{"id":671959,"date":"2026-05-15T20:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T20:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/671959\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T20:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T20:57:08","slug":"gracie-abrams-drake-lead-weeks-best-new-music-friday-music-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/671959\/","title":{"rendered":"Gracie Abrams, Drake Lead Week’s Best New Music: Friday Music Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tBillboard\u2019s\u00a0Friday Music Guide<\/a>\u00a0serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday\u2019s most essential releases each week \u2014 the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tExplore\t\t<\/p>\n

See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n

\n\tLast week<\/a>, we featured Charli xcx, MUNA and Kelela. <\/p>\n

\n\tThis week: Gracie Abrams teases her recently-announced fourth album, Daughter From Hell, with its lead single; Drake returns with his anticipated Iceman \u2014 plus two more projects titled Maid Of Honour and Habibti; and Maluma delivers his most personal album to date, Loco X Volver \u2026 plus much more. Check out all of this week\u2019s picks below:<\/p>\n

\n\tGracie Abrams, \u201cHit the Wall\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tGracie Abrams\u2019 now longtime collaborator Aaron Dessner wasn\u2019t playing when he spoke about the singer\u2019s upcoming album in an Instagram caption earlier this week: \u201cYou\u2019ll hear us expanding our musical vocabulary and pushing into uncharted waters sonically\u2026it feels elevated in every way.\u201d Lead single \u201cHit the Wall\u201d is an airy and lyrically loaded track, with lines like, \u201cA room full of doctors and an inkblot\/ I\u2019m drawn into headlights, have a blind spot\u201d or, \u201cI live in a pattern of breakdowns\/ You\u2019ll bend to my silence, it\u2019s so loud.\u201d The track arrives as the perfect connector for where Abrams has been and where she is heading \u2014 and proves that if this is her starting point, Daughter From Hell is surely going to hurt like hell.<\/p>\n

\n\tDrake, Iceman<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter teasing his anticipated Iceman album, Drake more than delivered \u2014 also dropping Maid of Honour and Habibti on Friday. In all, the three releases total 43 new tracks and nearly two-and-a-half hours of listening (and push his solo full-length discography into double digits). Needless to say, the artist had a lot to get off his chest since his For All the Dogs release in 2023. <\/p>\n

\n\tIceman focus track, \u201cRan To Atlanta,\u201d features Future and Molly Santana and is one of just two tracks on the project that taps guests. Meanwhile, Maid Of Honour and Habibti are a bit more feature-packed, with artists including Sexxy Red, Central Cee, PARTYNEXTDOOR and others appearing across the tracklists. So, roll your sleeves up and get to listening.<\/p>\n

\n\tTove Lo, \u201cI\u2019m Your Girl Right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s been four years since Tove Lo released an album (her last was 2022\u2019s Dirt Femme) and new single \u201cI\u2019m Your Girl Right?\u201d reminds listeners of what we\u2019ve been missing. The track finds a sweet spot between mid-tempo pop and full-blown dance<\/a> banger \u2014 exactly what Tove Lo has always done best. The track serves as the lead single for her upcoming sixth album, ESTRUS, out Sept. 18. As the artist shared in a statement: \u201cI know you\u2019ve been waiting a\u00a0long time and I hope it\u2019s worth the wait. It was for me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tRostam, \u201cHardy (feat. Clairo)\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWith the release of Rostam\u2019s third solo album, American Stories, he continues to prove that patience pays off (his last album, Changephobia, arrived in 2021) and that he still has that magic touch. Standout track \u201cHardy\u201d opens unexpectedly with jittery, gorgeous strings that subtly fade into piano chords \u2014 only to return again halfway through for an instrumental interlude that also features trumpet to introduce Clairo\u2019s verse. The song then ends with the chorus that\u2019s all about acceptance: \u201cSome things you said to me have stuck in my mind\/ And though I\u2019ll never have the chance to say why\/ Maybe the greatest art is never completed\/ We only have to leave it knowing we tried.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJorja Smith, \u201cWhat\u2019s Done Is Done\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJorja Smith\u2019s sultry, silky vocals are an expected, welcomed component of all her songs \u2014 and while they do their thing on \u201cWhat\u2019s Done Is Done,\u201d the production comes as a surprise. Loaded with heart-pounding synth and bass, there\u2019s a creeping, electric backbone to the track that perfectly soundtracks the basement club energy Smith channels in its music video. <\/p>\n

\n\tLenny Tav\u00e1rez, \u201cPA\u2019 LO BONITO\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tLenny Tav\u00e1rez continues to prove his artistic versatility in his new single \u201cPA\u2019 LO BONITO,\u201d\u00a0 produced by award-winning hitmaker Sergio George. A shift from Tav\u00e1rez\u2019s sultry reggaetonero identity \u2014 both lyrically and sonically \u2014 the track is a love letter turned salsa music with hints of cumbia beats. During an intimate press event in Miami earlier this week, the Puerto Rican artist said he originally penned the song for Chayanne to collaborate with Ricky Martin, but he decided to keep it for himself because not only did he fall in love with it, but he joked about needing a new hit. In the music video, Tav\u00e1rez shows off his sleek salsa dance moves with his wife. \u2014 JESSICA ROIZ<\/p>\n

\n\tMaluma, Loco X Volver<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIf the title is any indication, Maluma was dying to return \u2014 to his roots, to his essence, to Colombia, to his family. After a hectic touring life, during which he experienced panic attacks, and becoming a first-time dad, the Colombian artist presents his most personal and honest album to date, Loco X Volver. Home to 14 tracks, Maluma steps out of his signature reggaet\u00f3n sound and navigates rhythms that are essential to his country: salsa in \u201cTu Recuerdo,\u201d vallenato in \u201cEl Vallenato\u201d and m\u00fasica popular in \u201cCon el Coraz\u00f3n\u201d with the late singer Yeison Jimenez.\u00a0He also flirts with kizomba, norte\u00f1o music, and pop rock \u00e0 la Juanes, as well as a sweet lullaby dedicated to his two-year-old daughter Paris. Loco X Volver, which the artist previously expressed on Instagram \u201chelped me heal,\u201d is dedicated to the aspiring artists in Medell\u00edn and serves as a reminder that hard work, discipline and passion go a long way, as Maluma himself shares in the opening self-titled track. \u2014 J.R.<\/p>\n

\n\tM\u00fda, Retrospect<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tGrammy-winning \u201900s R&B icon M\u00fda is back with Retrospect, her first new album in eight years. Featuring cross-generational collaborations with the likes of 21 Savage, Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, D-Nice, Joyner Lucas, Dizzy Wright, and Phil Ad\u00e9, Retrospect finds the D.C.-born singer mining late \u201970s and \u201980s Minneapolis funk for a set of R&B tunes crafted from both the dancefloor and the bedroom. Released through her Planet 9 indie label and distributed via Virgin Music Group, Retrospect marks a bold new chapter and a welcome return for one of R&B\u2019s most buttery, singular voices. \u2014 KYLE DENIS<\/p>\n

\n\tShaggy, Lottery<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMr. Boombastic is back! Lottery marks Shaggy\u2019s first solo studio album since 2022\u2019s Come Fly Wid Mi, and it\u2019s stacked with 13 tracks that brilliantly fuse reggae and dancehall with a global pop appeal. The record is stacked with high-wattage guest stars \u2014 Sting, Robin Thicke, Akon, Jeremih, Anthony Hamilton, Beres Hammond, Dexta Daps, etc. \u2014 and Shaggy is the common thread thanks to his commanding, signature voice and knack for irresistible melodies. Be sure to check out the resolute, faith-based opener \u201cGod Is Amazing.\u201d \u2014 K.D.<\/p>\n

\n\tMegan Moroney, \u201cTraitor (Roles Reversed)\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMegan Moroney offers up a bonus track from her third album Cloud 9 with this well-written, scathing song. Her voice simmers with frustration and hard-won wisdom as she delivers a sharp, expertly-written takedown, confronting a \u201cmaster manipulator\u201d who disguises his own infidelity by labeling her as paranoid for daring to question his behavior around another woman. Moroney has long established her expert ability to write keen songs skewering foolish, unfaithful men, and \u201cTraitor\u201d is another cutting example of that skill. \u2014 JESSICA NICHOLSON<\/p>\n

\n\t49 Winchester, Change of Plans<\/p>\n

\n\tSince forming in 2013, this Virginia-rooted band has toured with artists including Luke Combs and Tyler Childers, and earned a die-hard legion of fans with songs including \u201cRussell County Line.\u201d Their new Dave Cobb-produced project was previewed with songs including \u201cOh Savannah\u201d and \u201cPardon Me,\u201d while the project also leans into the group\u2019s rock influences on a cover of Black Sabbath\u2019s \u201cChanges.\u201d This tightly-constructed 10-song album, spearheaded by lead singer Isaac Gibson\u2019s gritty vocals, weaves through the Appalachian strains of \u201cThe Window\u201d to the full-throttle country-rocker \u201cHeavy Chevy\u201d and the tender tracks \u201cAll Around Me\u201d and \u201cOh Savannah,\u201d all while continuing to center the group\u2019s music on raw, emotionally-rooted storytelling. \u2014 J.N.<\/p>\n

\n\tAng\u00e8le ft. Justice, \u201cWhat You Want (Fcukers Remix)\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAn instant fav when it was released<\/a> in February, the original \u201cWhat You Want\u201d by Belgian chanteuse Ang\u00e8le and Justice gets a heavy rework by NYC cool kid duo<\/a> Fcukers. Together they reduce the track down to its base elements and assemble a fresh iteration that maintains the sexy, ominous spirit of the original while making\u00a0it their own. The\u00a0edit bumps along on choppy electro, with the group\u2019s Shanny Wise making it a duet by pairing her breathy vocals with\u00a0Ang\u00e8le\u2019s also breathy (and in French!) singing. While the original chugged along with characteristic Justice muscle, this new one is more a sinewy wind up and release, with a heady drop to satisfy headphone\u00a0listeners and dancefloor enthusiasts\u00a0 alike. \u2014 KATIE BAIN<\/p>\n

\n\tMadonna & Peggy Gou, \u201cI Feel So Free (Peggy Gou Energy Mix)\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMadonna could\u2019ve likely selected any producer to remix the lead single from her forthcoming Confessions II, and damn if it doesn\u2019t feel exactly right that she picked Peggy Gou. Both style greats, astute businesswomen and \u2014 most crucially here \u2014 dancefloor final bosses, the linkup finds Gou adding serious bounce to Madonna\u2019s lush, cerebral original. As the \u201cEnergy Mix\u201d moniker suggests, Gou goes HI-NRG with the edit, bumping up the BPM, adding elasticity to the bass and making the whole thing more disco without losing the sleek, modern feel. The edit also retains its spiritual anchor of the \u201cOh, by the way, it all started like this\u201d sample from Lil Louis\u2019 1989 classic \u201cFrench Kiss.\u201d An altogether mighty meeting of the minds. No notes.\u00a0\u2014 K.B.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Billboard\u2019s\u00a0Friday Music Guide\u00a0serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday\u2019s most essential releases each week \u2014 the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":671960,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[49,48,10635,75,247404,23420,16839,6754,23827,341],"class_list":["post-671959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-dance","tag-entertainment","tag-friday-music-guide","tag-genre-country","tag-genre-dance","tag-genre-latin","tag-genre-pop","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=671959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/671959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/671960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=671959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=671959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=671959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}