Every week, Spotify drops a “New Music Friday” playlist, but if you’re like me and you get in a cycle of listening to the same 10 songs on repeat, you know that it can be hard to keep up with all of these new releases. This spring has been so incredibly generous with new music from a range of artists, and so in order to further differentiate my weekly streaming stats, I decided to create my own “New Music Friday” playlist. Here are five of my favorite new releases!
“good luck, babe!” – chappell roan
Since accompanying Olivia Rodrigo on the US-leg of the GUTS Tour as an opener, Chappell Roan has garnered the attention and affection of millions and for good reason: she is nothing short of a visionary. As soon as I saw the videos of preteens waving their phone flashlights in the air, belting “Casual” beside their parents, I knew she was a force to be reckoned with. With her newest sapphic pop anthem standing strong at #5 on Spotify’s USA Top 50 Chart, she is just getting started. “Good Luck, Babe!” is a dance around the kitchen in your underwear meets glittery gay bar ballad; the stunning lyrics spread on top of an intoxicating beat will take your breath away whether or not you’re trying to hit her notes. This song is a one way ticket to enter Chappell Roan’s orbit, and once you’re in, you’ll never want to break free of her gravity.
“espresso” – sabrina carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter has been the talk of the town this year, and for good reason. She is the epitome of a modern pop princess after all, swapping out a pair of glass slippers for her signature Naked Wolfe platform boots. As a pre-Coachella gift to the Carpenters, “Espresso” hit the charts running and is rumored to be the song of the summer. Full of saucy innuendos and “twisted” teasing, this song is caffeinated with flirtation and honeymoon-phase infatuation. She’s got us “wrapped around her finger” almost as much as Barry Keoghan, who looked positively giddy after earning a sultry wave from Sabrina during her Coachella set.
“type shit” – future, metroboomin
In the last month, Future and Metro Boomin have released two collaborative albums, both of which have seen massive success on Spotify’s U.S. chart. On the same day as the first album’s release, March 22, they released the “Type Shit” music video, which features two of the biggest names in hip-hop: Travis Scott and Playboi Carti. It comes as a surprise to no one that the production of “Type Shit” is absolutely top tier, and to me, the spacey, almost intergalactic sound of Verse 2 is what solidifies this song as one of the best rap releases in 2024.
“You Need Me Now?” – girl in red
In what she claims to be her best work yet, girl in red released her sophomore album, “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!”, on April 12. Prior to the album, however, she released “You Need Me Now?” with Sabrina Carpenter, who became girl in red’s first ever featured artist. With grungy electric guitar and seething lyrics, this song laid the foundation for the album’s mature yet spirited tone. In a mid-song exchange, proving to be a blissfully satirical twist, girl in red intros Sabrina Carpenter by asking and replying to herself, “You know what would be really fucking cool on this? Sabrina.” As girl in red kicks off the US-leg of her tour, fans will have to wait and see whether they’ll be blessed by a guest appearance from the lovely Sabrina.
“wanna be” – GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion
“Wanna Be” is the best girls’ night out you’ve ever had, in song form; GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion did not come to play. If there’s one thing about Megan, it’s that she can nail a feature like no other. And while Glo and Megan’s individual verses are both perfect on their own, their combined energy in the chorus is what really makes this song. After hearing their voices mesh flawlessly together, the call and response at the end of the song presents as pure musical magic. This is the hype-up song of the spring. “Go Meg! Get em’ Glo!”
And just when you thought I was done with new music recs, I can’t forget an honorable mention of Taylor Swift’s newest album, “The Tortured Poet’s Department.” As a surprise double album with 31 songs to analyze, it’s only fair that I spend the next two weeks pouring over them before I can offer my full analysis.
What I do know, however, is that the sounds of spring ’24 are here to stay.