Billboard’s Friday Music Information serves as a helpful information to New Music Friday’s most important releases every week — the important thing music that everybody can be speaking about immediately, and that can be dominating playlists this weekend and past.
Final week, we featured Sam Smith, Stella Lefty, Weezer and extra.
This week, Olivia Rodrigo shares a previously-released-CD-exclusive music digitally; Alex Warren releases his second album; JENNIE’s three-track EP arrives; and Rod Wave drops his mega 24-track seventh album, Don’t Look Down… plus rather more. Try all of this week’s picks beneath:
Olivia Rodrigo, “Serena Pleasure”
Days earlier than headlining her very personal inaugural Daisy Chain Fields competition in Irvine, Calif., famous person Olivia Rodrigo dropped a brand new music (which was initially reduce from her third album, this June’s You Appear Fairly Unhappy for a Lady So in Love) that may certainly make its means into her setlist. “Serena Pleasure” — named after the antagonist from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Story novel — is expectedly impressed by the character’s complexities. And whereas the dystopian-sounding music ends with Rodrigo repeating “the whole lot is simply nice,” it’s unclear if she means it — or simply needs to consider it. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Alex Warren, WILDCHILD
Alex Warren’s second album swiftly follows final yr’s You’ll Be Alright, Child that included his breakout hit and Scorching 100 No. 1 “Odd.” And whereas WILDCHILD does embody some downtempo pop ballads (“Tremendous Place To Die,” “I Miss You Extra”), his signature hovering vocals are finest highlighted on the album’s extra punchy uptempo songs (“Fever Dream,” “Emerald Eyes”). Because the venture’s title implies, Warren resides it up a bit extra this time round — or ought to I say, getting a bit wild by his requirements — and consequently, sneaks in a remaining few summer time smashes. — L.H.
JENNIE, Fallen Angel
Think about the chew of “like JENNIE” solely stripped down and ethereal — that’s “Heaven.” JENNIE sounds solely confident on the music, even when she’s singing of a poisonous relationship: “If not loopy, then what enjoyable wouldn’t it be?” The music accompanies the acoustic-led title monitor and previously-released single “Lower than a Lover.” Fallen Angel is JENNIE’s first solo venture because the launch of her solo debut with final yr’s full-length Ruby. — L.H.
Rod Wave, Don’t Look Down
The prolific rapper-singer-songwriter places all three to their finest use throughout his new album, tapping R&B singer-songwriter Summer time Pleasure, R&B artist Luv Von, Irish singer-songwriter Aimee Carty and Australian indie-folk artist Hazlett because the venture’s solely options. Don’t Look Down is Rod Wave’s seventh album, having solely launched his debut full-length (Ghetto Gospel) in 2019. — L.H.
Billy Strings, So A lot for Goodbyes
As Eric Renner Brown writes of the bluegrass virtuoso’s new album, it’s “a profound meditation on grief impressed by the latest dying of his mom.” As Strings shared himself in a press release together with the album’s announcement, he made the report to honor her: “To note and embrace this very important interval of grief in my life and make artwork from it. To show my heartbreak into songs whereas utilizing my guitar as a coping mechanism as I at all times have. It’s at all times been there for me to lean on by the onerous instances, and I determine it at all times will… till it’s my time to say goodbye.” Learn Billboard‘s tracks ranked right here.
flowerovlove feat. Willow, “women can be women”
Rising indie-pop singer floweroflove shares her debut album, Mini Skirt Warrior, led by focus monitor “women can be women” with the venture’s sole characteristic Willow. Whereas the uptempo music is the album’s twelfth and remaining, it’s additionally certainly one of its standouts alongside previously-released singles like “American Marriage ceremony” and “I’m your first.” — L.H.
Alabama Shakes, I Should Be Dreaming
Grammy-winning bluesy rock band Alabama Shakes is again — and with its first album in over a decade. I Should Be Dreaming is the act’s first full-length since its breakout second album Sound & Shade, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 upon its 2015 launch. Beforehand-released single “One other Life” stays a standout for vocalist Brittany Howard’s pressing vocals, as does “Waist Deep.” The band is at present on tour by the top of September, with a date at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor Sept. 2. — L.H.
