Happy Friday! The music world has again kicked off the weekend with the release of new music from several of our favorite artists. I’m sure you’ll have a difficult time deciding what to listen to first, because I know I sure did. Today we have new albums and singles from Megan Thee Stallion, Jhené Aiko, Gunna, JADAKISS, Lil Uzi Vert, OnlyJahmez and Demi Lovato.
Megan Thee Stallion- SUGA
Image via Megan The Stallion’s Instagram.
Megan Thee Stallion has jumped through some major hurdles this past week in order to make it to this important day. Despite the beef with independent record label 1501 Certified Entertainment, she has still managed to drop her much anticipated debut album Suga. The album includes features from Kehlani and 300 label mate Gunna (who also released a new single today). Along with her album she released the official music video for single “B.I.T.C.H.”
Jhené Aiko- Chilombo
Image via Complex’s Instagram.
In an interview with Billboard about her new album Chilombo, Jhené Aiko said, “In a sense, I am like a Volcano, and this album is an eruption.” And a beautiful eruption it is. Chilombo (her surname), spans 20 tracks and includes features from Big Sean, H.E.R., Future, Miguel, Ab-Soul, Nas,John Legend, Ty Dolla $ign and Dr. Chill. Aiko recorded the entire album in Hawaii where her great grandmother was born. This is one of Aiko’s more experimental projects as she experiments with sound bowls that are commonly used during meditation and healing sessions. She told Billboard that the sounds can be heard on every track, and she plans to continue using them in future records.
Gunna– “SKYBOX (Single)“
Image via Apple Music.
“SKYBOX” is a brand new single off Gunna’s forthcoming album Wunna, the follow up to 2019 Drip or Drown 2. The upcoming doesn’t have a release date yet, but is set to release some time this year. Gunna also released a music video directed by Spike Jordan to accompany the new single. The music video shows Gunna in human and doll form riding in a hot air ballon, crash to Earth, and then kick it with some belly dancers.
JADAKISS– Ignatius
Image Via JADAKISS’ Instagram.
After a short delay following the passing of Pop Smoke, JADAKISS has dropped his latest project Ignatius. The rapper’s fifth studio album spans 13 tracks with appearances from Pusha T, Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz, Dej Loaf and John Legend.
Lil Uzi Vert- Eternal Atake
Image via Fader’s Instagram.
The follow-up to Luv is Rage 2 is finally here, and Lil Uzi Vert fans couldn’t be happier. Despite releasing a trailer earlier this week and releasing the track list last night (March 5), the album’s arrival comes as a surprise, as Uzi never gave an official release date. The LP spans 16 tracks, and is feature-less expect for an appearance from the Internet‘s Syd, on “Urgency.” His two latest singles “Futsal Shuffle 2020” and “That Way” are included as Bonus Tracks.
Demi Lovato- “I Love Me (Single)”
Image via Demi Lovato’s Instagram.
Demi Lovato’s new single “I love Me,” is the self love anthem we all need. After staying under the radar following an overdose in 2018, the 26-year-old singer is back and better than ever. She also released a music video to accompany the new single. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year and future holds for Demi.
OnlyJahmez- Disco
Rap Rockstar OnlyJahmez has released his long awaited single “Disco,” along with a lyric video to accompany it. His next single “Diana” is set to release March 13, and his debut album Disco 2020 is set to release later this year.
Monday marked a milestone in the career of up and coming singer Joji. He made his TV debut last night (March 2) on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
Joji took the stage to close the show with the performance of his new single “Run.” Dressed in an all black suit, Joji was engulfed in red lights while he gave one of his best vocal performances to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvvTBdBPfcE
The 88 Rising singer is best known for his single “Slow Dancing in the Dark,” from his 2018 album Ballads 1. Since ballads Joji has released single “Sanctuary” back in June, and “Run,” in February. We can only hope that this means a new album is in the works. Check out the music video for “Run” below.
If you use TikTok then there’s no way you haven’t heard Doja Cat‘s single “Say So,” and the dance that accompanies it. Almost every single the singer/rapper has put out has gone viral on the app, making her the queen of TikTok.
On Thursday (Feb. 27) Doja premiered a 70s inspired disco themed music video for the single. Not only is she the queen of TikTok, but she’s now the queen of disco.
The video takes us to sunny 70s L.A. where we find Doja in a glittered mansion filled with vinyls and a gorgeous view of the city. She’s sporting a variety of short glittered backless dresses throughout the music video. We see Doja thirsting over a repair man who has come to fix her record player, and she challenges him to “keep it focused.” The two meet again later that night at a discotheque, where Doja walks in with a tiger on a leash.
The pest part of the video is when we see Doja and her back up dancers, perform the infamous TikTok Dance that made the song go viral. She even invited Haley Sharpe, the TikToker who came up with the dance to perform in the video.
her names haley sharpe!! she’s a very sweet and genuine girl who makes cute dances for anyone to do! please hype her up!! https://t.co/HhMKQ43zq2
The music video came a few hours after Doja appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to perform the single. The performance kept with the throwback disco theme, as the stage was transformed into a hot pink disco club, with disco balls all over the stage. We see Doja dressed in a fluffy hot pink robe accompanied by two back up dancers. She eventually drops the rope to reveal a Swarovski embellished jumpsuit.
“Say So” is the first single off Doja Cat’s 2019 sophomore album Hot Pink, which includes other singles like “Juicy” and “Rules.” She has also just released the dates for her upcoming tour.
Iranian-Swedish Singer Snoh Aalegra made her NPR Tiny Desk debut on Tuesday (Feb.18), and it was truly mesmerizing. The video segment is 16 minutes long where Aalegra gives a soulful performance with songs from her 2019 album Ugh, Those Feels Again.
Aalegra is sporting Off-White Nike Dunks, baggy jeans, glowing skin, and a sleek ponytail. But her real beauty shines through the moment she begins singing and we hear her angelic voice. The tracks are stripped of their heavy beats, kick drums, and trap echoes, leaving Allegra’s smooth R&B vocals to take center stage.
She starts off with “Love Like That,” a track filled with looming heart break, and then introduces one of her bigger hits “I Want You Around.” Next she details the highs and lows of being in love by performing “Whoa,” and then transitions into “Fool For You” off her 2017 album Feels. She ends the segment with hit “Find Someone Like You.”
Last week, Aalegra dropped a remix of “Whoa,” with Pharrell Williams. Her North American tour is set to begin next month, on March 18 in Vancouver.
BROCKHAMPTON released a music video for their album Ginger’s single “Sugar” last December. Since it’s release “Sugar” has gone gold and became a dance meme on Tik-Tok.
The video is brilliant, violent and sexually explicit, as it opens up with footage of a couple engaging in intercourse. The couple is then disturbed when an alien shoots the male in the head leaving him dead, and the female screaming. The guys are all dressed in orange jumpsuits, and we see Matt Champion take a trip to hell, and frontman Kevin Abstract covered in green slime.
Warning: Video contains explicit footage.
Yesterday, the boy band released a much more G-Rated and calmer second music video for the single, that is also directed by Abstract. The group and Ryan Beatty perform in a light tan backdrop filled with a few props like a mirror, chair and ladder. The new video, is definitely bland compared to its predecessor, but nonetheless still great.
German DJ and Producer Boys Noize released two new singles over the weekend. The first “Girl Crush” features “Countin’ Up” rapper Rico Nasty, and the second is “Buchla 100.”
Boys Noize, is best known for being half of the EDM act Dog Blood with Skrillex, and has been named by Rolling Stone as one of the “Top 10 DJ’s Who Rule The World.” Boys Noize has collaborated on Frank Ocean‘s 2019 single “DHL,” A$AP Rocky‘s “Babushka Boi,” and had a grammy nominated single this year with Skrillex and Ty Dolla Sign, “Midnight Hour.”
“Girl Crush” is gritty and dark, and features a driving bass with a heavy pulsing electro-house beat on top. Rico Nasty’s voice is almost trance like as she sings about having a crush on another woman, and is seductively suggestive in the track’s opening “oooooh, ahhh’s” showing us another side of her from her usual rapping. It’s a track that will surely be a club hit, and will find it’s way into many festival sets this summer.
“Buchla 100” is an “electro-house” instrumental track. The single reaches ecstasy with a recording from a rare 1960s built Buchla 100 Modular synth system.
