Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Lil Nas X finally give birth to Montero and Taylor Swift after an early peek at the yet-to-be-officially-announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.
Lil Nas X — “Scoop” Feat. Doja Cat
Last week finally saw Lil Nas X give birth (pretty much literally) to his anticipated new album Montero, and there were plenty of standout moments on the LP. Doja Cat actually provided one of them, as Doja Cat turned heads with her contributions on “Scoop.”
Taylor Swift — “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)”
Swifties eat well, as Taylor Swift is among the most generous music stars when it comes to offering kind gestures to her followers and regularly giving them new music to chew on. Last week was a terrific example of both of those things in action: She noticed that “Wildest Dreams” was gaining traction on TikTok, so she went ahead and released her new “Taylor’s Version” recording of it, a move that’s a bigger kindness than it seems considering 1989 (Taylor’s Version) hasn’t even been officially announced yet.
HER — “Find A Way” Feat. Lil Durk and Lil Baby
Earlier this year, HER dropped her debut album Back Of My Mind, and now a few months later, she has given one of its standout tracks a facelift. The song in question is the hard-hitting, Lil Baby-featuring “Find A Way,” which now has a new appearance from Lil Durk, Baby’s partner on this year’s Voice Of The Heroes.
D Smoke and SiR — “Common Sense”
At the end of this week, D Smoke is set to drop his second album, War & Wonders. He’s been hyping the album up for much of 2021, and he continued on that track last week with “Common Sense,” which features SiR (his brother, by the way) and which Uproxx’s Aaron Williams describes as “a jazzy, introspective single.”
Sam Smith and Summer Walker — “You Will Be Found”
The musical Dear Evan Hansen is getting a film adaptation, and some of the songs have also gotten revitalizations, via other artists covering them for the movie’s soundtrack album. On board are Sam Smith and Summer Walker, who linked up for the emotive ballad “You Will Be Found.”
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett — “Love For Sale”
It was announced recently that 95-year-old legend Tony Bennett is retiring from touring, but he’s not done with music overall just yet. He and Lady Gaga still have a new album, Love For Sale, to release, and the pair teased it last week with the title track, a recording that proves that, despite whatever else is going on in the aging singer’s life, his vocal chops remain impressive, especially considering his advanced age.
Snail Mail — “Valentine”
After establishing herself as a legitimate rising star with 2018’s Lush, Snail Mail (aka Lindsay Jordan) is back with a new album, Valentine, on the way. She made the announcement last week and shared the title track, which impactfully toggles between quiet and raucous moments.
James Blake — “Famous Last Words”
In a month, we’ll have a new James Blake album, Friends That Break Your Heart. He has offered plenty of early looks at it so far, and last week brought another: “Famous Last Words,” which Uproxx’s Rachel Brodsky calls “spare” and “soulful.”
Majid Jordan — “Summer Rain”
Majid Jordan knows how to keep fans wanting more: They dropped their debut album The Space Between four years ago and fans have been clamoring for new material ever since. They’ve been more active this year, though, and their latest 2021 output is “Summer Rain,” a dance-ready tune that’s a fitting farewell to summer as the season’s final days play out.
The War On Drugs — “I Don’t Live Here Anymore”
After four years, The War On Drugs are finally getting ready to follow their superb 2017 album, A Deeper Understanding. Their next effort is called I Don’t Live Here Anymore, and their latest preview of it is the title track, another shining example of the band’s soaring heartland-influenced rock, but with an assist from Lucius this time around.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.