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, Pharrell and Miley conjure up new (old) magic, Cardi B isn't resting on her laurels, and Charli XCX wants to return to the trucker hat era. Check out all of this week's picks below:
Pharrell Williams feat. Miley Cyrus, “Doctor (Work It Out)”
It's either seen as a victory lap after her first Grammy wins or as a tribute Bangerz Shortly after that album's 10th anniversary, “Doctor (Work It Out)” is the sound of Miley Cyrus running alongside one of her most trusted collaborators, Pharrell Williams, on a funk-up track the pair worked on for the first time in years. before. “Doctor (Work It Out)” follows the same thread of unrepentant desire as the duo's previous hit “Come Get It Bae,” with a little more disco and doctor doubles in the mix. the song could evaporate tomorrow or become an enduring hit, but either way, Cyrus sounds like she's having a blast with it.
Cardi B, “Like What (Freestyle)”
“Holy, let me put some gas in this mother's year,” Cardi B quips to kick off “Like What (Freestyle),” the rap superstar's first solo track in years that serves as a ripcord for to trigger her purr. unique flow. “Like What” takes aim at Cardi's enemies and haters over a sample of Missy Elliott's 1999 classic “She's a Bitch,” but the takedowns are mere ingredients in a delicious return to form for Cardi, which doubles similes and impressively flies like Stone Cold Steve Austin — before actually mentioning him in a hilarious X-rated rhyme.
Charli XCX, “Von Dutch”
Although Charli XCX has explored a variety of pop aesthetics and release models throughout her decade-long career, the prospect of her upcoming Brat album bursting with laser-lit club bangers like smashing new single 'Von Dutch' should excite and the two of them. casual listeners and longtime supporters. Charli commits to the awkward production and guides the track towards the inevitable bass drops, never letting up as her voice drifts in and out of focus. Like the honorary trucker hat, “Von Dutch” is designed to evoke rowdy nights in the mid-'00s, and it hits its mark in exciting fashion.
ScHoolboy Q, Blue lips
Five years may represent an eternity in modern hip-hop, but for ScHoolboy Q, 2019's sequel CraH Talk finds the TDE lyricist inhabiting his longtime pocket — speaking hard truths over left-field beats — while also evolving as a lyricist, especially as he focuses on parenthood and his worries about the future. Blue lips isn't designed as a mainstream crossover (the crisp, menacing “Pop,” featuring Rico Nasty, makes that clear), but ScHoolboy Q has a loyal following that's been waiting for another project, and Blue lips he rewards them handsomely.
Galantis, David Guetta & 5 Seconds of Summer, “Lighter”
What a road 5 Seconds of Summer have traveled: after gaining fame and fortune as new-school pop-punks and One Direction's more intelligent (and often exciting) opening act, 5SOS have evolved into a sprawling rock outfit capable of a subversive dance cut like this Galantis and David Guetta team up. “Lighter” trades in mid-2010s euphoria, when Zedd and Clean Bandit hits were all over top 40 radio, but 5SOS is the wild card that keeps the track from sounding like a throwback.
Publisher's Choice: Yard Act, Where is my utopia?
Where is my utopia? it's the sound of a rock band on the rise: Leeds post-punk band Yard Act impress on 2022 debut The Overload, but the collective's second album sharpens their sardonic approach without let-up, as if every inch of the quartet has become more fearless over the past two years. “Dream Job” is an obvious highlight with its call-and-response dance-punk, but “The Undertow,” “An Illusion” and “We Make Hits” all showcase a band worth investing in long-term.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/friday-music-guide-pharrell-williams-amp-cyrus-cardi-b-1235619830/
