Earl Sweatshirt’s first album in a few years, he’s given them a taste of it with “Titanic.” He dropped the song last week and it’s no-frills, as it features a single verse from Earl on a woozy instrumental over the course of under two minutes.
Father John Misty — “Funny Girl”
Father John Misty has mostly laid low over the past couple years, and it appears that’s because he’s been working on new material. After a cryptic teaser to close 2021, Misty started the new year by announcing an album, Chloë And The Next 20th Century. Furthermore, he shared “Funny Girl,” which Uproxx’s Adrian Spinelli notes “is chock full of the FJM whimsy, with a throwback ballroom vibe.”
MICHELLE — “Expiration Date”
MICHELLE put themselves on the indie world’s radar with their 2018 debut album Heatwave, and they have the major task of following that up later this month with their sophomore album, AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS. Pre-album singles have shown they’re doing a fine job at that, though, like their latest, “Expiration Date.” Uproxx’s Carolyn Droke observes, “Over twinkling keys and R&B-inspired percussion, MICHELLE’s three singers deliver swirling melodies about enjoying a relationship while it still lasts.”
Spoon — “I Can’t Give Everything Away” (David Bowie cover)
It would have been David Bowie’s 75th birthday over the weekend, and all month, Amazon is marking the occasion all this month with their [RE]DISCOVER campaign. As part of that, Spoon delivered a rendition of a Bowie tune they’ve been covering for a few years now, “I Can’t Give Everything Away.” Britt Daniel said of the recording, “It’s just a fantastic song, and as the last song on Bowie’s final album, it doesn’t disappoint. We recorded this version live in December 2021.”
2 Chainz — “Million Dollars Worth Of Game” Feat. 42 Dugg
At some point between now and the end of January, 2 Chainz plans to unleash Dope Don’t Sell Itself onto the world. While the album’s exact release date remains a mystery for now, he has still pulled back the curtain some on the project, like he did last week with “Million Dollars Worth Of Game.” 42 Dugg delivers the hook and handles a verse of his own when 2 Chainz isn’t waxing poetic about his veteran status.
Leikeli47 — “Chitty Bang”
Madden NFL 22 players have been enjoying a new Leikeli47 song since the game was released last summer. Last week, though, the rapper finally gave the song an official release, making it her first new track in about a year and a half. The catchy and hard-hitting tune is hopefully a taste of a follow-up to the rapper’s 2018 album Acrylic.
Sasami — “Say It”
On her upcoming album Squeeze, Sasami has vowed to explore a number of genres, and last week showed off her industrial portion of the program with “Say It.” While the track is most immediately identifiable by its heavy guitars and imposing sonic environment, there are glimmers of softer melodic light to be found here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.