The last Friday of January is going out with a bang. This week, there are a lot of new music releases from both rising and established acts. Lil Yachty is back with an experimental album, Let’s Start Here, which features the standout track “drive ME crazy!” Chlöe is gearing up for the release of her debut solo album with the new single “Pray It Away.” And Rae Sremmurd have returned with their first release of the year “Sucka or Sum.” This week’s lists also includes new music from Zack Bia, Don Toliver, Midwxst, Denzel Curry, and many more.
Check out the best new music this week below. You can also stay up to date on the latest music drops by following our playlist on Spotify here.
Lil Yachty f/ Diana Gordon, “drive ME crazy!”
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Lil Yachty is back, and this time with a new sound. “Drive ME crazy!” is an fun and light-hearted track that finds Lil Yachty tapping into other sounds including pop, funk, and dance music. The song features singer-songwriter Diana Gordon who blesses the chorus with sweet and honeyed vocals as she sings about finding the perfect love match. Lil Yachty also steps into his singing bag, crooning, “Imagine me/Circling through life without a piece of you.” Though Lil Yachty is not a trained singer, his vocals don’t sound forced or out of place. “Drive ME crazy!” is one of the standouts of Lil Yachty’s new album Let’s Start Here, which also marks a new musical direction for the rapper.
Chlöe, “Pray It Away”
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“Pray It Away” is a fusion of R&B and gospel that finds Chlöe flexing her vocal range. On the beautifully-crafted record, Chlöe starts off with deep and soulful vocals that slowly build until she bursts into harmony with background vocalists. On the track, Chlöe sings about her search for some relief and comfort after a tough relationship. And her solution for a broken heart is to go to church. “Pray It Away” is expected to be on Chlöe’s debut solo album. It’s a departure from her previously released singles “Have Mercy” and “Surprise,” but is still demonstrating that Chlöe is a force within the R&B world.
Rae Sremmurd, “Sucka or Sum”
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After a long hiatus, Rae Sremmurd is back with “Sucka or Sum,” a slow-burning, trap record with a booming bass. On the track, Swae Lee takes the lead on the chorus, delivering melodic bars about getting played by a love interest. “How you gon’ try to play me when I’m knowin’ what’s up?” Swae Lee asks. Slim Jxmmi slides on the track with a slick verse, delivering punchy lines like, “I’m just playin’ my cards like I’m Yu-Gi-Oh!” “Sucka or Sum” is Rae Sremmurd’s first music release of the year.
Zack Bia & Don Toliver, “Hardcore”
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“Hardcore” is a fun and energetic dance record that finds Zack Bia joining forces with Don Toliver. The track is broken into two parts. On the first part of the record, Don Toliver delivers soft, echoing vocals over a hypnotic beat. A beat change ushers in the second part of the song. It’s still energetic and vibrant, but Don Toliver mellows out his vocals a bit, while the beat becomes even more hypnotizing. The song’s lyrics are clear all throughout the track, but they are less important as the overall feel of the track. The song transports listeners to a different time zone in which dancing is the only appropriate pastime.
Midwxst & Denzel Curry, “Tally”
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“Tally” is an unsuspecting collaboration from Midwxst and Denzel Curry. The song begins with a jazzy intro, before transitioning to a triumphant beat led by guitar strings and horns. Because of the beat, courtesy of Charlie Heat and Kennedy Sabin, the track sounds like it was inspired by old western music. But Midwxst and Denzel were able to make it more modern with punchy raps and a rapid delivery. “Tally” is a solid collaboration. It would be interesting to see what else Midwxst and Denzel Curry could create together.
Kaycyy & BabyTron, “Motown”
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“Motown” is a bar-heavy record that finds Kaycyy delivering thoughtful raps that reflect on various moments in his life. “Yeah, mama gave me some scriptures, it’s all that I needed/I said I believеd it,” he raps. The ends of Kaycyy’s verse signals a beat change. He then passes it off to BabyTron, who delivers a much more aggressive verse over a dark and sinister beat. “I been ballin’, I been ballin’ since the red monkeys/I been ballin’ since the tip-off/Yohji Yamamotos on my legs, let’s have a drip-off,” BabyTron spits. “Motown” is a fun collaboration that will appear on Kaycyy’s next project.
SleazyWorld Go, “Robbers and Villains”
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“Robbers and Villains” is a menacing track with a late-night feel that finds SleazyWorld Go reflecting on some of the darkest things he’s witnessed in his life. “I seen robbers rob the robbers/I seen shooters shoot the killers/I seen murder, murder,” he spits. On the track, SleazyWorld Go sounds more disappointed than he does shocked or sad, though. “Robbers and Villains” does get repetitive at times, but it definitely has a sound and message that will go over well with many listeners.
Daniel Caesar, “Do You Like Me”
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Daniel Caesar is back with “Do You Like Me,” a sweet-sounding record that finds the R&B singer crooning over funky instrumentation. On the track, Caesar questions if he’s caught a particular woman’s interest. “Do you really like me? Do you really like me?/Yeah, we’re still young, but for how many moons?” He questions repetitively. “Do You Like Me” is a smooth record that would serve as the perfect soundtrack to a sunny day out at the park.
Cordae & Anderson .Paak, “Two Tens”
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Four years after releasing their hit “RNP,” Cordae and Anderson .Paak have reunite once again on “Two Tens.” Their latest collaboration is a smooth record that finds the duo trading punchy bars over a slick and mellow beat, which was co-produced by J. Cole. The song is about spotting two beautiful women during a night out on the town. The track, which is expected to be on Cordae’s upcoming album, isn’t as electric as their first collaboration, but still enjoyable and at the very least, shows that Cordae and .Paak still make a great duo.
