Getty Image/Derrick Rossignol
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 Kendrick Lamar surprisingly dominate the week with an unexpected new album. 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.
Kendrick Lamar — “Squabble Up”
It looked like Kendrick Lamar was going to end 2024 by hanging his hat his decisive victory in the Drake beef, which was highlighted by the No. 1 single “Not Like Us.” Instead, he wrapped up the year with a bang by, to everybody’s surprise, dropping a new album, GNX, which includes “Squabble Up,” that song Lamar teased in the “Not Like Us” video.
Jack Harlow — “Hello Miss Johnson”
While some unexpected Kendrick knocked Harlow down this week’s hip-hop power rankings, “Hello Miss Johnson” still isn’t one to miss. The smooth, samba-inspired tune is a delightful one that sees Harlow getting in his romantic bag.
Nicki Minaj — “Arctic Tundra” Feat. Juice WRLD
Back in the day (if you consider 2019 “the day”), Nicki Minaj teamed up with Juice WRLD on “Girl With The Blonde Hair,” a song that leaked online. Now, Minaj has given the collab (now titled “Arctic Tundra“) an official release. The tune arrives via The Pinkprint (Tenth Anniversary Edition), a reissue of Minaj’s classic release.
Rosé — “Number One Girl”
Rosé has a non-Blackpink hit alongside Bruno Mars with “APT.,” and now the train continues to roll. Last week, she unveiled “Number One Girl,” which is actually low-key another Mars collab, as he co-wrote the track.
Snoop Dogg — “Outta Da Blue” Feat. Dr. Dre and Alus
Missionary is the first full collaborative album from Snoop and Dre since 1993’s Doggystyle. They’re not squandering the occasion either, as they show on “Outta Da Blue,” a lively new tune that sees the two swapping verses back and forth.
Bossman Dlow — “The Biggest Pt. 2”
After landing a coveted TikTok hit with “Get In With Me” in January, Dlow rode the momentum to a prosperous 2024. He reflects on that, and the success yet to come, on his latest single, “The Biggest Pt. 2.”
Omar Apollo, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross — “Te Maldigo”
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are behind the score of Luca Guadagnino’s new movie Queer. Omar Apollo stars in the movie, so given that all this musical firepower is involved, they went ahead and linked up on “Te Maldigo,” a ballad for the soundtrack.
Kenny Mason — “Intuition”
Mason is gearing up to join Denzel Curry on the Mischievous South tour next year, and he’ll have some new music to perform, too: He just dropped the Angel Eyes mixtape, along with a Joker-inspired video for “Intuition.”
Tyla — “Tears”
After Tyla started 2024 off on a sour note by canceling tour dates, the year picked up from there. Her latest win is “Tears,” a new acoustic song she dropped in partnership with Coke Studio.
Father John Misty — “Mahashmashana”
Poor Father John Misty: He just released his new album Mahashmashana, on the same day as Lamar’s big surprise. (He’s fine with joking about the unfortunate timing, at least.) FJM’s LP is worth the spin, though, with highlights including the sweeping, nine-minute title track.
