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 Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Shaboozey, Slayyyter and more.
This week: Latin superstar Karol G releases her sixth studio album amid her current stadium tour; rising pop artist Role Model drops his anticipated third album; and British R&B trio FLO shares its second album… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Karol G, No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto
Karol G’s highly-anticipated new album is a complete mood shift from her uplifting and vibrant Tropicoqueta set released in 2025. On the 14-track project, which translates to “I don’t regret feeling so much,” the Colombian singer unlocks a new intimate and stripped-down era where she’s vulnerable, in her feels and embracing all of her emotions. For her sixth studio album, she reeled in notable collaborators including with Drake on “Ahí,” Bruno Mars on “Still,” Judeline and Rusowsky on “Bby Wow” and Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex on album closer “Después de Ti.” The set is also home to the provocative perreo “Matadora,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated Aug. 8. — JESSICA ROIZ
Role Model, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass
Inspired by the concept of time — particularly, it passing you by as you enter your 30s — Role Model’s latest project is full of musings on marriage (“The Wedding”), the power of a positive attitude (“High Hopes,” “Joy”) and continuing to trust in the process through it all (“Harmony”). The album builds on the harmonies and introspective songwriting that that Role Model honed on his second album, 2024’s Kansas Anymore — and while that album’s deluxe included his breakout smash, “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” he’s not aiming for a follow-up hit here (or, if he is, he’s rather subtle about it). Rather, the album feels like a fully-realized snapshot of where he’s at in life right now, and for anyone about to enter or already in the throes of their third decade here, you’ll be nodding along to more than just the beat of these 12 songs. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
FLO, Therapy at the Club
How do you follow up a Grammy-nominated debut album that solidified your trio as the buzziest R&B girl group in years on both sides of the pond? With an album like Therapy at the Club. FLO’s swanky sophomore effort finds the British three-piece of Renée, Stella and Jorja expanding their late ‘90s-early ‘00s R&B foundation with notes of ‘80s synth pop and features from Juicy J and kwn. There are a few more weeks to live out the ideal messy party night this summer, and FLO just dropped the perfect soundtrack. — KYLE DENIS
Stray Kids, “This & That”
THIS & THAT is Stray Kids tenth mini album and, as its title suggests, the famed South Korean boy band delivers a little bit of everything across its eight tracks. The title song in particular is a standout for its hard-hitting, booming beat that carries the earned yet boastful lyrics about how “Everything I do, multiply it by two.” That applies to the group’s work ethic as well, with Hyunjin and Bang Chan stating on the chorus: “I’ma rip a show and then hit the studio/ I do this and that, this and that.” Elsewhere, Stray Kids explores dance-pop on “After You,” showcases its softer-side on “Way Out” and delivers a riff-driven alt-pop gem with “Back Then.” Here, a little bit of everything sure sounds good. — L.H.
Sam Smith, “When He’s Gone”
As soaring singer-songwriter Sam Smith continues to tease his upcoming fifth album, Hazel Eyes (out Aug. 21), his latest single offers a glimpse into the direction he’s headed — and it’s perfectly haunting. “When He’s Gone” spotlights Smith’s lower register in a gorgeous and enticing manner, as he sings of the downfall of a relationship — and how it feels to be the one holding on. “When he’s walking out on me/ He takes everything I need/ My whole world’s broken when he’s gone,” he sings over a Western-inspired plucked guitar and the harmony of a cautionary choir willing him to let go. Yet, by the song’s end, it seems he isn’t ready just yet, singing: “If he stays with me tonight, I promise I’ll be better.” — L.H.
Stella Lefty, “Lean In, Kiss Me”
Fresh off a packed performance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza and as her breakout smash “Boston” continues to hold strong on the charts, rising country-pop artist Stella Lefty’s latest is an ode to first kiss butterflies — specifically, the kind that come with taking a friendship to new territory. Or, in Stella’s case here, simply suggesting to. “It’s just another Friday night/ Was bound to happen one of these times,” she sings before asking, “Tell me if I spoke too soon/ But I kinda want you in my room/ Do I make you wanna make a move?” And while the song ends before she gets her answer, for those plugged into her real life relationship with Vincent Mason, it seems like things worked out just fine. — L.H.
Alex Warren, “Rescuer”
As Alex Warren continues to tease his upcoming second album, Wildchild (out Aug. 28), his singles seem to fall into two camps: there’s the high-energy “Fever Dream” and uptempo “Passenger” and then the more contemplative, downtempo “Fine Place To Die” and latest release “Rescuer.” The lattermost sounds and feels like a close cousin to his breakout mega-hit “Ordinary,” with a familiar riff and similar subject matter. Only here, instead of remarking on how his love takes him out of the ordinary, he reckons with wanting to stay in that bliss: “Out of exile, into your hands/ Your arms are my promised land.” – L.H.
