Happy Monday! Kickstart your week ahead by checking out all of the new music that has just been released in this roundup of new songs, new albums, and new artists that you need to be listening to.
From new songs from James Arthur and G-Eazy, to new collaborations from Steve Aoki & BTS and 50 Cent & Jeremih, to our expert picks, take a look at this week's New Music Report.
NEW RELEASES
Danielle Bradbery - I Don't Believe We've Met
Danielle Bradbery named her brand new album I Don't Believe We've Met, but we're about to re-meet the now 21-year-old, and learn about her journey over the last four years. I Don't Believe We've Met, which will be released on December 1st, features 11 new songs, the majority of which Danielle co-wrote which is new for the Texas native, and includes previously released songs like "Sway," "Potential," "Worth It," "Hello Summer," and "Human Diary." During a recent interview with iHeartRadio, Danielle said of her new album:
"I think I'm most proud of just how honest I am being. That was my goal with this new record, which is to be as honest and real as I could. I'm like, 'Okay, now I get to write about these things. I don't need to be afraid of being a little bit vulnerable, and I want my fans -- and hopefully new fans -- to relate, and okay, we're not alone.' We all go through life, and I just, I love that."
James Arthur - "Naked"
Following the success of his Back from the Edge single "Say You Won't Let Go," James Arthur has returned with a brand new song called "Naked," which is the lead single from his forthcoming third full-length studio album due out sometime next year. "Naked" was co-written by pop mastermind Max Martin, and his collaborators Savan Kotecha and Johan Carlsson, and is all about taking a relationship to the next level. James sings in the pre-chorus, "'Cause here I am/I'm giving all I can/But all you ever do is mess it up/Yeah, I'm right hereI'm trying to make it clear/That getting half of you, just ain't enough."
G-Eazy - "Summer In December"
G-Eazy is continuing to tease his upcoming double-disc album, Beautiful & Damned. The Cali rapper just released his next single entitled “Summer In December,” and the new song comes after Eazy dropped other singles like “No Limit” featuring Cardi B and A$AP Rocky and more. “Please pardon my tardiness, I’m tryin’ to put my heart in this,” he raps on “Summer In December.”
Eazy goes on: “Give this s**t my everything, every time I start with this / Hungry for the world, I swear I starve for this / Artists come and go these days it’s easy, they’re not hard to miss / Here today, gone tomorrow, they fade into a dark abyss / Hollywood sold you a dream, like how the fuck you fall for this?”
BTS - "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)" featuring Desiigner
Ready or not, BTS mania is in full swing. Following their history-making performance during this year's American Music Awards, the K-Pop group teamed up with Steve Aoki to release a remix of their song "MIC Drop," originally from their incredibly successful Love Yourself: Her EP. Also featuring a verse from rapper Desiigner, the "MIC Drop" remix kicks things up a notch with EDM synths and production from Aoki. Desiigner recently told Billboard of being part of the remix, "I add that extra energy to it. Add that spice. That turned-up spice. All that extra."
Kehlani - "Already Won"
Kehlani dropped a new song called “Already Won” because she wanted to make this accomplishment perfectly clear for any haters out there. Throughout the track, the singer/songwriter sings about overcoming big milestones in her career and life, and how no one can stop her. This is the second new song we’ve received from the star in a month. Just a few weeks ago, Kehlani released “Honey.” Listen to “Already Won” ASAP. The recording artist even raps on it for a bit and she sounds pretty good. And shout out to her bragging about her achievements. Kehlani deserves every last one of them. Forget the haters.
Little Mix - Glory Days (The Platinum Edition)
Little Mix released their Glory Days album in November 2016, and a year later, the girls are still living their days of glory with the Platinum Edition of the record. The new re-issue of the album includes all of the songs from the original release, plus a few remixes, including the CNCO remix they were featured on, "Reggaetón Lento," a bonus behind-the-scenes documentary, and three brand new songs. This is the ultimate gift from the girls to all of their loyal fans. The girls said, "This album is all about celebrating the amazing year we've had, and we are so excited to give [fans] three brand new tracks, and the Glory Days documentary."
One Bit & Noah Cyrus - "My Way"
As we wait for Noah Cyrus's debut album NC-17 to be released, the 17-year-old has given fans another collaboration, called "My Way," with electronic duo One Bit. Co-written by One Bit's Jonty Howard & Joe Murphy, Katya Edwards, and Myles MacInnes, "My Way" is funky dance track, irresistible to busting a move to. Noah sings in the chorus, "Why can't we do this (my way)."
Noah has teamed up with several artists in the dance music world this year, including Marshmello & Ookay, Digital Farm Animals, and Matoma. And switching gears from EDM, Cyrus also recently collaborated with singer/songwriter Jake Bugg. Perhaps fans will get a variety of these sounds on her forthcoming debut record.
50 Cent & Jeremih - "Still Think I'm Nothing"
50 Cent and Jeremih have joined forces once again to give us “Still Think I’m Nothing.” The rapper spits on the beat – which is reminiscent to the beat of Miguel’s “All I Want Is You” -- “If I ever said f**k you n---- I meant too / When you come up how I came, life’s not gentle / See that tear in my mama eye that meant the rent due / I pray on it God didn’t say nothing back.” The last time we heard Fif and Jeremih collaborate was on Lenny Grant’s “On & On” in September 2017. Before that, it was on the 2010 hit “Down On Me.” When 50 Cent and Jeremih come together, only magic is created.
Why Don't We - A Why Don't We Christmas EP
Christmas is less than a month away, and the guys of Why Don't We are celebrating right now with their brand new holiday EP: A Why Don't We Christmas. The five-track set includes two original Christmas bops; their 2016 single "You And Me At Christmas," and a new track called "Kiss You At Christmas." A Why Don't We Christmas also features holiday classics like "Merry Little Christmas" and "Silent Night." On Instagram, the guys said of the EP's release, "We hope you play this while you make memories with your friends & family for years to come. That’s what’s important."
Jake Owen - Greatest Hits
Country singer/songwriter Jake Owen has officially been writing/releasing music for the past 11 years, and to celebrate, he's released his Greatest Hits album. The compilation record features 13 tracks, which include many of his most successful songs from over the course of his career, like "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" and "American Country Love Song," plus two new songs called "Subliminal Love" and "Long As You're In It."
On Instagram, Jake wrote of his Greatest Hits record, "Kinda crazy to think about the last 12 years of my life. I’ve been blessed and I’m so thankful to the fans and country radio for the support. Also, thanks to RCA records and the promo team for making these songs hits at radio."
Fabolous & Jadakiss – Friday on Elm Street
The album that everyone has been waiting on for years is finally here! Fabolous and Jadakiss finally dropped their long-anticipated joint album, Friday on Elm Street. It was originally called Freddy v. Jason, but they switched things up a bit. Nevertheless, Loso played Freddy and the Kiss played Jason, as they spit their hot bars that reminded us why New York rap will always be the realest.
“Truthfully, it was a little bit of politics,” Fabolous previously told Viceland’s “Desus & Mero” about the project’s many delays. “Sometimes it was scheduling Sometimes, it was me working on other things and getting that out there. It was a lot of different factors…Even the name, Freddy vs. Jason, we tried that for a while, and it wasn’t happening [with] licensing. You can’t use a lot of movie stuff anymore.”
Kodak Black - Project Baby Two: All Grown Up
Kodak Black has had one hell of a 2017 and he’s not done yet. The recording artist released his latest mixtape, Project Baby Two: All Grown Up the day after Thanksgiving. This project is just a deluxe edition of his first PB2 mixtape with a few new tracks, including “Codeine Dreamin” featuring Lil Wayne -- that was released earlier this year. Kodak kind of dropped this out on nowhere! He teased it on Tuesday (Nov. 21) and just a couple of days later, Kodak released it.
Tech N9ne - "Drink Up"
Tech N9ne has to be one of the hardest working rappers in the entire industry. After teasing this song entitled “Drink Up” back in August, the entire record is finally here. On the track, the rapper spits about wanting a drink…or two…or three. “Drink Up” was produced by Seven and will most likely be on N9ne’s upcoming Planet album. Being released in March 2018, fans of N9ne can’t wait for the project to finally arrive. Here’s to more great music coming in the new year!
Anitta & J Balvin - "Downtown"
It's safe to say that 2017 has been the year of Latin crossover hits. From "Despacito" to "Mi Gente," and many more, the undeniable charm of Latin music has made its way into mainstream pop music, and the latest tune comes from Anitta and J Balvin. Both stars have had success this year, Anitta recently teaming up on songs with Poo Bear and Alesso, and J Balvin for "Mi Gente," but now, the two have joined forces on the sultry, seductive "Downtown." Anitta recently told Billboard of the collab, "Working with Balvin is incredible. We worked together before, but I’m happy we made this song. He’s one of my favorite artists, so this was an amazing experience."
Craig David featuring Bastille - "I Know You"
Craig David's The Time Is Now album is quickly approaching its release date, and in the meantime, the British singer/songwriter is sharing another new track from the record called "I Know You," and it features Bastille's Dan Smith. In a statement, Craig said of the new pop/r&b track, "I've been a Bastille fan for a long time and we've been waiting for the right moment to collaborate. I'm so excited to release this track and hope you love it as much as I do. Hearing Dan's voice on this kind of record is a special moment, when we perform this live its going to absolutely go off, and I can't wait to play it in my TS5 set this summer."
Dave East - Karma
The hits from this guy won’t stop. Dave East surprisingly dropped a new mixtape entitled KARMA on Black Friday (Nov. 24) and it was the perfect gift for the rapper’s fans. The project consists of 16 songs, including guest appearances from Offset, Chris Brown, Kap G, Don Q, Lil Durk and more. KARMA’s release follows East’s Paranoia EP, which dropped earlier this summer.
In a previous interview with iHeartRadio, the Harlem MC was asked if he feels any pressure to be great. He replied: “Nope because I feel like the only pressure people should deal with is the pressure you put on yourself. I remember when ain't none of y'all [knew] me, or none of y'all even cared about what I was doing.”
The rapper continued: “So, it’s no pressure. I just feel like, 'Oh, you feelin' it now.' So, I just stay me and try to keep the same people around me that were with me... And they keep my mind at a certain pace.”
EMERGING ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Forever In Your Mind
Emery Kelly, Ricky Garcia and Liam Attridge, otherwise known as Forever In Your Mind, have come a long way over the last few years. Starting out their career together as a band while in their teens, guys are now on the brink of leaving their teenage years behind for the land of young adulthood -- and so is their music. This year, the band released two songs, "Smooth" and "Missing," which followed up their 2016 self-titled EP. And just recently, the trio released their newest single called "Rabbit Hole" with their sights set on another EP to be released soon.
On their latest single "Rabbit Hole," Forever In Your Mind worked with producer Mike Hart and songwriter Chris Bloom, and the song holds many meanings. In fact, they tell iHeartRadio, "The song is a representation of where we've gone down this rabbit hole, and now that we've gone through it, and now that we have control of who we are." They add, "In the music industry, how on the business side, there are some people in the business that want you to act a certain way, or want you to portray yourself in a certain way for a certain look. And there was a period of time where we were told what to do, and we had to do what they wanted us to do. And we did it. But, now we have control of ourselves, so we're just gonna show our vibrant selves and just be beautiful colors."
To sum it up: "The generality of this song, from listening to the three of our responses, it's kind of obvious that this is a song about like, we're done with the past. It's time to just go up."
Listen to an acoustic version of Forever In Your Mind's "Rabbit Hole" below.
EXPERT PICKS
Nicole's Picks:
Kaskade - Kaskade Christmas
Now that it is totally acceptable to listen to Christmas music 24/7, allow me to introduce you to something you thought you'd probably never expect ... a Christmas album from a dance music DJ. Kaskade released his Kaskade Christmas album just in time for the holiday season, and it's unlike any other Christmas music you've heard. This isn't the in-your-face EDM you might be imagining either -- it's more sophisticated than that. Kaskade Christmas features 13 songs, which include original songs, as well as classic holiday tunes re-imagined like "Santa Baby," "Silent Night," and more. So, have yourself a very Kaskade Christmas now!
Lost Frequencies & Zonderling - "Crazy"
Nothing gets me like a good acoustic guitar. And although this is a dance song, I love how Lost Frequencies and Zonderling incorporate the instrument into the song. It's the perfect blend of acoustic guitar riffs in the verses, then switching gears in the EDM synth-laden chorus. But let's discuss the lyrics, because they're important. The chorus is basically saying, you can call me whatever you want, but I'm gonna do me. "They can call me whatever they want/Call me crazy/You can call me whatever you want/But that won't change me/I just don't care what the world says/I'm gonna make it/They can call me whatever they want/So what if I am crazy." Couldn't have said it better myself.
Follow Nicole on Twitter: @NicoleMastr0
Isha's Picks:
Dave East featuring Chris Brown and Kap G – "Bentley Truck"
Dave East dropped a brand new mixtape at midnight on Black Friday (Nov. 24) called KARMA. Out of the 16 tracks that are on the project, one of the many that stood out to us was “Bentley Truck,” which features Chris Breezy and Kap G. On the track, East raps: “Probably find me in some private s**t, With more gold than a pirate ship/ Slick Rick, hundred chains on / Ni**as throwing shots, but they probably miss.”
Brown sings: “I used to want a Rollie, look at me now / In a Bentley truck, smoking that loud.” Kap G adds, “4-5 on me like M.J/ I’m at Benihana, eating shrimp steak / In the Bentley truck with the semi tucked.”
Mase – "The Oracle"
After beefing with Cam'ron for over 20 years, Mase has had enough. The former pastor dropped a diss track aimed at Killa Cam called "The Oracle" and it's the farthest thing from holy.
This clap back is in response to Cam'ron's track "It's Killa," which is on the Diplomats rapper's latest mixtape, The Program. On "The Oracle," Mase starts off: "Imagine 20 years with a bitter b**ch and the same drama/ Dame told you do this s**t and you don’t see Dame karma/ K9 on your ass, n**ga no distraction/ P**sy n**ga wearin' pink I guess he think he matchin'."
Mase continues: "Every since 10 you was a thirsty n**ga/ I ain't gone talk about the time you f**ked your sister/ In 2002 you lost 50 pounds, ulcers in your liver/ And now you tryna sell n**gas liquor, N**GA/ You always play the sucker part."
Follow Isha on Twitter: @IshaThorpe