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Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

Since the last update of this weekly R&B column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists.

Drake and PartyNextDoor’s Some Sexy Songs 4 U album debuted at No. 1 and Leon Thomas stopped by NPR’s office for a silky smooth Tiny Desk concert. Chloe and her labels, Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, were named in a lawsuit for copyright infringement, while Kali Uchis said she “turned in” her follow-up to Orquîdeas. The Roots Picnic announced their 2025 festival lineup featuring D’Angelo, Miguel, Tems, Kaytranada, Elmiene, and more.

Here are the new music releases you need to listen to:

Coco Jones — “Taste”

Coco Jones is finally gearing up to release her debut album. The singer announced Why Not More? with its third single, “Taste.” The track samples Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and joins Jones’ previous singles “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” and “Most Beautiful Design” with Future as records to be heard on Why Not More? The album is due for release on April 25.

Fridayy — “February ’23”

Joining Coco Jones with an upcoming album is Fridayy, who announced his second album Some Days I’m Good, Some Days I’m Not. The project will be released on February 28, and ahead of its arrival, Fridayy released “February ’23.” The record documents the hardships and blessings that Fridayy encountered during his rise to fame.

Chxrry22 — “Just Like Me”

Ahead of her gig as an opening act for FLO’s North American tour, XO Records singer Chxrry22 returns with “Just Like Me.” The singer’s charisma and confidence spills all over the song’s bubbly production. The song joins “Poppin Out (Mistakes)” as recent singles that could land on a future EP or full-length project from Chxrry22.

Nao — Jupiter

Nearly three years after she released her third album, Nao is back with her fourth LP Jupiter. The new full-length project delivers 11 songs that Nao says makes up “an album of hope, joy, and trust, of embracing expansion after struggle, of letting go and stepping into something greater.” She adds, “This music is a reflection of that freedom, a soundtrack for the moment when you realize the universe was always working in your favor.”

Leven Kali — “Are U Still”

Los Angeles singer Leven Kali makes his long-awaited return with “Are U Still.” The new single is a funky offering from Kali, who looks for confirmation of a passionate love from his partner.

Terrace Martin — “Full Speed” Feat. DRAM & ASAP Ferg

The great Terrace Martin kicks off his 2025 campaign with another R&B record to soothe the world. “Full Speed” pairs him beside DRAM and ASAP Ferg as the singer and rapper showcase their ability to successfully shoot their shot and score the attention of a woman they desire.

Jastin Martin — “28 Degrees In Houston”

Houston singer Jastin Martin delivers a timestamp record for hometown, with a different spin. “28 Degrees In Houston” focuses on a rare cold day in the Lone Star State and Martin’s burning desire for her partner’s presence.

Durand Bernarr — Bloom

Following last year’s En Route, Cleveland singer Durand Bernarr delivers his third album Bloom. Bernarr’s captivating voice anchors the album, which is a study in transformation. “This album is about growth—discovering love beyond romance, cultivating self-acceptance, and thriving in the spaces that allow us to bloom,” Bernarr said in a press release.

Che Ecru — On My Way!

Boston native Che Ecru is back with another album to continue his streak of yearly projects that dates back to 2017. Ecru delivers On My Way! complete with 13 songs straight from his creative mind as he wrote and produced the entire project.

Zeina — “Denim”

After last year’s Eastend Confessions, Brooklyn-born and Los Angeles-bred singer Zeina kicks off her 2025 year with “Denim.” The new release is both languid and ethereal, just like her previous releases, as Zeina dares a lover to come close and hold on to her for an enticing ride.

Sofia Ly — “Tear Me Down”

Bajan and Cambodian-Canadian singer-songwriter Sofia Ly delivers an emotional and vulnerable single to kick off her 2025 year with “Tear Me Down.” The track reflects on the end of a relationship, one that she believed would last much longer.

Halsey has gone from MaXXXine to dominatriXXX.

On Tuesday (February 25), the “Lucky” singer teased their new single, “Safeword,” with a video where they’re dressed in a tight leather suit while holding a leash attached to a dog-themed gimp suit. “Oh, can you take it, baby?” Halsey sings in the spiky snippet of the song. “Oh, can you handle it?”

You can watch the teaser here.

Last year, Halsey talked to Paper about the new generation of pop stars like Chappell Roan speaking out against boundary-crossing fan behavior.

“It’s really encouraging,” they said, “because I’ve always said it for a really long time, and it’s never done well for me and some of my other peers who have spoken up about it, because the initial reaction is like, ‘Well, you don’t get to complain.’ The one thing people say a lot is, ‘You signed up for this.’ That’s tough for me, because I did. I wanted to be famous. I pursued fame, I absolutely did, but I also signed up for this when I was 19, and in good health and had no responsibilities and I had a lot of stamina and I didn’t have the same type of things to protect that I do now. I’ve changed so much. That version of me is subject to change, month to month, year to year.”

The “Safeword” video comes out on Friday, Febuary 27, at 12 pm ET.

If you’ve been on social media at all in the past 12 hours or so, you might have seen a name trending that you weren’t expecting, and haven’t seen in a while. If, like me, you clicked it out of morbid curiosity, you’d have seen rapper/part-time OnlyFans star Bhad Bhabie rapping aggressively over the instrumental from Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s Vultures 1 track, “Carnival,” apparently dissing fellow child celebrity-turned-rapper Alabama Barker, the daughter of the Blink-182 drummer/rap producer, Travis Barker, and stepdaughter of Kourtney Kardashian.

It’s okay if you are now wondering, “What the hell is going on here?” Here’s an explainer.

Apparently, all of this started over a dude named Le Vaughn. He and Bhad Bhabie have popped up in a plethora of tabloid stories over the past five years, but none of them describe exactly who he is or what he does outside of being her on-off boyfriend, with whom she shares a child. (I’m not gonna say “deadbeat” here, but some of those posts include reports of apparent domestic violence, so conclude what you will).

Now, supposedly, a couple of months ago, Bhad Bhabie supposedly caught him cheating on her with Alabama Barker.

While Barker initially issued an invitation to hash things out like grown-ups, things behind the scenes have clearly gone south since then. Perhaps inspired by the rancorous energy expected of Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance (and missing the point entirely), Barker dropped the diss track “Cry Bhabie” on YouTube on February 6, taunting the (slightly) older rapper for her comments and her man’s wandering eye. It’s…. sigh.

Bhabie followed up today with “Ms. Whitman,” in which she accuses her foe of enjoying sloppy seconds. You can listen to it here, if you want. Maybe all this a big publicity stunt. In that case, mission accomplished — people are definitely talking about them, even if what they have to say isn’t very nice.

Sadly enough, further reports found Barker also alleging abuse, so it sounds a lot like they’d both be better off losing this guy’s number and booking a girls’ trip like in that one movie with Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week, we got new music from Anxious, Youth Lagoon, Hurray For The Riff Raff, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Youth Lagoon — Rarely Do I Dream

Trevor Powers revived Youth Lagoon for one of the most disarmingly gorgeous records of 2023, Heaven Is A Junkyard. Just two years later, he’s already back with another disarmingly gorgeous record, Rarely Do I Dream. Whereas most Youth Lagoon albums orbit around Powers’ spectral piano chords, Rarely Do I Dream grounds itself in heavier textures, from the chugging guitars of opener “Neighborhood Scene” to the sawtooth lead in “Speed Freak.” Still, there’s beauty littered throughout, such as the interspersed audio of home video snippets, tying into Youth Lagoon’s legacy as a project fixated on the desolate corners of America and the stories waiting to be told within them.

Set Dressing — “Class Valedictorian”

One of the best albums of 2023 was Mandy, Indiana’s industrial opus I’ve Seen A Way. With its foreboding atmospherics and churning electronic drums, the French-English group cemented themselves as new noise-rock royalty. With Set Dressing, a side project from the band’s Scott Fair, the cacophony of Mandy, Indiana is traded in for tonal ambiance on debut single “Class Valedictorian.” Ethereal synths rise and fall like leaves caught in a gentle wind. It may be a side project, but Set Dressing’s first single hints at so much more.

Anxious — Bambi

2022’s Little Green House was one of the best emo albums of its year, and it placed Anxious at the vanguard of the most promising pop-rock bands to emerge in recent years. Call it a level up; call it an expansion of their sound; call it their growing up. Their second album, Bambi, could understandably be the recipient of any of those titles. More than anything, though, the Connecticut five-piece leans into the hooks harder than ever. Equally drawing from Bleed American, Where You Want To Be, and Blink-182’s untitled record, Bambi boasts nothing but bangers.

Porridge Radio — The Machine Starts To Sing

Every Bad occupies a unique space in the indie-rock fabric of 2020: Porridge Radio broke through to an audience forced to stay at home. While they’ve continued putting out immaculate records, the Brighton post-punk group have ultimately chosen to call it quits. Before officially breaking up, however, they’ve given us one more EP. The Machine Starts To Sing, composed of four outtakes from last year’s Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me, plays like something of an elegy. Although it feels appropriately mournful in tone, slow-paced and melancholic, Porridge Radio refuses to go out like a dud. The Machine Starts To Sing is the epitaph of a band that’ll be painfully missed.

Wishy — “Fly”

The indie-rock landscape is oversaturated with buzzy, fuzzily melodic groups mining ’90s groups like My Bloody Valentine and The Sundays. Many fall short, failing to evince a shred of originality. Then again, many of those bands aren’t Wishy. The Indiana dream-pop outfit, led by songwriting duo Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites, proved their mettle with last year’s Triple Seven, their full-length debut. While on their victory lap, Wishy transports us to Planet Popstar, their forthcoming EP and pink puffball Kirby’s home planet. Lead single “Fly,” fittingly, shows them soaring. Hazy vocal harmonies, loping hand percussion, and feather-light acoustic guitars tie everything together. Even when they’re gliding above it all, Wishy sounds completely at ease.

Big Girl — “DIY God”

The nouveau pop stars are all theater kids. Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo employ histrionics to elevate the sense of drama within their music. But what if punk rock also got a little theatrical? Kaitlin Pelkey, the songwriter/bandleader of Big Girl, is known for her live antics, which includes energetic backup dancers and Karen O-style beer showers. After all, she’s a DIY god, as the band’s new single proclaims. Featuring production from indie legend Justin Pizzoferrato and guitarist Crispin Swank, “DIY God” showcases an exciting new artist with pop-minded melodies, a punk ethos, and, of course, a theatrical flair.

Pictoria Vark — “Make Me A Sword”

Victoria Park, otherwise known as Pictoria Vark, began writing her second album in a similar fashion to how she approached her first: on the bass guitar. Although both Nothing Sticks and its predecessor, The Parts I Dread, begin with the same foundation, the end results are wildly different. Her debut began and ended in tracking all the parts on a laptop, but the forthcoming Nothing Sticks gets the proper studio treatment. It lives up to its bigger-better-sequel billing, her songs now expanded to suit a more extensive scope. “Make Me A Sword,” which accompanies the album announcement, starts with a sauntering bass line that slowly morphs into a fuller sound: power chords, wide-open hi-hats, wiry guitar melodies. On “Make Me A Sword,” Park’s clever songwriting takes center stage, not as one of the few cast members, but as the star of the show.

Hurray For The Riff Raff — “Pyramid Scheme”

There are many characters with a cameo in “Pyramid Scheme,” a new, one-off single from Hurray For The Riff Raff. Billy The Kid, Calamity Jane, Darby Crash, and Frida Kahlo all make appearances, but the song, of course, belongs to no one other than Alynda Segarra, the person behind the project. Fresh off the release of their excellent eighth album, The Past Is Still Alive, Segarra imbues their latest tune with that record’s iconoclastic identity, vagabond spirit, and Americana timbre.

Perfume Genius — “No Front Teeth”

For Perfume Genius’ latest single, Mike Hadreas assembles an Avengers-style cast of indie musicians. There’s producer Blake Mills, guitarist Meg Duffy (AKA Hand Habits), and guest vocalist Aldous Harding. Hadreas’ and Harding’s voices make for a pairing so perfect it’s hard to imagine how this collaboration hasn’t happened until now. Shortly after Harding’s gossamer voice enters the fold, the guitars break out into a frenzy, followed by a thwacking drum beat with rim shots and all. Glory, the next Perfume Genius album, is shaping up to be glorious indeed.

Rico Nasty — “Teethsucker (Yea3x)”

Rage rap is all the rage right now. From Playboi Carti to Ken Carson, high-octane trap beats and rumbling 808s dominate the zeitgeist. Although Rico Nasty has been a fixture of the subgenre, she has also incorporated elements of digicore, bubblegum, and alt-rock to leaven the heaviness in her music. The forthcoming Lethal, her third album, is her most moshpit-friendly work yet, but that punkish ethos coexists alongside earnest reflections on motherhood, public perception, and self-consciousness. “Teethsucker (Yea3x),” its lead single, is an early-album summation of Lethal: adrenalized flows partly rapped and partly screamed; downtuned, distorted guitars; seismic, Earth-shattering drums. She may be wrestling with the idea of Rico Nasty the character, but the rapper is not a monolith. “Teethsucker (Yea3x)” marks her reinvention.

Bartees Strange is a few days removed from the release of his latest album, Horror. Soon, he’ll be taking his new batch of songs out on the road: Today (February 25), Bartees announced a run of North American tour dates.

The trek kicks off in Boston on April 23 before wrapping up in Toronto on May 23. It’ll also hit cities like Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Nashville, Atlanta, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, and Detroit. The tour features support from Ekko Astral, Tré Burt, and Sloppy Jane.

Tickets go on sale on February 28 at 10 a.m. local time via Bartees’ website.

Check out the tour dates below.

Bartees Strange’ 2025 Tour Dates

04/23 — Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
04/25 — Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
04/26 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
04/27 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
04/29 — Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
05/01 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
05/02 — Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
05/04 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
05/05 — Austin, TX @ The Parish
05/06 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
05/09 — Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
05/11 — San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
05/13 — Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
05/14 — Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre
05/15 — Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
05/17 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Block Party
05/18 — Denver, CO @ Meow Wolf
05/20 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
05/21 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
05/22 — Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
05/23 — Toronto, ON @ The Axis Club

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game introduced a new format, as the league got rid of the normal four-quarter basketball game in favor of a four-team mini-tournament that featured three games to 40. The basketball was pretty good, particularly the first two games, and seemed to move things in the right direction in terms of getting guys to be more competitive in the All-Star Game.

The problem was everything in between, as there was far more non-basketball activity happening on the court than actual hoops, which is an issue for a basketball exhibition. For the 2026 edition, the league will have a new broadcast partner in NBC, and according to Sports Business Journal the two sides are already exploring their options for next year’s event in Los Angeles. It sounds like the mini-tournament could get another year to try and prove itself, but with some tweaks.

One idea floated to SBJ was making it two teams of American stars, one international team, and a team of snubs instead of the Rising Stars winners.

Sources said one possibility for 2026 is a four-team tournament consisting of one squad of International All-Stars, which would conceivably be Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, Luca Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam and Kyrie Irving (who will have Australian citizenship). Two other teams would be made of U.S.-born all-stars, and a fourth team — instead of a Rising Stars winner — could be a team of All-Star snubs, who’d have everything to prove. This year that might have included Domantas Sabonis, Devin Booker, Tyrese Haliburton, De’Aaron Fox, Jimmy Butler and Tyrese Maxey.

Silver has never been shy about liking a USA vs. World concept, but it doesn’t really work for teams of 12 as there are more American players than international players (even if at the very top the league’s MVP races have been dominated by international players in recent years). However, doing the mini-tournament allows them to make a smaller international team and have two USA squads. There is still the issue of how to create a fourth team. This year they went with the Rising Stars winners, which upset some NBA players that they got to play in the All-Star Game, but it did result in the best game because those young guys were hungry and the vets were determined not to lose.

While one would think the alternative would be to expand the rosters (moving to 14 in each conference would allow them to do four teams of seven players), the NBA is instead considering a team of “snubs”, hoping to replicate the kind of motivation the Rising Stars had. While fascinating, the idea of a snubs team leads to a few questions that the NBA would need to consider before moving forward with this as an actual plan.

Would the Snubs have a chance to steal All-Star status from the first team they face if they win?

The way to get guys to agree to be on the Snubs team would be to let them play for All-Star status. If you made it so that if they won that first round they get to take the All-Star designations from their opponents, you might have something. The All-Stars wouldn’t like it, but also, win the game. That matchup, at the very least, would have some real juice as guys play for those All-Star bonuses.

If not, why would anyone want to be on the Snubs team if they are not considered All-Stars?

Being an All-Star is an honor and one players value, but I have a hard time imagining a bunch of guys that just missed out are going to be really excited to pass on a vacation in order to play in an All-Star Game without being All-Stars themselves. If they are considered All-Stars (which matters for contractual bonuses), you can’t call them Snubs and you lose the motivation factor. If that’s the case, you should just expand the rosters.

How does a Snubs team complicate the injury replacement issue?

Every year there are a couple All-Stars that can’t play due to injury, and that means a couple of snubs end up on All-Star rosters (this year we saw Trae Young and Kyrie Irving get spots). However, if you have a team of snubbed players then you have to dig even deeper for replacements on that team if you’re elevating those guys to the actual rosters. Coming up with eight snubs is already going to get a bit tricky some years, but once you get to 10 or more due to injuries, it could get real murky.

Shaky Knees is annually an Atlanta-area highlight, and now we know what’s up with the 2025 edition: It’s set for September 19 to 21 at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, and the lineup is led by Deftones, My Chemical Romance, and Blink-182, as was announced today.

Beyond the headliners, the lineup also features Lenny Kravitz, Sublime, Pixies, Idles, Spoon, Inhaler, Cage The Elephant, The Black Keys, Public Enemy, TV On The Radio, Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes, Lucy Dacus, Devo, Wet Leg, 4 Non Blondes, Franz Ferdinand, Stereophonics, “Weird Al” Yankovic (billed as a “special guest”), and others.

There’s a pre-sale for tickets starting February 7 at 10 a.m. ET, and a public on-sale will follow if any tickets remain after the pre-sale. More information on that is available here.

Check out the full day-by-day lineup below.

Shaky Knees’ 2025 Lineup For Friday, September 19

Deftones
Lenny Kravitz
Sublime
The Marías
Pixies
Idles
Spoon
Inhaler
Joey Balence & Brae
Lambrini Girls
Sarah Kinsley

Shaky Knees’ 2025 Lineup For Saturday, September 20

My Chemical Romance
Cage The Elephant
The Black Keys
Public Enemy
The Backseat Lovers
TV On The Radio
The All-American Rejects
Johnny Marr
The Beaches
Mannequin Pussy
Bilmuri
CMAT
Scowl
Michigander
Fat Dog
Hey, Nothing
Radio Free Alice
Die Spitz
Soft Play
Ecca Vandal
Girl Tones
Junior Varsity
Songs For Kids

Shaky Knees’ 2025 Lineup For Sunday, September 21

Blink-182
Vampire Weekend
Alabama Shakes
Lucy Dacus
Devo
Wet Leg
4 Non Blondes
Franz Ferdinand
Stereophonics
The Stews
Fleshwater
Murder By Death
Mdou Moctar
Improvement Movement
English Teacher
The Criticals
Worry Club
Songs For Kids
“Weird Al” Yankovic

Since Young Thug was released from jail last year, fans have speculated about his next move. Among the questions they’ve asked are “When will he release his next album?” “Will he collaborate with Gunna again?” and “When is his first show?”

We now know the answer to at least one of those questions: Thug’s first performance since being released from jail has been announced, and it’s at an unexpected venue. The multi-day, Belgian electro-rock music festival, Les Ardentes, has announced its lineup, which features Young Thug as headliner. The festival is billed for July 3-6, 2025, in Liège, Belgium, and also features performers like J Balvin and Ken Carson.

It may surprise some fans to learn that he’ll be traveling overseas to make his official return, but as one of the conditions of his probation agreement, he’ll be allowed to travel for shows (incidentally, he can’t actually perform in his own hometown, Atlanta). As for why he’s making his return at an overseas festival; a recent lawsuit against him could explain why he chose to perform outside US jurisdictions. Since his catalog ownership is currently under dispute, a domestic performance could complicate his payment… and he could likely use all the money he can get right now to make up for the lost profits of two years behind bars.

Project Pabst is returning to Oregon’s Waterfront Park in Portland with an indie- and punk-heavy lineup. The 2025 edition of the two-day festival features Iggy Pop, Devo, The Damned, and Mannequin Pussy on Saturday, July 26, followed by Death Cab For Cutie, Japanese Breakfast, Built To Spill, and Wednesday on Sunday, July 27. The lineup also includes The Exploding Hearts, Gouge Away, and Cap’n Jazz, among many others.

Beyond the music, Project Pabst 2025 features “immersive art installations, local vendors, and the best of the Pacific Northwest’s food scene,” according to a press release. “The festival reinforces Pabst Blue Ribbon’s long legacy of supporting independent creators and DIY culture and bringing together communities of artists, musicians, and fans for an unforgettable weekend.”

Pre-sale tickets for Project Pabst 2025 are live now, including $85 single Day tickets and $150 weekend passes. The general on sale begins February 28 at 10 a.m. PT, with $95 single day tickets and $175 weekend passes. You can find more information here. Check out the full lineup below.

Project Pabst 2025 Lineup For Saturday, July 26

Iggy Pop
Devo
The Damned
The Chats
Mannequin Pussy
The Exploding Hearts
Gustaf
Gouge Away
Nasalrod

Project Pabst 2025 Lineup For Sunday, July 27

Death Cab For Cutie
Japanese Breakfast
Built To Spill
Cap’n Jazz
Wednesday
Say She She
Sam Austins
Dustbunny

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 collab with a major up-and-comer and Tate McRae continue building her pop legacy. 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, Benny Blanco, and Gracie Abrams — “Call Me When You Break Up”

How’s this for evidence that Gracie Abrams is approaching top-tier pop stardom: She landed herself a slot on Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s anticipated new album by featuring on last week’s super-fun single “Call Me When You Break Up.”

Jennie and Doechii — “ExtraL”

Doechii and Blackpink’s Jennie are two of the biggest rising stars in pop and hip-hop, respectively, and now they’ve hitched their rising rockets to each other for a new collab, “ExtraL.” Both Blackpink and Doechii have reputations for delivering high-effort and provocative videos, and that’s indeed what they’ve done for the song’s accompanying visual.

J. Cole — “Clouds”

J. Cole is a full-blown blogger these days, and he made the internet feel old-school for a minute week when he used his blog to share a new song, “Clouds.” Unsurprisingly given the title, the track has dreamy production courtesy of Cole, who uses the soft instrumental to deliver some rhythmic wordplay.

Yung Lean — “Forever Yung”

After emerging as a bit of a internet cloud rap oddball about a decade ago, Yung Lean has proven his longevity as he gears up to release a new album, Jonatan. He teased it last week with “Forever Yung,” which, as expected, isn’t typical of most contemporary hip-hop, a.k.a. it’s more of Yung Lean doing Yung Lean.

Paris Texas — “Infinyte”

Rap duo Paris Texas have been building up buzz by doing their own thing, and that continues to be apparent on last week’s “Infinyte.” It sees the two adding to the rap-rock oeuvre on a chaotic new track.

Tate McRae — “Revolving Door”

McRae’s new album So Close To What has already yielded “Sports Car,” one of his biggest hits since her first major hit, 2023’s “Greedy.” It remains to be seen what will be next on that front, but we now have some more candidates with last week’s release of McRae’s latest album, such as the dreamy and energetic “Revolving Door.”

Fontaines DC — “It’s Amazing To Be Young”

Romance was one of last year’s best-received albums, but their new single, “It’s Amazing To Be Young,” celebrates something bigger: The band notes the track began its life in the presence of band member Carlos O’Connell’s newborn.

Desi Trill — “Higher Love” Feat. DJ Khaled, Cardi B, Natania, and Subhi

New Rihanna music is finally coming via the Smurfs movie soundtrack. That’s the headline, but also worth remembering is that Cardi B pops up here, too, on “Higher Love,” based on the iconic hook from Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is A Place On Earth.”

Don Toliver and Speedy — “LV Bag” Feat. J-Hope and Pharrell Williams

Toliver just released Hardstone Psycho in June, but he’s already following up the album with new material. It sees him spreading his wings and welcoming some unexpected guests into the fold, too, with Pharrell and BTS’ J-Hope joining in on “LV Bag.”

Suki Waterhouse — “Dream Woman”

Following last year’s Memoir Of A Sparklemuffin, Suki Waterhouse has herself a sold-out residency at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles next month. She’ll have at least one new song to perform, too, as she just released the ethereal “Dream Woman.”