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 Drake finally come through with For All The Dogs and Megan Thee Stallion offer some newness of her own. 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.
Drake — “Daylight”
Adonis Graham does it all: He illustrated the cover art of his dad’s highly anticipated new album For All The Dogs, he co-starred in the “8AM In Charlotte” video, and how he’s offered his first verse on a Drake song via “Daylight.” The 5-year-old fires off bars that make some amount of sense maybe and it’s a fun and adorable way to cap off the track.
Megan Thee Stallion — “Out Alpha The Alpha”
Now that the Tory Lanez trial is behind her, Meg has been more publicly visible as of late: She reunited with Cardi B, she launched a mental health initiative, and she promises to pulverize the patriarchy on “Out Alpha The Alpha,” a new song from D*cks: The Musical (in which she also stars, by the way).
Janelle Monáe — “Champagne Sh*t (Remix)” Feat. Latto and Quavo
The Age Of Pleasure has been out for a minute now, but Monáe revisited the project last week with a new take on “Champagne Sh*t.” She brought Latto and Quavo into the fold for a remix, bringing some Atlanta flavor to the fan-favorite song.
Paramore — “C’est Comme Ça (Re: Wet Leg)”
Paramore just did something pretty cool with This Is Why: They released a new version of the album (Re: This Is Why) featuring reworks of the album’s tracks via artists like Bartees Strange, Panda Bear, Julien Baker, and others. Wet Leg came through with a particularly cool, laid-back-yes-rocking cover of “C’est Comme Ça.’
Sufjan Stevens — “Sh*t Talk”
It’s a bittersweet time for Sufjan Stevens right now: He just released Javelin, a new album that’s getting stellar reviews, but on the other hand, he dedicated the project to Evan Richardson, his late partner who died this past April. So, hopefully the success of the album is something Stevens can enjoy during a difficult part of his life.
Tems — “Me & U”
Tems recently found herself in the middle of a viral rumor, but now that we’re past that, the focus is back to music. Last week, the Nigerian favorite released the introspective “Me & U,” which is actually her first single in two years.
Jennie — “You & Me”
No, we didn’t do the same song twice. Blackpink’s Jennie offered a titular inverse to Tems’ comeback last week with “You & Me,” of which Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez notes, “Pulsating bass beats imitate the sound of a heartbeat as she can’t deny the euphoria she feels.”
Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist — “Vin Skully”
Earl and Alchemist went on an interesting release journey for their new collaborative project: Back in August, they dropped it exclusively as an NFT, and last week, they gave the album a proper wide unveiling as it made its way onto streaming services.
Omar Apollo — “Ice Slippin”
“Ice Slippin” is a vulnerable new one for Apollo as he explained, “‘Ice Slippin’ is about reliving the thoughts I had passing through my mind the winter I came out to my family. Receiving cold judgment as opposed to the acceptance I felt I deserved. This song is a reflection and reaction of all the emotions I had to face before and after I decided to leave the icy streets of Indiana.”
NewJeans — “Gods”
The League Of Legends World Championship is coming to Seoul this year, so K-pop icons NewJeans had to get in on the action. Their contribution is “Gods,” an in-your-face new song that reflects the drama and intensity of the game it represents.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.