Friday Music Guide: New Music From Zach Bryan, Lana Del Rey & Quavo, Morgan Wallen & 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, Zach Bryan continues his prolific streak, Lana Del Rey and Quavo take on “Tough,” and Morgan Wallen takes a silent new step. Check out all of this week's picks below:

Zac Bryan, The Great American Bar Scene

Zach Bryan has released a new full-length over the past three years, somehow managing to uncover extensive alt-country work between constant tour dates and broadening his aesthetic in the process — after scoring his first Hot 100 chart-topper last year. with Kacey Musgraves duet “I Remember Everything”, for example, new album The Great American Bar Scene he boasts collaborations with Bruce Springsteen and John Mayer, among others. However, Bryan's tireless work ethic and growing popularity are not yielding diminishing returns: The Great American Bar Scene defined by the same rustic, open-hearted songwriting that made Bryan a star, and songs like “Mechanical Bull,” “28” and “The Way Back” are among the strongest in his rapidly expanding discography.

Lana Del Rey & Quavo, “Tough”

Lana Del Rey has become a beloved pop heroine without paying much attention to crossover pop singles — she's only entered the Hot 100 top 10 twice in her career, once with a remix and once thanks to a featured spot on a single. Taylor Swift song. However, “Tough,” her new team-up with Quavo, finds a sweet spot between dreamy alt-pop and trap, with each artist sticking to their respective approaches before Del Rey starts rapping and the Migos star start mocking. “Hard” shape changes, but never in an unnatural way. don't be surprised if this unexpected collaboration becomes a late summer hit.

Morgan Wallen, “Lies Lies Lies”

As Morgan Wallen enjoys the kind of superstardom that ends up becoming decade-defining — and spends another week atop the Hot 100 chart, with Post Malone's “I Had Some Help” — the country giant has released the “Lies Lies Lies” as something of a palette cleanser, with the sad, low-key track a far cry from his last chart-topping anthem. Originally recorded at Abbey Road Studios in 2023 and released as part of a digital series in March, “Lies Lies Lies” comes to streaming services as a humble admission of ongoing longing, with Wallen trying to convince himself that he's moved on from a relationship before shouting, “I'm still crazy about you.”

Childish Gambino, “Lithonia”

Donald Glover's Childish Gambino project topped the Hot 100 and won several major Grammys with the provocative 2018 anthem “This Is America” ​​— and instead of doubling down on mainstream music fame, Glover released an incredible pandemic project (3.15.20), revisited and renamed a few years later (Atavistic), and retreated to rewarding film and television projects. Now, he's readying what has been teased as Childish Gambino's final album, Bando Stone & The New Worldand “Lithonia” marks an intriguing first taste: a hazy power ballad with bare chests and soulful harmonies, the track's sounds designed for the arena crowds Glover can still command at will.

Eminem feat. Big Sean & BabyTron, “Tobey”

The first two tracks Eminem has released from his upcoming album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) showcased two of the qualities that have made him an enduring superstar: while “Houdini” was a very goofy pop hook, “Tobey” is theatrical rap that captivates, with Em's technical prowess taking center stage on his back half piece. Before that, Big Sean and BabyTron crash to deliver their own double-hour rhymes, operating in a minimalist beat that allows all three MCs to make their lines the priority of the song.

Editor's Pick: Kesha, “Joyride”

The release of Kesha's “Joyride” on Independence Day was intentional: the new single represented the pop star's first song as an independent artist, following a years-long legal battle with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald and the fulfillment of the original contract With that in mind, “Joyride” is both an exhalation from unpleasant circumstances and a smart back-to-basics move, in which Kesha can wrap her arms around a sly, hard-hitting party track and “Joyride” bounces along with carnival-like production and strange sound effects, but Kesha matches its exuberance, shifting her voice to punctuate each line and having a blast on the dizzying hook.