What better way to kick off a weekend than with new music? Fridays are always chock full of the latest songs and albums ready to be the soundtrack to everyone’s antics, and here you’ll find some of the week’s standout releases. Whether you’re ready to spin an anticipated song from a favorite artist or just taking a look at what’s out there, there’s a whole lot of tunes to dive right into. Who knows—maybe you’ll find your next obsession.
Valencia
Dancing With a Ghost (10 Year Deluxe Jawn)
To celebrate ten years since Dancing With a Ghost—arguably Valencia’s best album—the band is re-issuing it with more material to load it up with 27 songs in total. They literally added the entire record to it in demo form, which is extremely cool and it’s not every day you get to hear something like that. On top of it, some b-sides get thrown into the mix like the semi-new “Weight of the World”—a DWAG-era track only recently recorded.
PVRIS
Use Me (Deluxe)
The good keeps getting better. Released back in August, PVRIS’ latest record Use Me is a can’t-miss for the pop-rock genre this year—and now there’s another chance to keep it from flying under your radar. The deluxe edition packs in five extra songs featuring remixes and alternative renditions, turning it into a full-fledged PVRIS experience.
The Wonder Years
“Brakeless”
When 2020 sucks like it does, it’s natural to want to throw it back to simpler times like so many bands are doing with their music. After becoming genre legends in 2010 with The Upsides, The Wonder Years reinvented themselves with subsequent LPs, finetuning their songwriting to a level that you could hardly even consider them a pop-punk band. They’re honoring their roots with “Brakeless”, though, a blast from the past meant to revisit that point in time when TWY were young and green. Old habits die hard; they’re somehow even better at their pop-punk style now than they were when it turned them into household names.
Illenium
“Paper Thin” (feat. Angels & Airwaves)
Sometimes the strangest collaborations also make the most sense. EDM producer Illenium links up with Tom DeLonge’s Angels & Airwaves for a spacey hit in “Paper Thin”. The electronic production fits well in the AVA universe and the vocal effects added to DeLonge’s vocals give an extraterrestrial feel to it.
Fever 333
Wrong Generation
Jason Aalon Butler of Fever 333 makes it a point to use his band as his greatest weapon to fight injustice. Wrong Generation, their latest EP, is a direct response to what he experienced while marching in protests this year following the murder of George Floyd. The collection of songs are, in general, very pissed off, and for good reason. The mix of Fever’s hip-hop tendencies with their Rage Against the Machine-style aggression makes Wrong Generation the voice of the right generation.
Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Remember T. Mills? The rapper-turned-actor took a bit of a break from music in 2016, but now he’s back with a rock band under the moniker of girlfriends. Their debut album comes at an interesting time—right off the heels of Machine Gun Kelly heading into a similar style, too. What their record shows is that there’s room for both to dominate as girlfriends take a more traditional approach to the genre. With production work from John Feldmann, the tracks have a heavy pop-gloss that make them wonderfully addictive.
Bring Me the Horizon
“Teardrops”
A new Bring Me the Horizon era means a new breed of general weirdness; the band refuses to make the same record twice. On “Teardrops”, you can hear a hint of experimental instrumentation as a subtle growl from Oli Sykes becomes the track’s main identity. They don’t stray too far from the regular BMTH path, but it’s different enough to let you know you’re listening to a BMTH track made in 2020.
Ariana Grande
“Positions”
Gearing up for what will be her third album in two years, Ariana Grande’s new single “Positions” is an early look at her impending chart domination. A major jam, the R&B-flavored pop track comes to life with an all star production team and a perfectly written chorus made for radio.
Finneas
“Can’t Wait to Be Dead”
It’s always fun to hear what Finneas, best known as producer for sister Billie Eilish and a myriad of other major pop tracks, has up his sleeve when it comes to his solo material. “Can’t Wait to Be Dead”, an anthem about the Internet, takes his songwriting to the rock side of things with an acoustic guitar that leads to a soaring, ‘open-road’-esque vibe—the polar opposite from what he usually pens with Billie.
Ashton Irwin
Superbloom
There’s pressure that comes along with a debut solo album when you’ve been a part of your band since you were 17. Ashton Irwin has grown up in a big way since the start of 5 Seconds of Summer—the progression of their albums prove it. But Irwin separates himself in a different way on Superbloom, channeling a sound different from even the indie-rock 5SOS pivoted to. That growth sets the stage for Superbloom effortlessly, though, as Irwin slots into that main fronting role like he was born to
do it.
Other new releases:
Little Mix – “Sweet Melody”
Marshmello – “Too Much”
Anarbor – “Tasty”
Less than Jake – “Dear Me”
Zedd – “Inside Out”
Major Lazer – Music is the Weapon
Charlie Simpson – “I See You”
Julien Baker – “Faith Healer”
Major Lazer – Music Is The Weapon
Emeli Sande, Stonebwoy, Nana Rogues – “More Of You”
Gorillaz – “The Valley of Pagans (feat. Beck)” / Song Machine, Season One:
Strange Time
LOVA – “Lonely Ones”
iDKHOW – Razzmatazz
AWOLNATION – “Radical (feat. Grouplove)”
Zedd – “Inside Out (feat. Griff)”
Nothing But Thieves – Moral Panic
COIN – Indigo Violet
Phora – “Cupid’s Curse (feat. Kehlani)”
Ty Dolla $ign – Featuring Ty Dolla $ign
Ariana Grande – “positions”
The Kid LAROI – “SO DONE”
H.E.R – “Damage”
Saweetie, Jhene Aiko – “Back to the Streets”
Ruel – Bright Lights, Red Eyes
KAROL G – “BICHOTA”
Luke Combs – “What You See Ain’t Always What You Get”
ROLE MODEL – our little angel – EP
Ashnikko – Halloweenie III: Seven Days
Arlo Parks – “Green Eyes”
Bea Miller – elated!
Architects – “Animals”
Nelly, Florida Georgia Line – “Lil Bit”
Wallows – Remote
boy pablo – Wachito Rico
Noah Kahan – “Pride (feat. mxmtoon)”
LOONA – [12:00]
Joyner Lucas – Evolution
keshi – always
Walk Off the Earth – “this is love”
Anna of the North – Believe EP
Paloma Faith – “Last Night on Earth”
