{"id":860663,"date":"2026-09-25T22:20:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T22:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/860663\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T22:20:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T22:20:08","slug":"taylor-swift-leads-best-new-music-friday-music-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/860663\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Swift Leads Best New Music: Friday Music Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tBillboard\u2019s Friday Music Guide<\/a> serves 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.<\/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 Miley, Carly Rae Jepsen, Riley Green and more.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis week, Taylor Swift returns with \u201cPatient Zero,\u201d one of four new bonus tracks from The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, out today; Tinashe releases her edgy and energetic eighth album; and Maren and Morris and Michelle Branch rework a 2001 classic with \u201cGoodbye To You\u201d\u2026 plus much more. Check out all of this week\u2019s picks below:<\/p>\n

\n\tTaylor Swift, \u201cPatient Zero\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWe knew something was coming ever since Taylor appeared in an Emmys sketch alongside host and friend Mariska Hargitay, during which Swift dropped a few easter eggs (that some of us are still decoding). Still, it came as a surprise when, this week, she announced a new single titled \u201cPatient Zero,\u201d one of four bonus tracks on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, out tonight. The song opens with country-inspired strings that quickly fade into the back of more expected pop production; the tempo, however, is less familiar for the Showgirl era. As a result, the midtempo song seems to connect where Swift has just been with where she\u2019s heading next (possibly toward country?) in a really refreshing way. Because after an encore the show really, truly, is done. Right? \u2014 LYNDSEY HAVENS<\/p>\n

\n\tTinashe, Popstar<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJust two years ago, Tinashe released Quantum Baby \u2014 and shifted her career. That album\u2019s lead single, \u201cNasty,\u201d earned the singer her first solo Hot 100 hit and soon after, album track \u201cNo Broke Boys\u201d shot to No. 36 thanks to a Disco Lines remix. Now, she\u2019s back with her poppiest album yet, aptly titled Popstar. And on standout track \u201cNobody Wanna Dance Anymore,\u201d she doubles down on the same point Miley makes on \u201cBass Persuades\u201d \u2014 get on your feet, already, and dance. As Kyle Denis writes in Billboard\u2018s Tracks Ranked of the album, \u201cPopstar is sneakily sarcastic and gloriously sassy, but Tinashe, unlike quite a few of her contemporaries, can actually commit \u2014 and back it up.\u201d Read the full tracks ranked here<\/a>. \u2014 L.H.<\/p>\n

\n\tMadonna and Charli xcx, \u201cDanceteria Afterhours\u201c<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn perhaps one of the most obvious and clubbiest pairings in recent memory, Madonna taps Charli xcx to help deliver a fresh take on \u201cDanceteria,\u201d a track from Madonna\u2019s July album Confessions II. On the original, Madonna sings of the famed New York club where she got her start, Danceteria; on this version, Charli shares her own starter story from a club across the pond, recalling being \u201csweet 15 in a weird outfit.\u201d Clearly, things worked out just fine for them both. \u2014 L.H.<\/p>\n

\n\tMaren Morris and Michelle Branch, \u201cGoodbye to You (2026 Version)\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNearly 25 years after Michelle Branch released her breakout ballad \u201cGoodbye To You\u201d \u2014 which she famously performed on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and hit No. 21 on the Hot 100 \u2014 the singer has tapped Maren Morris for a modern-day revamp. Given the country singer\u2019s presence, the music leans into the genre with softer, twangier strings that lift the effortless harmonies from the two singers. Who knew this classic could hit even harder? \u2014 L.H.<\/p>\n

\n\tBlondshell, Violins<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIndie rocker Blondshell shares her third album, Violins, and with it delivers a new trove of angsty, relatable songs all performed in her signature, mellow tone. While previously-released single \u201cHeart Has To Work So Hard\u201d remains a standout, focus track \u201cStone Fruit\u201d packs a rocking instrumental bridge while \u201cTwo Fried\u201d is the most upbeat song on the album (even opening with an Addison Rae-esque scream). In all, Violins is a welcome addition to Blondshell\u2019s discography, building on her familiar sound while digging deeper into her already precise and poignant songwriting. \u2014 L.H.<\/p>\n

\n\tKenny Chesney, Silver Sands Marina<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOn his 21st studio album, a concise collection of 11 songs, the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee continues placing a premium on top-shelf songwriting that balances lyrical wit and emotional resonance. He welcomes Lily Meola on the quirky heartbreaker \u201cGoldfish,\u201d Megan Moroney on the heartfelt \u201cIt Just Got Weird,\u201d and Colbie Caillat on \u201cWhat We Got Going On.\u201d One of the album\u2019s strongest tracks comes with \u201cRemember Me That Way,\u201d a song that looks back on a fizzled relationship through the softer lens of some of its happier days. Linking each of the songs is Chesney\u2019s warm, conversational vocal approach that makes each song feel even more lived-in and credible. \u2014 JESSICA NICHOLSON<\/p>\n

\n\tKirk Franklin ft. GloRilla, \u201cThis Time\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTwenty-time Grammy-winning gospel icon Kirk Franklin is back with the latest taste of his forthcoming I Am What I Am album \u2014 and he\u2019s bringing GloRilla along for the ride. Over a sample of Shawty Lo\u2019s classic \u201cDey Know,\u201d ebullient brass and his signature choir, Kirk delivers an anthem of inner peace and contentment with God\u2019s timing. Building on 2024\u2019s \u201cRain Down On Me,\u201d her first collaboration with Franklin, GloRilla flaunts her versatility and exalts her church roots in her winning guest verse. \u2014 KYLE DENIS<\/p>\n

\n\tLeon Bridges, Happiness Anytime<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tGrammy-winning soul crooner Leon Bridges has returned with Happiness Anytime, the official follow-up to 2024\u2019s Leon. Assisted by Jungle\u2019s Josh Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto on production, Bridges has delivered a groovy collection of tunes that traverse the globe, from notes of cumbia (\u201cLight the Way\u201d) to reggae (\u201cTake My Hand\u201d). \u2014 K.D.<\/p>\n

\n\tJae Stephens, Audacity<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tJae Stephens is back with a whole lotta Audacity. The rising, Issa Rae-cosigned pop star dropped her debut album, featuring contributions from long-time collaborator and producer Dallas Caton, Grammy-nominated pop architect MNEK and dance-pop maestro Pinkpantheress, who delivers backing vocals on \u201cCrush.\u201d From the soaring \u201cI Miss the City\u201d to the sassy \u201cExpensive & Difficult,\u201d Audacity is an audacious pop offering that blends a Coyote Ugly-esque fantasy land with the best parts of \u201800s rhythmic pop. \u2014 K.D.<\/p>\n

\n\tNanpa B\u00e1sico, \u201cNo Me Mor\u00ed\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNanpa B\u00e1sico is well and alive, and his new single \u201cNo Me Mor\u00ed\u201d (I didn\u2019t die) is proof of that. If his previous bangers, such as \u201cHasta Aqu\u00ed Llegu\u00e9\u201d with Be\u00e9le, are any indication, the Colombian rapper knows exactly how to overcome a heartbreak: through his powerful and mature lyrics. In \u201cNo Me Mor\u00ed,\u201d a sensual Latin afrobeats with slow reggaet\u00f3n undertones, Nanpa gives fans a nearly three-minute therapy session, singing with his raspy and demanding vocals: \u201cy mirame aqu\u00ed, yo no me mor\u00ed, estoy bien sin t\u00ed\/ claro que llor\u00e9, pero me cur\u00e9\/ la vida es as\u00ed\u201d (And look at me here\u2014I didn\u2019t die, I\u2019m fine without you\/ Sure, I cried, but I healed; that\u2019s how life is). \u2014 JESSICA ROIZ<\/p>\n

\n\tEmjay, Pop Pesado<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIf anyone knows how to change the rules of the game and transform pop into noise, it\u2019s Emjay. On her third album, Pop Pesado, the Mexican singer-songwriter takes her alternative pop-rock sound \u2014 fueled by guitars, intense beats and raw emotion \u2014 to the next level, establishing herself as one of the most original voices in Mexico\u2019s new generation of female songwriters. Across 13 tracks, Emjay (whose stage name is an acronym for her real name, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9) fuses genres like pop, rock, trap and hyperpop, turning the mix into an act of uninhibited freedom. Released by Warner Music Mexico, the LP opens fittingly with \u201carma mortal,\u201d a dark yet highly danceable track in which the artist addresses the anxiety caused by uncertainty and the desire to escape reality. While \u201cObsesi\u00f3n\u201d depicts the fixation she develops for a relationship that began as a fling, \u201cXtraparticular\u201d sees her transforming judgment and rumors about her into positive energy. She teams up with fellow artist Alanis Yuki for the compelling R&B track \u201cDonde t\u00fa,\u201d with lyrics exploring the experience of trying to find what was lost with someone else. She joins Ximena Sari\u00f1ana on \u201catemporal,\u201d a synth-pop track that dismantles the concept of the \u201ctemporary artist,\u201d and collaborates with DannyLux on \u201cTe vas alejando,\u201d a song about two people whose love is ill-timed. In the current Mexican scene, Emjay is one of the best live performers, known for her energetic and emotional shows. Her tour supporting Pop Pesado promises to reaffirm this status, with two announced performances: November 5 at the Pabell\u00f3n Oeste del Palacio de los Deportes and November 7 at the C4 Concert House in her hometown of Guadalajara. \u2014 NATALIA CANO<\/p>\n

\n\tSJ McDonald, \u201cBox of Chocolates\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRising country-folk singer SJ McDonald\u2019s new song celebrates the complexity of women and the multifaceted emotions and characteristics they embody. \u201cI\u2019m a handful, I\u2019m a gamble\/ Depending on the day,\u201d McDonald sings. Her honeyed vocals are a powerful pairing for this track\u2019s lilting, contemplative production. \u2014 J.N.<\/p>\n

\n\tBicep, \u201cAir \/ Lemonder \/ Viper\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBelfast duo Bicep return with a trio of new singles, each of which extend the emotional nuance and technical precision that\u2019s long defined Bicep\u2019s output. The tracks come in tandem with\u00a0a three-part short film by director Ryan Doubiago that captures the joy, freedom and meaning of the U.K.\u2019s free party, rave and sound system cultures. \u201cThis really marks the start of a new chapter for us,\u201d the pair say in a statement. \u201cMoving into a new studio, where we built our own vocal booth, has completely transformed how we work. We\u2019ve finally managed to step up our recording process, allowing us to collaborate live in the room with amazing vocalists like SOARR and Saskia to add a whole new layer to our sound. On top of that, it was a genuine pleasure to collaborate with Clark, one of our all-time favorite producers. He has brought another dimension to the project and really pushed us to the next level while keeping our core energy intact.\u201d \u2014 KATIE BAIN<\/p>\n

\n\tKaskade, ORIGIN \/\/\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe steady\u00a0stream of singles Kaskade has released over the last few months are now collected on his 13th studio album, ORIGIN \/\/. The album\u2019s robust crew of collaborators includes Bunt., Crankdat and Layton Giordani, all of whom were probably influenced by Kaskade in their own way and all of whom bring their own unique flavor, from stutter house to glitchy bass, to the project. But holding it all together is Kaskade\u2019s own signature touch, which gives each production a high shine gloss and makes emotion drip from every drop.\u00a0ORIGIN \/\/ is out on Kaskade\u2019s own Arkade label and comes ahead of performances at Breakaway Utah, EDC Colombia, EDC Orlando, EDC Thailand and a host of headlining U.S. club shows.\u00a0\u2014 K.B.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Billboard\u2019s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday\u2019s most essential releases each week…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":860664,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[88,298718,64964,27063,3867,5106,497],"class_list":["post-860663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-friday-music-guide","tag-genre-country","tag-genre-dance","tag-genre-hiphop","tag-genre-latin","tag-genre-pop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=860663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/860663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/860664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=860663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=860663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=860663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}