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 Ariana Grande’s big return and Drake give a valuable co-sign to an up-and-comer. 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 — “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)”
Throughout the lead-up to Eternal Sunshine, Ariana Grande didn’t shy away from the fact that the album is very much inspired by the classic Jim Carrey movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. For those who didn’t get the memo, though, she essentially re-created a Sparknotes version of the film in her new video for “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love).”
4Batz — “Act II: Date (Remix)” Feat. Drake
4Batz‘s “Act II: Date @ 8” has become a viral hit, so much so that Drake decided to bless the track and feature on a new remix. The original sees 4Batz describe his courtship attempts, a theme that Drake builds off of on his new verse.
Conan Gray — “Alley Rose”
Gray has mastered the sound of the ’80s on the songs he’s shared so far from the upcoming album Found Heaven. The same is true on last week’s “Alley Rose,” although it’s less poppy banger and more melodramatic power ballad this time around.
Lola Brooke — “Bend It Ova” Feat. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Big Freedia
Lola Brooke dropped her debut album Dennis Daughter at the tail end of 2023, and she’s keeping it going here in the new year with a big-time collab, with A Boodie Wit Da Hoodie and Big Freedia. As Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes of “Bend It Ova,” “The beat blends the best of both artists’ favored production styles, pairing A Boogie’s moody piano riffs with a flashy NOLA beat for a track that is sure to see listeners doing exactly what the song says.”
Bleachers — “Self Respect”
When he’s not co-writing hits with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and seemingly everybody else, Jack Antonoff is leading Bleachers down a memorable road of its own. Their new self-titled album is out now and it features cuts like the very The National-y “Self Respect.”
Jean Dawson — “New Age Crisis”
Dawson took a big step on his new three-song release Boohoo, which sees him going bilingual. On “New Age Crisis,” though, he sticks to English as he delivers a massive gospel-inspired number.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — “Wild God”
Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds have been at it for a minute now: They announced a new album, Wild God, last week, and it’ll be their 18th LP. They also shared the title track, a soaring and poetic number.
Yaya Bey — “Sir Princess Bad B*tch”
Yaya Bey does everything according to their own unique plan, and Bey conveys a sense of confidence on the new single “Sir Princess Bad B*tch” (which is surely one of the year’s best song titles so far). As Uproxx’s Alex Gonzalez notes, “Over a groovy house-inspired beat, Bey reiterates that she wouldn’t trade the love she has for herself for anything else.”
Kamasi Washington — “Prologue”
It feels like forever since we got a new album from Washington, as his last one was 2018’s Heaven And Earth. At last, though, he’s coming back with Fearless Movement, which he announced last week and which will feature André 3000 (on flute), George Clinton, BJ The Chicago Kid, Thundercat, Terrace Martin, and more.
The Marías — “Run Your Mouth”
LA-based group The Marías just announced Submarine last week, and they preceded the new album with “Run Your Mouth.” It finds the band in a groovy pocket, busting out chill vibes and a catchy hook that’s a promising sign of what else is to come.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.