Spring has sprung, and this week's new music releases seem to know it well. Welcome to New Music Friday! As we get ready to kick off festival season with Coachella, musicians are waking up from their winter slumber and starting to release the songs that will soundtrack the brightest season of the year.
After capturing everyone's attention with her 2022 EP Trap Kitty, Puerto Rican star Young Miko has put out her long-anticipated debut studio album. On the K-pop front, TXT and BABYMONSTER are delighting fans with long-anticipated comebacks. If you still need your songs with a side of heartbreak, fret not because Conan Gray and The Marías have got you covered. And if you are looking to dance the night away, new Chappell Roan is here — and Charli XCX is putting out advances of her new album to get you in the mood.
Below, check out the new songs you need to be listening to this week.
Young Miko, att.
After making waves in the Latin scene for years, Young Miko (real name María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano Cardona) has finally released her debut studio album. Young Miko's att. features 16 songs, including collaborations with fellow Puerto Rican rapper Villano Antillano as well as Colombian sensation Feid. The album could not have come at a better time, as the artist is set to make her Coachella debut in a week as part of the festival's 2024 lineup.
BABYMONSTER, [BABYMONS7ER]
After much back and forth, BABYMONSTER, the new group from BLACKPINK's company YG Entertainment, have finally entered the scene with their debut EP [BABYMONS7ER]. Leading the project is title track “SHEESH,” accompanied by its trademark YG music video and a whispered interlude that will immediately become an earworm. With seven references galore, BabyMons7er serves as the official intro of members Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rami, Rora, and Chiquita.
Charli XCX, “Club classics” + “B2b”
Summer is near, and Charli XCX knows it. The British star has put out not one but two new singles from her upcoming album, Brat, which is scheduled to be released in June. “Club classics” and “B2b" join the previously released “Von dutch,” all of them leaning heavily into hyperpop. If you need a disco anthem ahead of the summer, look no further.
Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us
Vampire Weekend is gearing up for festival season with a brand new album, Only God Was Above Us. The 10-track offering blends influences from rock, hip-hop, R&B, and even raga to create one of the band's most eclectic soft-covered soundscapes since their debut. (Fair warning, “Hope,” the last song on the album, is almost eight minutes long.)
Chappell Roan, “Good Luck, Babe!”
Chappell Roan continues her main pop girl ascension with new single “Good Luck, Babe,” an ‘80s delight of a pop track that has the singer lamenting the actions of a lover in high falsetto. She’s been teasing the song on socials for weeks, and we're happy to say the final full version meets the anticipation — it's an early song of summer contender to add to your playlists asap.
Conan Gray, Found Heaven
Conan Gray is tapping into his Queen era with his new album, Found Heaven. The 13-track, 36-minute bite-sized offering will transport you back to the '80s, with heartbreak-inspired lyrics and synth-led comps galore.
The Marías, “Lejos De Ti”
Grammy nominees The Marías have given fans a new glimpse into their upcoming album Submarine with their new song “Lejos De Ti.” The soft ballad brings frontwoman María Zardoya's murmured vocals to the forefront with melancholic lyrics to boot.
“This was the last song written for the album. It’s a song about longing and loss, about being away from someone you love and not wanting to be forgotten. Sometimes, at the end of a relationship, all you want to do is forget and erase everything you shared with that person – good and bad, but I don’t see it that way. It’s not about forgetting, it’s about being okay with remembering," Zardoya said about the single in a press release.
Griff, “Pillow In My Arms”
English singer-songwriter Griff is back with a new song called “Pillow In My Arms,” and let us just tell you, if anyone here is looking for the perfect rom-com soundtrack, this is it. The song is actually part of the singer's new mini album, ver2igo, which features three other songs. “I dropped vol.1 last year…. now it’s time to take the energy up a little. vol.2 is the next part of the story. it’s sad and euphoric all at the same,” Griff said on her Instagram.
Omar Apollo, “Spite”
Omar Apollo is also getting in the summer mood with his new song “Spite,” an unapologetic love anthem coupled with a vibrant music video shot in Mexico City. “‘Spite’ is a song about a long-distance relationship and wanting to show the other person that you're okay without them even though you feel like you need them. It’s an angry song about not being able to have someone all to yourself," Apollo shared in a press release. This song is confirmed to be the first taste of Apollo's upcoming sophomore album, the followup to Ivory, which he teased on social media with a cryptic “LP2.”
TXT, “Deja Vu”
TXT are back in their Minisode era with the third installment of the series, titled Minisode 3: Tomorrow. After teasing the project for weeks with multiple Little Prince-inspired visuals, the quintet finally released the album to ring in April, leading with title track “Deja Vu,” a trap-tinged pop track that showcases the members' advanced vocal prowess.
