Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Sam Smith, Stella Lefty, Weezer and more.
This week, Olivia Rodrigo shares a previously-released-CD-exclusive song digitally; Alex Warren releases his second album; JENNIE’s three-track EP arrives; and Rod Wave drops his mega 24-track seventh album, Don’t Look Down… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Olivia Rodrigo, “Serena Joy”
Days before headlining her very own inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival in Irvine, Calif., superstar Olivia Rodrigo dropped a new song (which was originally cut from her third album, this June’s You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love) that will surely make its way into her setlist. “Serena Joy” — named after the antagonist from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale novel — is expectedly inspired by the character’s complexities. And while the dystopian-sounding song ends with Rodrigo repeating “everything is just fine,” it’s unclear if she means it — or just wants to believe it. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Alex Warren, WILDCHILD
Alex Warren’s second album swiftly follows last year’s You’ll Be Alright, Kid that included his breakout hit and Hot 100 No. 1 “Ordinary.” And while WILDCHILD does include some downtempo pop ballads (“Fine Place To Die,” “I Miss You More”), his signature soaring vocals are best highlighted on the album’s more punchy uptempo songs (“Fever Dream,” “Emerald Eyes”). As the project’s title implies, Warren is living it up a bit more this time around — or should I say, getting a bit wild by his standards — and as a result, sneaks in a final few summer smashes. — L.H.
JENNIE, Fallen Angel
Imagine the bite of “like JENNIE” only stripped down and ethereal — that’s “Heaven.” JENNIE sounds entirely self-assured on the song, even if she’s singing of a toxic relationship: “If not crazy, then what fun would it be?” The song accompanies the acoustic-led title track and previously-released single “Less than a Lover.” Fallen Angel is JENNIE’s first solo project since the release of her solo debut with last year’s full-length Ruby. — L.H.
Rod Wave, Don’t Look Down
The prolific rapper-singer-songwriter puts all three to their best use across his new album, tapping R&B singer-songwriter Summer Joy, R&B artist Luv Von, Irish singer-songwriter Aimee Carty and Australian indie-folk artist Hazlett as the project’s only features. Don’t Look Down is Rod Wave’s seventh album, having only released his debut full-length (Ghetto Gospel) in 2019. — L.H.
Billy Strings, So Much for Goodbyes
As Eric Renner Brown writes of the bluegrass virtuoso’s new album, it is “a profound meditation on grief inspired by the recent death of his mother.” As Strings shared himself in a statement along with the album’s announcement, he made the record to honor her: “To notice and embrace this very significant period of grief in my life and make art from it. To turn my heartbreak into songs while using my guitar as a coping mechanism as I always have. It’s always been there for me to lean on through the hard times, and I figure it always will… until it’s my time to say goodbye.” Read Billboard‘s tracks ranked here.
flowerovlove feat. Willow, “girls will be girls”
Rising indie-pop singer floweroflove shares her debut album, Mini Skirt Warrior, led by focus track “girls will be girls” with the project’s sole feature Willow. While the uptempo song is the album’s 12th and final, it’s also one of its standouts alongside previously-released singles like “American Wedding” and “I’m your first.” — L.H.
Alabama Shakes, I Must Be Dreaming
Grammy-winning bluesy rock band Alabama Shakes is back — and with its first album in over a decade. I Must Be Dreaming is the act’s first full-length since its breakout second album Sound & Color, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 upon its 2015 release. Previously-released single “Another Life” remains a standout for vocalist Brittany Howard’s urgent vocals, as does “Waist Deep.” The band is currently on tour through the end of September, with a date at Radio City Music Hall Sept. 2. — L.H.
