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 Olivia Rodrigo’s second act and a fresh Megan Thee Stallion guest spot. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Olivia Rodrigo — “Deja Vu”
“Drivers License” is a record-breaking single and one of the biggest songs of this young year, making the breakout hit a tough act to follow for Olivia Rodrigo. She did just that a few days ago, though, with “Deja Vu,” a part-Radiohead-part-Lana-Del-Rey tune that strays from the ‘sad ballad girl‘ energy, as Rodrigo put it, of her previous single.
Brockhampton — “Count On Me”
Now is the time to appreciate Brockhampton, because they may not exist after 2021. If they truly are going out, it’s with a bang, as they have one confirmed album on the way and supposedly another also dropping this year. The latest from Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine is “Count On Me,” an upbeat tune full of relationship assurances.
St. Vincent — “The Melting Of The Sun”
St. Vincent has been clear about the fact that her upcoming album, Daddy’s Home, is inspired by the sounds of New York in the 1970s. She takes her historical tribute to the next level on “The Melting Of The Sun,” on which she thanks some cultural icons of yesteryear: “Saint Joni ain’t no phony / Smoking reds where Furry sang the blues / My Marilyn shot her heroin / Hell, she said it’s better than abuse.”
BTS — “Film Out”
It would be fair for BTS to take a break this year considering they released a whopping three albums in 2020. Instead, though, they’re pressing forward with another full-length, BTS, The Best, due out in June. The album is part compilation and part fresh material, including “Film Out,” for which BTS shared a characteristically high-production visual last week.
Ryley Walker — Course In Fable
Walker recently told Uproxx of his new album, “Usually [my music] is just like a really crappy Old Country Buffet-style slop I put on the plates. I feel like it’s always half-baked ideas that you have to pay $16 to hear. And it’s like, ‘Well, the pizza was interesting and they have a dessert part of the buffet…’ But here I just wanted it to be a really well-rounded, full record and for every song to have some sort of ambition, whether that’s multiple parts or better lyrics.”
Bankroll Freddie — “Pop It” Feat. Megan Thee Stallion
After the prosperous past few years Megan Thee Stallion has enjoyed, she has every right to flex. She does just that with her guest spot on Bankroll Freddie’s “Pop It,” the video for which features cars, money, women, and all the classic hip-hop video fixins, all to visualize the track’s equally showboat-y lyrics.
Waxahatchee — Saint Cloud +3
A week or so ago was the one-year anniversary of Waxahatchee’s well-received album Saint Cloud. The artist celebrated the milestone with a new deluxe edition of the album (it’s almost weird seeing a deluxe album arrive a year after the original now, even though that used to be the norm). Saint Cloud +3 adds, you guessed it, three tracks: covers of “Fruits Of My Labor” by Lucinda Williams, “Light Of A Clear Blue Morning” by Dolly Parton, and “Streets Of Philadelphia” by Bruce Springsteen.
42 Dugg and Roddy Ricch — “4 Da Gang”
Roddy Ricch has been fairly quiet since dropping his 2019 album Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, which I suppose isn’t that surprising given the title of the album. He has a second album on the way seemingly in the not-too-distant future, though, and he has preceded it by linking up with 42 Dugg on “4 Da Gang,” which is built on a sample of Scorpions’ “No One Like You.”
Fousheé — “Gold Fronts” Feat. Lil Wayne
First Fousheé made history on the charts, and now she’s collaborating with one of the biggest rappers ever: Lil Wayne. She explained how “Gold Fronts” came together, saying, “I was like, ‘How did you find me?’ And he was like, ‘Well, I’m not really on social media. I don’t search for artists. I have two TVs in my skate room. One is on ESPN, one is on Revolt, and the TV just plays music videos back to back. It’s like, if you end up on that screen and I like you, then I know it’s meant to be.’ And then he was like, he was skating and he saw the video, the ‘Deep End’ video.”
Demi Lovato — “Met Him Last Night” Feat. Ariana Grande
Lovato’s intensely personal new album Dancing With The Devil… The Art Of Starting Over dropped last week, and on it, she got a few friends to help her tell her story. One is Ariana Grande, who co-wrote and features on “Met Him Last Night,” which personifies inner demons with the most famed one of all: the devil.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
