It's another interesting Friday for new music, but of course, there are some gems we can't ignore.
New Music Friday is messy. But hopefully we can tune out some of the noise and focus on the good stuff. That brings us to some of our favorites this week, including Vic Mensa, who just dropped his new album Victor; our Oklahoma friends The Ivy, whose new single "Good Faith" is out now (check out our interview here); the first collaboration from Drake and SZA, a preview of Drizzy's upcoming album; a new song from LANY, also previewing their own forthcoming LP; a standout new record from The Brook & The Bluff, one of our favorites right now; new music from SLOE JACK, and more.
Check out some highlights below. And note, this page may be updated later with additional entries.
Last month, Vic Mensa shared his new album Victor will arrive on Sept. 15, and now it's here.
Out now via Roc Nation, this project was executive produced by BongoByTheWay and largely self-produced by Mensa himself. On Wednesday, the Chicago native shared the tracklist for the new record, which includes guest appearances from the likes of Chance the Rapper, G-Eazy, Jay Electornica, Thundercat, Common, Rapsody, Ant Clemons, Mr. Hudson, Ty Dolla $ign and more.
Hear it now above.
Drake — "Slime You Out," featuring SZA
Drizzy couldn't wait a few more days to grab the spotlight.
While his album For All the Dogs is out on Oct. 6, Drake today released a new track called "Slime You Out," featuring SZA, the first they have collaborated together. It was produced by Drake's ongoing collaborators Bnyx and Noah “40” Shebib, as well as Dalton Tennant and Noel Cadastre.
Check out the new song above.
[Updated Sept. 16: Drake has delayed the release of his album For All the Dogs until Oct. 6 due to his ongoing tour with 21 Savage.]
Rising artist Sombr has also released his debut in another life EP, which is out now on Warner Records.
The project includes his previous singles “weak,” “my house is warm” and “silhouette," as well as the new single "burner phone," for which there is an accompanying video also out today.
“‘burner phone’ showcases the struggle and battle between pain and love," says Sombr. It's a powerful reminder of how it feels to see someone you care about going through tough times, but not being able to help them.”
The new EP was co-produced by Sombr and Tony Berg, whose previous work includes Phoebe Bridgers and Lorde.
The Brook & The Bluff — Bluebeard
The Brook & The Bluff's new album Bluebeard, out today independently, is absolutely one of our favorites released this week.
The new record features their songs "Headfirst," "Hiding" and "Long Limbs," as well as the new song "Tangerine," which has an an accompanying video. It comes as the band is preparing to kick off their North American tour starting next week.
Hear the new record now.
LANY — "Home Is Where the Hurt Is"
With just days before LANY releases their fifth album A Beautiful Blur, the duo of Paul Klein and Jake Goss this week shared their new song "Home Is Where the Hurt Is," and it's accompanied by an emotional set of visuals starring Klein.
Klein co-directed the video alongside Antony Muse. And it's perhaps one of the band's most cathartic releases yet, with a flurry of not-so-subtle nods to their upbringing in conservative Christian America.
"Hate, worry, panic, shame, anger, guilt, stress, sadness, disappointment, jealousy, regret, and loneliness," said Klein in a note on LANY's Instagram coinciding with the song's release. "When I moved from Oklahoma to L.A. to chase my dream, I brought everything with me, but I left the baggage behind."
In the video, Klein is seen carrying large duffle bags with the words "hate," "worry," "stress," "anger," "regret" and more written on them as he tries to hold on to them.
[Updated Sept. 18: The band shared in a note early Monday they were changing the title of their album to A Beautiful Blur, explaining it "was the original title." Klein added: "I’m not sure why this all came rushing back to me when it did, but I’d like to think it’s because this is a very special time in history for us."]
Aaron Taos is back with new music today, and it's the kickoff of a new chapter for the singer as this is the first single off his forthcoming album.
"you won't..." arrived today along with a B-side called "ctrl-z," and while we can't share full details yet, this upcoming record is expected to be a very personal one, recorded over a period of five years with inspiration from the singer's family, specifically his mom.
Check out the new songs above.
[Updated Sept. 20 with video for "you won't..."]
Australian artist Jack Mark Garritty (aka SLOE JACK) is continuing his status as a disruptor with his new song "Beast Mode," out today as part of the deluxe edition of his recent debut album Backstab.
“This album encapsulates the behaviors and events that I've grappled with since a young age," says SLOE JACK. "I delve into my challenging childhood, which eventually led to a life marked by self-sabotage and mistakes. The album narrates my journey of personal growth, highlighting the transformative process I underwent to break free from those patterns and make positive changes for myself.”
Of the new song itself, SLOE JACK says: “Growing up, I faced the harsh reality of violent male behaviour, and it left a permanent mark. 'Beast Mode' is a reflection of my personal journey from victim to victor, from pain to positivity."
He adds: "It's about shedding the toxic and primal aspects of ourselves—true strength comes not from aggression and anger, but from kindness, honesty, and resilience... about being the type of man who uplifts others, who champions kindness, and who strives for personal growth. We can redefine what it means to be a man, and we can create a world where boys are raised with positive role models and healthy examples of masculinity."
Check out the new video for "Beast Mode" above.
Muzi — "‘Milk & Honey" & "Light"
South African artist Muzi is making a big splash today with two new songs out today, "Milk & Honey," featuring British rapper The Last Skeptik, along with "Light."
These new songs are both previews of Muzi's upcoming album uMUZI, which is out Oct. 13 via Fool's Gold Records.
“In a world of excess, in the land of milk and honey, I choose less," says Muzi of the new music. I choose my introverted nature. I choose myself." He adds: "‘Light’ is an ode to my mother. Keeping me sane through the darkest times. My light.”
Quarters of Change — "Do or Die"
This week, rising New York outfit Quarters of Change released their glazy new single "Do or Die," and we're loving it.
The new track comes along with big news of the rockers' upcoming sophomore album Portraits, which is expected Jan. 26 via Elektra Records.
“The album is made up of individualized fragments that provide different perspectives and create their own little vignettes,” says the band's frontman Ben Roter. “I think of each fragment as a portrait, reflecting a separate emotion or moment. Overall, it explores themes of addiction, isolation, and exploration. At the time, I was definitely writing about the present. By discussing what was happening in our lives, we’re giving you honest everyday circumstances to latch onto.”
Check out the video above.
FIDLAR is also back this week with a riot of a new single called "Nudge," a playful track about a very real topic.
“'Nudge' is a song about your friend that keeps kooking it, so you gotta give them a 'nudge' to get their shit together,” says frontman Zac Carper of the newly released song.
This new music follows FIDLAR's stripped down EP and their That's Life EP, which dropped earlier this year. They have also announced a fall tour, which begins Sept. 21 in Tampa, with stops in Miami, Las Vegas, Phoenix and more before they head to Europe and the U.K. in November.
Emerging artist Kevian Kraemer has released his tender new single "Restart," and it's the perfect gem for your soundtrack this week.
"I wrote 'Restart' when I turned 17 and my girlfriend and I got in our first real fight," says the singer. "I was writing to process my feelings and through trying to write the song realized that love isn’t just a feeling, it's about having the will to still want someone when things get hard."
It's such a perfect capsule of young love, innocence and trying to figure out life.
Emilia Tarrant — "Hard Pill to Swallow"
In a similar vein, Emilia Tarrant's new single "Hard Pill to Swallow" is such a relatable track about navigating the struggles of young life when everything feels like it's falling about and relationships of all kinds can seen fragile.
“Rejection is a word that weighs heavy on my heart," says Tarrant. "In fact, this whole song stemmed from that single word! ‘Hard Pill to Swallow’ is a song about constantly wondering why so many people come and go in life ... and how this instability leaves you feeling like you’re not good enough. I’ve always been someone who has felt outside the crowd, especially at a younger age through school (which I think will be pretty relatable for some people!) and when I started releasing my own music at just 17. There is a brutal honesty in this song that perfectly captures my social day to day mental process, and the fear of being alone.”
The new track comes along with news of the singer's own debut album, which is expected next year.
IX Wulf — heal yourself first EP
Rising singer IX Wulf has also shared his new heal yourself first EP, which he has been teasing for weeks.
Coinciding with this week's release of the full EP is a visual project to accompany the new collection, which is broken into acts, with the newly released "act v: sage" being a focal point.
“Two broken people will only ever be broken together," says the R&B newcomer. "This project is a snippet of the journey that taught that lesson. In order to be capable of truly loving someone else, you have to love yourself first. In order to be capable of truly caring for someone else, you have to heal yourself first.”
