Billboard's Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday's most essential releases — the essential music everyone will be talking about today and that will dominate playlists this weekend and beyond.
This week, Sabrina Carpenter releases her new full-length, but not too long, Lainey Wilson captures her two-year career on her latest LP, Coldplay leads a global All-Star Prayer Circle, and more.
Sabrina Carpenter, Short n' Sweet
The wait is over: Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet is here, off the back of back-to-back smashes 'Espresso' and 'Please Please Please', with 10 more pop sweets. These range from the delightfully obvious third single 'Taste' to the acoustic treachery of 'Coincidence' to the eerily soft 80s pop-funk of 'Bed Chem'. For fans hoping for a cohesive blend of the confidence and seductive charm of Carpenter's latest singles with his clever detail and revelatory lyrics Email I can't send he should have no complaint Short n' Sweet — except for brevity, anyway.
Laney Wilson, Tornado
“Whirlwind” is the most fitting title to sum up Lainey Wilson's career since her breakthrough LP 2022 Bell Bottom Countrywith the past two years being a blur of hits, gigs, cameos and accolades for the ever-rising singer-songwriter. The mania most recently led to her fourth studio album, in which she sounds more confident than ever on tracks like the victory lap “Country's Cool Again,” the Jerry Reed-inspired “Ring Finger” kiss, and the rip. -the roaring single “Hang Tight Honey”. But she lets on that she probably won't be able to do it forever, pleading “I can't keep trying to keep up with Jones” on the album's opening track, which references George Jones.
Coldplay, Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyana & TINI, “We Pray”
Few would expect that Chris Martin & Co. will lead a New Music Friday single with an all-star global cast of singers and rappers — but Coldplay have extended their pop-rock superstardom into a third decade, largely because of their willingness to embrace younger artists and new sounds. So it's not exactly shocking – and decently touching – to hear Martin belt out 'We'll Sing, Baragie!” over a booming beat co-produced by Max Martin as voices from around the world support him hoping for simpler and safer times. “We Pray” will be featured on the upcoming band Mood music album, which will be released in October.
Central Cee, “Billion Streams Freestyle” & “Bolide Noir”
“He said my b-ch was gay, he got a billion streams,” UK rapper Central Cee boasts of his breakthrough hit “Doja” which has apparently crossed the 10-digit mark in online gaming. The successful MC, whose acquisition continues to cross the pond, is releasing two new songs this week to celebrate his achievement, both the upbeat “Freestyle” and the more downbeat “Bolide Noir,” featuring the Paris rapper JRK 19, in which a boisterous Cench raps, “When you've been through all that I've got/ Everything else is a walk in the park.” Another exciting release from one of the most exciting young rappers of the decade.
Mk.gee, “Lonely Fight”
In a year of major pop achievements, singer/songwriter Mk.gee, whose acclaimed debut album of soulful, intimate guitar ballads pushed past the surface. Two Star & The Dream Police has already earned him a fairly devoted cult following. This album was released only half a year ago, but the artist, born Mike Gordon, is already back with a new song: the wonderful “Lonely Fight”, another transmission of aching guitar and warm bass that bind together with the evocative but Gordon's boundless cry. . If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, be sure to hop on before LP2.
New Radicals, “Murder on the Dancefloor” & “Lost Stars”
The New Radicals hadn't released any new music since their cult classic debut LP in 1998 Maybe you have been brainwashed too spawned one of the most enduring pop-rock gems of its era, the recent DNC-presented “You Get What You Give.” Last night, however, they debuted two almost-new songs, along with an open letter to Kamala Harris' “superfan” husband Doug Emhoff, and a stated hope to “rally the cause of democracy and encourage everyone the artists to go out to vote.” The “almost” is because both songs are covers of originals already written by frontman Gregg Alexander — Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Saltburn– revived “Murder on the Dancefloor” and “Lost Stars” from the 2013 film Start again — so not enough to raise hopes for any kind of full Brainwashing sequel, but longtime fans will no doubt be very grateful for the new releases.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/best-new-music-sabrina-carpenter-lainey-wilson-coldplay-1235759657/