I know we all look forward to ‘New Music Friday’, a weekly conglomerate of every artist’s most recent discography. Personally, I’m not sure when the industry decided to release hours’ worth of hits, but I will not be the first to complain. For this New Music Friday, I have compiled the newest songs into three main categories: ‘upbeat sad songs’, songs I can only describe as ‘bops’, and, finally ‘Mitski’.
UPBEAT SAD SONGS:
Songs that I was too busy grooving to thar=t I didn’t even realize their lyrics were not as upbeat as the song behind them. Staples for a breakup playlist that you might not cry to.
‘Say Nothing’ by Flume, MAY-A
Starts off with layered vocals that continue throughout. About 30 seconds in, the beat starts and, before a full minute has passed, you’re inexplicably dancing to it. Trust me, it happened. I think this song defines the ‘upbeat sad song’ category. I can see an EDM remix for this song very soon.
‘Next to Me’ by Jim-E Stack, Lucky Daye
The song may not be easily danced to, but it does have extremely catchy qualities. The use of synthesized drums, instruments, and occasionally vocals, feel almost reminiscent of OMI’s ‘Cheerleader’ – maybe a lo-fi version of it. ‘Next to Me’ is extremely easy listening, only clocking in at about 2 minutes 30 seconds.
‘Cigarettes’ by Juice WRLD
Yet another posthumous release by Juice WRLD, who was widely known to have hundreds of song ideas in his head at any one time. Much like his other music, this song has elements of hip hop with a dash of ‘something else. It provides easy listening, relatability, and easily learned lyrics over a catchy and simple beat.
‘she’s all i wanna be’ by Tate McRae
Tate McRae provides yet another song that you can easily imagine yourself in a music video too. The beat is alternative but upbeat, featuring clear guitar and drum lines with a touch of synth. This song is an extremely catchy breakup song, perfect for an ‘upbeat breakup’ type playlist.
‘Especially You’ by Wallows
An alternative/indie band headed by Dylan Minnette, known for his role in ‘13 Reasons Why. Like all Wallows songs, ‘Especially You’ has some lyrics to make you think with an indie beat featuring synthesized and ‘real’ instruments. The chorus is repetitive but comforting and ends with an offbeat outro.
BOPS:
Songs that I was dancing to while writing this article. Not only am I saving all these songs, but they will be all I’m listening to until the next New Music Friday.
‘HANDSOMER’ by Russ
Russ, yet again, releases a song with a catchy beat and an easily learned chorus. The lyrics tell a story to an extent but would be perfect for a club night or a kickback.
‘Doja’ by $NOT, A$AP Rocky
$NOT and A$AP Rocky are two of my personal favorites. I think $NOT and A$AP match their energies perfectly. I can see this song being played at plenty of parties, though I’m sure it will hit popularity on TikTok first.
‘Do We Have A Problem?’ by Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby
Nicki Minaj has been long hailed as the ‘Queen of Rap’. I think this song can only attest to that title. The beat feels very dynamic; Nicki raps and sings throughout, which gives it a good sense of depth. Lil Baby’s verse starts off a bit weak but ends strong with Nicki’s help.
‘Hot Tub’ by Yung Gravy, Dillon Francis, T-Pain
What I love about Yung Gravy is his use of 70s era samples and staying true to the ‘soul of disco’ while adding new age hip-hop/rap elements. I am also a huge fan of T-Pain. This song is so easy to listen to, so easy to groove to, and doesn’t make you examine the lyrical content. Ends with a fun outro.
2Chainz released his 7th studio album today, entitled ‘Dope Don’t Sell Itself’, his purported ‘final trap album’. This album clocks in at around thirty minutes – and 2Chainz reputation as an ‘OG’ in music culture is extremely evident. My top three are ‘Pop Music’, ‘Neighbors Know My Name’, and ‘Million Dollars Worth of Game’.
MITSKI:
Anybody who has ever heard a Mitski song knows that it can be quite hard to put her music into a definitive category. The best description I’ve heard to date would be ‘indie meets alternative’ but the lyrics can only be described as ‘ethereal’.
Mitski has released her sixth studio album: ‘Laurel Hell’. ‘Laurel Hell’ has been described as a cross between pop and indie music. Mitski was quoted as describing this album as a soundtrack for ‘transformation’ and a ‘map to the place where vulnerability and resilience, sorrow and delight, error and transcendence can all sit within our humanity, can all be seen as worthy of acknowledgment, and ultimately, love.’ Mitski cited her inspiration for the album to be love songs about real relationships, devoid of power struggles and the like. My favorites: ‘Working for the Knife’, ‘Stay Soft’, and ‘Love Me More’.
There were plenty of other new releases today, Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist this week is about 5 hours long. So, do yourself a favor, and familiarize yourself with all these hits. This week of new music has something for everyone.
