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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 Lady Gaga go full Harley Quinn and The Weeknd continue to roll out his new era. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.
Lady Gaga — “The Joker”
LG7 isn’t here quite yet, but LG6.5 is: After teasing the latter, Lady Gaga confirmed she had Harlequin, an album that ties into her movie Joker: Folia á Deux, on the way. Many of the songs are covers, including “The Joker,” which Gaga gives a rock edge for her rendition.
The Weeknd and Playboi Carti — “Timeless”
Like many before him, The Weeknd has tapped Playboi Carti to give his song a boost, tasking him with guesting on “Timeless.” The song is the latest from The Weeknd’s upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, and it’s an atmospheric, electronic-influenced banger.
Tommy Richman — “Temptations”
Tommy Richman is the “Million Dollar Baby” guy, yes, but his debut album Coyote should serve to expand that definition. “Temptations,” for example, is built on a strong bass groove complemented by yet another catchy hook from Richman.
Tee Grizzley — “Blow For Blow” Feat. J. Cole
J. Cole has delivered what feels like an album’s worth of features in 2024, and he’s back at it again. This time, he linked with Tee Grizzley on “Blow For Blow,” which features Pi’erre Bourne production.
BIA and Lil Yachty — “Pissed Off”
Lil Yachty has been all over the map in 2024, and his latest adventure brings him to BIA for the collaboration “Pissed Off.” The menacing, sub-three-minute track sees, as the title indicates, the two airing their grievances
Saweetie — “Is It The Way”
Uproxx’s Aaron Williams notes of the latest from Saweetie, “Pairing a trunk-rattling Texas beat with a loop from Jill Scott’s 2001 hit ‘The Way,’ Saweetie contemplates all the attention she gets while combining the best parts of her last two singles.”
Christina Aguilera — “What A Girl Wants (Live)” Feat. Sabrina Carpenter
It’s tough to call Sabrina Carpenter one of the biggest pop stars of her generation just yet, purely because she hasn’t been on top for that long yet. It certainly seems like she’s here to stay, though, and the iconic Christina Aguilera seems to agree, as she recruited Carpenter to refresh “What A Girl Wants.”
Willow — “Wanted” Feat. Kamasi Washington
Willow has again and again proven herself to be an artist eager to try different things, and on “Wanted,” she links up with Kamasi Washington. He brings his jazz chops to the song, which has wildly varying tempos that make for an intriguingly herky-jerky experience.
Leon Bridges — “That’s What I Love”
Bridges has a self-titled album on the way in a few days, and he offered a preview of it last week with “That’s What I Love.” Bridges does a lot of things well, but he’s especially adept as making enveloping slow-burners, and that’s just what he does here.
Maxo Kream and Tyler The Creator — “Cracc Era”
After teaming up on “Big Persona” in 2021, Tyler The Creator and Maxo Kream have reunited on the latter’s “Cracc Era.” Fans of early Tyler will like this one, as the song features the sort of straightforward, bass-heavy beat that he lived off of in his fledgling years.
