Fridays are easily my favourite day of the week. Not only do they mean that the weekend has finally arrived, but it’s also the day most artists release their new music. That means that there is an overwhelming amount of new music on a Friday. But don’t worry, I’m here to make things easier for you. In this new weekly piece, I will put together the new releases I’m enjoying this week.
Katy Perry – Bon Appétit (feat. Migos)
Katy Perry made a strong comeback earlier this year with the incredibly catchy ‘Chained To The Rhythm’ and today, she drops ‘Bon Appétit’ – the second single off her highly-anticipated new album. The track features Migos and it’s another piece of pop perfection from the star. The synth-driven single has everything needed for it to be a radio smash and it’s made me even more excited for the new album.
Kygo & Ellie Goulding – First Time
Kygo’s current single ‘It Ain’t Me’ featuring Selena Gomez is easily one of my favourite songs of the year so far. Now, the tropical house DJ has teamed up with Ellie Goulding for the new single ‘First Time’. The song stays true to Kygo’s smooth, relaxing take on dance music and is the perfect summer single. Ellie does a great job on the vocals and although the song doesn’t wow me on first listen, the potential is there.
ChainoSky – Hurricane EP
ChainoSky burst back onto the local music scene with her new hit single ‘What’s The Worst That Could Happen’ and now, she’s back with a brand new EP. The 5-track offering includes the smash hit as well as two brand new songs and two remixes! It’s great having you back, Chiano!
The Vamps & Martin Jensen – Middle Of The Night
The Vamps are a group that have really been impressing me lately. Their latest single ‘All Night’ was a fantastic release and today, they drop their Martin Jensen-assisted single ‘Middle Of The Night’. The song is a lovely pop and dance crossover track. The group intertwined the genres cleverly and have therefore released a perfect radio-friendly single. This is a banger!
Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls
Hailee Steinfeld is the latest pop princess making it big on the airwaves and after a string of collaborations with artists such as Zedd, DNCE, Machine Gun Kelly and more, the singer is back with a brand new solo single. ‘Most Girls’ is a lovely pop track with tropical undertones. I love Hailee’s voice and she really puts it on full display on the single. The song is another inspirational song from the singer – something that I feel we need more of. I don’t know if this will achieve the success she is hoping for, but it’s still a solid release.
Fall Out Boy – Young and Menace
YES! Fall Out Boy are back! The group drop their highly-anticipated new single ‘Young and Menace’ today and it’s something completely new from the group. The moody pop song has heartfelt, slow verses before going totally ape shit on the chorus with vocal chops and epic productions. This is definitely an unconventional release – especially for a lead single – but it’s a risk that totally paid off! This is one of my favourite releases this week.
Afrojack & David Guetta – Another Life (Feat. Ester Dean)
It’s always good seeing massive DJs working together. This week, heavyweights Afrojack and David Guetta team up with Ester Dean for the epic dance track ‘Another Life’ – and I’ve already added it to my weekend playlist. Ester is one of Hollywood’s most underrated vocalists and it’s great to see her getting the attention she deserves. While there’s nothing unique about the song, it’s a bop. Music by these two always is.
Kahn – The Muse
After his epic collaboration with his The Voice South Africa co-host, Karen Zoid, on ‘We Could Be Divine’, the Parlotones front-man drops ‘The Muse’ as his next solo single. The single comes off his next solo record rumoured to be titled ‘Noise In The Void’ which is expected to drop later this year. The song is Kahn in all his glory. The singer found what works for him and sticks with it. He is fantastic at what he does and the new single has made me even more excited to hear his upcoming record.
Gorillaz – Humanz
Yup – they’re officially back! After dropping four new tracks last month, the world’s favourite animated group, The Gorillaz, are back with ‘Humanz’. The album is an incredibly artistic piece of work and features ‘Saturnz Barz’ with Popcaan as well as collaborations with Rag’n’Bone Man, D.R.A.M. and Carly Simon amongst others. Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of the group but I appreciate their music and I have high hopes for this release.
Lea Michele – Places
I am such a fan of Lea Michele. I think she has one of the most beautiful voices in the industry and today she’s back with her second studio album ‘Places’. The album features the haunting ballad ‘Love Is Alive’ and sees the singer stray away from the uptempo direction she has on ‘My Own Way’. Lea doesn’t have many radio-friendly tracks on the album but the ballads are mind-blowing. This is an album you need to check out this week.
OneRepublic – No Vacancy
Ryan Tedder can do no wrong! This week, his group OneRepublic drop a new single titled ‘No Vacancy’ – a reggae-inspired tropical pop track with a twist. While the production is fire, it’s the songwriting and vocal performance where the song shines. It’s a beautifully written pop song which sees Ryan perform in a high register. His delivery is full of emotion which really makes the song believable. I’m not sure if this is off a rerelease of their latest record ‘Oh My My’ or if this is the start of a new era, but this is a release I’m really excited about this week.
Sean Paul – Body (Feat. Migos)
Migos team up with Sean Paul as well this week as he drops his new single ‘Body’. The song is exactly what you would expect from Sean Paul. It’s him in his comfort zone and while a banger, it’s nothing we haven’t heard before.
Haim – Right Now
It’s the comeback we’ve all been waiting for! Today, sister trio Haim are back with their new single ‘Right Now’. As expected, the rockers take a more pop approach as they release their catchy comeback single and it shows themselves in a new light. The group took a bit of a risk with this single but I think it’ll introduce them to a wider audience than ever before. I am hitting the repeat button on this one.
Plain White T’s – Land Of The Living
Well, this is a nice surprise. I was a big fan of Plain White T’s and, honestly, forgot about them for a while. However, they’re back with a new single titled ‘Land Of The Living’ this week. The catchy pop track is paired with a hilarious video and I’m excited to see how the single does for the group.
Kaylow – War For You
Local house star, Kaylow, also drops a new single this week. The track titled ‘War For You’ is another slick dance production paried with slick vocals which I’m sure will be another massive single for the star.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31U1lkBjwYA
