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 return of the music industry after a slow holiday season, led by heavy hitters like Ariana Grande, Lil Nas X, 21 Savage, Kid Cudi, and Kali Uchis. 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.
Ariana Grande — “Yes, And?”
Ariana Grande is back. It’s been a while since her latest album, 2020’s Positions, and now she has a new one on the way, believed to be titled Eternal Sunshine. She teed it up last week with “Yes, And?,” a confident, dance-ready comeback single.
Lil Nas X — “J Christ”
The other big single of the week belongs to Lil Nas X, who has been raising eyebrows with his religious-themed new song, “J Christ.” The tune compares Nas’ own comeback after time away to the most famous instance of that sort of thing ever: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While the song’s imagery and high-effort video lean Christian, the song itself is a mostly secular, self-documenting look at Nas’ return to the music landscape.
21 Savage and Doja Cat — “N.H.I.E.”
As far as new albums, 21 Savage helped lead the way with his latest, American Dream. Among the highlights is his first-ever Doja Cat collab, “N.H.I.E.,” the title of which presumably stands for “Never Have I Ever” and sees both artists laying out their musts and must-nots over a smooth instrumental.
Kid Cudi and ASAP Rocky — “Wow”
Cudi has a major hip-hop album of his own last week with the long-awaited Insano. Notably, some think ASAP Rocky took a shot at Drake on “Wow,” with the line, “These n****s can’t stomach me, gotta go get a mandrake.”
Kali Uchis — “Igual Que Un Ángel” Feat. Peso Pluma
In spite of all the aforementioned new songs and albums, perhaps nobody had a bigger week last week than Kali Uchis. She dropped her new album Orquídeas, yes, but of more personal significance than that, Uchis announced that she’s pregnant with her and Don Toliver’s first child.
Jeymes Samuel, D’Angelo, and Jay-Z — “I Want You Forever”
There have been a lot of kick-ass movie soundtrack albums over the past few years, and the first major one of 2024 has arrived with The Book Of Clarence. One track that immediately sticks out is “I Want You Forever,” an epic 9-plus-minute collab between Jeymes Samuel, D’Angelo, and Jay-Z.
Jamie xx — “It’s So Good”
The top of 2024 brought a long-awaited update for fans of The xx: the band is back in the studio! It remains to be seen how long it’ll take for the trio to share new material, but in the meantime, Jamie xx has continued on his solo adventures with an accurately self-descriptive single, “It’s So Good.”
Waxahatchee — “Right Back To It” Feat. MJ Lenderman
Country music has a big 2023, and here at the start of 2024, Waxahatchee has linked up with Wednesday’s MJ Lenderman for a serene and twangy new one, “Right Back To It.” The song is the first look at Waxahatchee’s newly announced album Tigers Blood, which is set to drop in a couple months.
Lyrical Lemonade, Lil Yachty, Gus Dapperton, and Joey Badass — “Fallout”
Cole Bennett’s debut compilation album All Is Yellow isn’t too far away now, and he offered a look at it last week with a terrific joining of forces, recruiting Lil Yachty, Gus Dapperton, and Joey Badass for the smooth “Fallout.”
Faye Webster — “Lego Ring” Feat. Lil Yachty
Lil Yachty was a big-time helper last week. Along with the Lyrical Lemonade link-up, he also assisted longtime pal Faye Webster with introducing her upcoming album, Underdressed At The Symphony. The two collaborated on “Lego Ring,” a laid-back, fuzzy number that makes good use of Yachty’s recently introduced psychedelic side.
(@Lbaini)