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 Megan Thee Stallion busting out another risque and catchy track and Lana Del Rey returning for Euphoria. 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.
Shenseea and Megan Thee Stallion — “Lick”
Shenseea has stacked her resume big-time lately, as she recently landed appearances on Ye’s Donda album and now she has teamed up with Megan Thee Stallion on “Lick.” Like “WAP” before it, the catchy tune comes accompanied by a hyper-sexual video that’s full of both flesh and innuendo.
Lana Del Rey — “Watercolor Eyes”
Euphoria fans got a surprise last week when a new Lana Del Rey tune popped up in a trailer for the show, and now Del Rey has release the whole song, “Watercolor Eyes.” This one ought to please fans of Del Rey’s early work: Uproxx’s Caitlin White notes that while the tune is “slightly more wispy, and her voice is a little wavery,” the “classic strings and piano behind her melodies” are “vintage Lana.”
2 Chainz — “Pop Music” Feat. Moneybagg Yo and Beatking
2 Chainz is close to releasing Dope Don’t Sell Itself, the album that will represent his first full-length release in nearly two years. He offered a look at the project last week with “Pop Music,” a quick tune that runs for just about two minutes but uses that time wisely, letting 2 Chainz and Moneybagg Yo flex on a simple but hard-hitting instrumental.
Conan Gray — “Jigsaw”
2020’s Kid Krow was a major debut for Conan Gray that established him as one of pop’s most appealing up-and-comers, and he kicked off his 2022 with “Jigsaw.” On the slow-burning, anthemic, rock-inspired tune, the young singer gets vulnerable about changing himself to appease others, a practice he intends on leaving behind.
Nilüfer Yanya — “Midnight Sun”
Yanya is similar to Gray in a way, in that her debut album 2019’s Miss Universe came out in the recent past, it made a lot of eyeballs fix themself in the rising star’s direction, and it made fans eagerly anticipate what’s coming next. For Yanya, that’s her sophomore album Panless, which she previewed last week with “Midnight Sun.” Describing the tune as having a tempered beat, Uproxx’s Adrian Spinelli notes, “Guided by heavenly strings, ‘Midnight Sun’ sees Yanya rising further on her quest to self-actualization.”
Rich Brian and Warren Hue — “Getcho Mans”
Rich Brian says his new Brightside EP represents “how the past year has accelerated my growing-up process as an artist and a person.” Indeed, “Getcho Mans” shows that his flow is razor sharp, as both he and Warren Hue offer dexterous, rapid-fire verses on the track.
Khruangbin and Leon Bridges — “Chocolate Hills”
Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, both Texas favorites, showed off their perhaps-unexpected chemistry on their joint 2020 EP Texas Sun. Now, they’re coming back with more new collaborative material with the Texas Moon EP. They previewed it last week with “Chocolate Hills,” on which Bridges finds himself in his pocket singing about love on a sweet tune.
Russ — “Remember (Remix)” Feat. Hailey Knox
Russ’ latest song — “Remember (Remix),” part of his weekly singles series — is a shining example of how the internet has changed the world and especially the music industry. This rework of the song came as a result of Russ putting out a challenge for others to remix the tune, and he liked Knox’s contributions so much that he included her on the new remix.
Guapdad 4000 — “I Need Bands”
Guapdad 4000 kicked off his 2022 by looking backward, as his first song of the year, “I Need Bands,” is built on a sample of LL Cool J’s 1987 favorite “I Need Love.” With how prevalent throwback aesthetics are in today’s culture, though, it doesn’t sound out of place, especially with the song’s modern touches.
Griff and Sigrid — “Head On Fire”
Griff and Sigrid are two of pop’s favorite rising stars, so the recent rumors that the two would be collaborating were especially appealing. Thankfully, the link-up actually came to be, as a few days ago, the pair dropped “Head On Fire,” a thumping and energetic synth-pop tune that delivers a big, catchy hook.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.