Friday Music Guide: New Music From Kacey Musgraves, Justin Timberlake, Cardi B and More

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, Kacey Musgraves focuses on her songwriting, Justin Timberlake returns to the dance floor and Cardi B has her enemies on alert. Check out all of this week's picks below:

Kacey Musgraves, Deeper well

Although Deeper well could be interpreted as an antidote to Kacey Musgraves' 2021 album Cross cross, considering how the jagged edges of this meditation on divorce have been smoothed over into songs about quiet pleasures and self-love, Musgraves' stellar songwriting has always remained the North Star of her craft, and keeps her latest album from feeling like an abrupt turn. There are many earthly pleasures to be found deep down Deeper wellbut the opening sequence of the '70s-inflected “Cardinal,” rustic title track, and the joyous “Too Good to Be True” ranks among the strongest 10-minute stretches in Musgraves' discography.

Click here to read a full review and ranking of Musgraves' track Deeper well.

Justin Timberlake Everything I thought it was

It's been six years since Justin Timberlake's last full-length film, in 2018 Man of the Woodsand the pop promoter has re-emerged with an album that takes him out of the woods and into a better understanding of his basic requirements. Everything I thought it was finds Timberlake playing the hits to an extent — sparkling rhythmic pop. rattling, steering wheel knocks. disco grooves not contained in radio-single lengths. even the return of *NSYNC — but it also doesn't represent a retreat to safe ground. Timberlake may be nearly forty at this point, but he still aims for every moment of a sprawling 76-minute album to be considered exciting. He's a consummate entertainer who knows what he's best at and still finds reasons to work on the fringes of his aesthetic.

Click here to read a full review and ranking of Timberlake's tracks Everything I thought it was.

Cardi B, “Enough (Miami)”

Cardi B is sick of looking out for her rivals: “I see my opps hooking up, I'm like, 'What in the f–k?'” she spits on new single “Enough (Miami),” which is quickly followed by another solo track , “Like What (Freestyle),” which similarly took aim at a rival and her hastily assembled cohorts. “Enough (Miami)” is packed with looks from Cardi, as well as killer lines. He may be bored playing defense, but throwing reports at both Dr. Seuss as much as “Knuck if You Buck” in the same track is always fun.

Zayn, “What Am I”

Zayn has now spent more years as a solo artist than as an active member of One Direction, and along the way, he's let his curiosity wander without committing to a single pop blueprint. “What I Am” takes a folk approach we haven't heard from Zayn before — country great Dave Cobb co-produced the new track, which precedes the upcoming album Room under the stairs — but his voice continues to resonate and his lyrics suggest a healthy reinvention: “Take me as I am,” he croons, “I'm tired of dancing to the point.”

PARTYNEXTDOOR, “Real Woman”

“This is the hardest album I've ever worked on,” said PARTYNEXTDOOR Advertising sign on a recent cover. Indeed, the new single “Real Woman,” which he previews PARTYNEXTDOOR 4, features the R&B singer-songwriter sounding rejuvenated while dedicating himself to the woman who has captured his imagination. Growls, sumptuous percussion and backing harmonies aid PND as he climbs into his falsetto, and “Real Woman” immediately becomes a contender for heavy rotation at R&B radio.

Editor's Pick: Willow, “Symptom of Life”

On Willow's captivating new single 'Symptom of Life', the juxtaposition of the chorus – fast-moving, chattering, full of unanswered questions about the meaning of life – and the soft, wordless breaks of piano and drums demonstrate Willow's mastery of pop . creator, able to fill the space with commotion and then pull back for a breather. “Symptom of Life” has a whiff of Kate Bush magic. Let's hope Willow continues down this rabbit hole on her upcoming studio album.