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 Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus have a classic Disney Channel face-off with competing new singles. 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.
Selena Gomez — “Single Soon”
Gomez fans are anxiously awaiting a new album from Gomez, and while the status of that is still TBD, she offered a tantalizing taste of it last week with “Single Soon.” The track is a midtempo pop romp in the vein of Taylor Swift’s “Style” and it sees Gomez celebrating her impending independence.
Miley Cyrus — “Used To Be Young”
Hi, it’s Miley Cyrus and you’re not watching Disney Channel. It kind of felt like it last week, though, with both Gomez and Cyrus dropping new singles. Cyrus is only 30 years old, but with how long she’s been in the public eye, there’s plenty to reflect on when she sings about how she “Used To Be Young” on her introspective new single.
Omar Apollo — “Ice Slippin”
Apollo has his Live For Me EP on the way, which he previewed last week with “Ice Slippin.” He’s in his feelings on this one, as it sees him dealing with rejection after coming out, as well as heartbreak.
Conan Gray — “Winner”
Gray’s “Never Ending Song” was upbeat and ’80s-inspired, but he goes in a different, more vulnerable direction on his newest single, “Winner.” The tune is an emotional rock ballad on which Gray sings about trying to prove his worth.
Gucci Mane — “There I Go” Feat. J. Cole and Mike Will Made-It
Gucci Mane is an icon and he got a couple other ones to join him on “There I Go.” J. Cole and Mike Will Made-It also appear on the track, which features self-assured lyrics like, “Gucci Mane and J. Cole the collaboration / They poked the bear and woke the bear up out of hibernation / These boys exaggeratin’, do a lot of fabrication / But ain’t no gimmicks in my gang, this sh*t ain’t animations.”
Blackpink — “The Girls”
Soon-to-be Asian Hall Of Fame inductees Blackpink continued their domination of K-pop last week with “The Girls.” The track is a justifiably confident pop/rap banger on which the group brags about all the reasons why they really shouldn’t be trifled with.
Victoria Monét — “Hollywood” Feat. Earth, Wind & Fire and Hazel Monét
For a minute, it looked like Jaguar II might not come out, but at long-last, Monét’s long-awaited album is here. One track that immediately jumps out on the tracklist is “Hollywood,” which features Earth, Wind & Fire and Hazel Monét and is a smooth look at fame.
Mitski — “Star”
Mitski’s The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We is just weeks away now, and a few days ago, Mitski decided to tease it with a pair of new songs. Of “Star,” Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez writes, “Mistki delivers chilling, ghostly lines over an organ, as she describes the feeling of holding onto a special love throughout various universes and phases.”
Ashnikko — “Dying Star” Feat. Ethel Cain
Weedkiller wasn’t released in June like was originally intended, but it’s out now and it’s worth the wait. Among the highlights are the Ethel Cain collaboration “Dying Star,” an immense, atmospheric, brooding tune on which both singers’ voices play perfectly well together.
Zach Bryan — “I Remember Everything” Feat. Kacey Musgraves
Uproxx’s Philip Cosores saw Bryan live recently and he was beyond impressed. In his concert review, he wrote in part, “Zach Bryan is a lot more than America’s next great country singer or songwriter, he’s a must-see phenomenon with appeal that transcends genre. In concert, it’s infectious and instantly apparent. He didn’t perform a single song off the new album of Wednesday night, despite it being two days from release. He’s literally turning out the tunes faster than he can support them. And while during the pandemic it became difficult to know what streaming sensations had real-world appeal, Bryan has left nothing ambiguous. He’s a bona fide star, and he’s only burning brighter.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.