February is closing out with a lot of new music. Lil Baby just dropped his sophomore studio album, My Turn, featuring appearances from Young Thug, Future, Lil Wayne and more. G Herbo delivered his new project, PTSD, a 14-track project that dives into the effects of growing up in the streets. Although PARTYNEXTDOOR didn’t drop his highly-anticipated album, he dropped a new single to hold fans over until next month. As far as singles are concerned, Jhené Aiko shared a new collaboration with Future and Miguel; Swae Lee dropped his first solo record of 2020; SZA and Justin Timberlake connected on a new bop for the Trolls sequel. These are the best new songs of the week.
Follow our accompanying Best New Music playlist on Spotify here!
Lil Baby f/ Young Thug, “We Should”
Lil Baby and Young Thug make a great team on “We Should.” The track is just one of many collaborations between the two (it serves as a follow-up to 2019’s “Bad Bad Bad”) and they tag-team the first verse, flexing about their rags-to-riches lifestyle. Later on the Wheezy-produced record, Thugger dredges up tough memories (“My dawg just lost his dawg into the system, it got me fucked up/I can’t tell him nothin’ negative, so I told him he gon’ luck up), while Baby addresses the haters and fake love he’s received since he’s become famous (“No more fake text messages, laves’em all on read/And this game some bullshit, but they payin’ so I pay it”). Name a better duo. —Jessica McKinney
Young Nudy, “GTA Lifestyle”
Young Nudy’s “GTA Lifestyle” is a mood. You may not be able to catch all of the lyrics due to the rapper’s quick flow, but the way Nudy glides over the beat is irresistible. “Yeah, you know that this lifestyle, man, I love this shit/I’m gettin’ money, not above this shit/I still trap, make money with my brother, bitch, no other shit,” he spits. “GTA Lifestyle” appears on Nudy’s latest album, Anyways, and if you’re feeling the vibe and beat of this record, you’ll enjoy the rest of the project. Dive in. —Jessica McKinney
Kenny Mason, “Metal Wings”
Kenny Mason is a star, and it’s only a matter of time until everyone catches on. His latest single, “Metal Wings” is a pulsating anthem that you’d expect to hear as a moshpit erupts. On the track, Kenny shows off his range, transitioning from rapping to singing on the chorus and verses. You could still say it’s a rap song, but Kenny clearly draws from a lot of other genres including metal and grunge. A lot of artists are experimenting with genre-defying music at the moment, but something about Kenny’s approach makes this both authentic and exciting. —Jessica McKinney
Aminé, “Shimmy”
Aminé is back with his first single of the year. “Shimmy,” which is co-produced by Boi 1da, Vinylz, and Pasqué, draws inspiration from Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 1995 classic “Shimmy Shimmy Ya.” The record samples some of the classic tune, as well as interpolates lines throughout the chorus (“Shimmy shimmy ya, y’all niggas get no applause”). Aminé keeps the cocky energy of ODB alive, introducing braggadocios bars of his own. “I’m shittin; on these niggas, I make it my mission/The way I kill these niggas, send my ass to prison,” he spits. It’s been two years since Amine dropped his ONEPOINTFIVE project, but the rapper claims this will be “my year.” We can’t wait. —Jessica McKinney
2KBABY, “FAXTS”
Swae Lee, “Someone Said”
After previewing the single at a 2019 concert in Bucharest and teasing the official release earlier this week, Swae Lee has finally delivered his first solo single of the year. “Someone Said” is a bouncy trap banger that plays on Swae’s signature, “someone said” line on Travis Scott’s 2018 hit, “Sicko Mode.” It’s a little repetitive, but catchy in the best way. It’s unclear this is a loosey that Swae Lee had in the vault or the first release from an upcoming solo project. Nevertheless, “Someone said gets fans excited for what’s next.” —Jessica McKinney
G Herbo, “Intro”
G Herbo’s new album PTSD is out now. The opening record, “Intro,” sets the tone for the 14-track project. Over a triumphant DJ Don Cannon-produced beat, Herbo addresses people who are coping with PTSD as a result of running and hustling in the streets. It seems Herbo uses real-life experiences to tell the story and struggle of everyday life in his hood. “No curriculum, can’t punctuate our sentence or nothin’/Niggas ’posed to been on prom doing sentences/That’s fucked up, better get your bucks up,” he spits. It’s brutally honest, but a necessary beginning to his album. —Jessica McKinney
SZA & Justin Timberlake, “The Other Side”
“The Other Side” is the first single for Dreamworks’ sequel film, Trolls World Tour, but it’s not the PG-rated, kids bop you might expect. Justin Timberlake and SZA make a good duo, weaving in and out of harmonies and riffs on the retro-infused track. It’s intended to be a fun record to dance to, but also comes with a simple and timeless message: “The grass ain’t always greener on the other side.” —Jessica McKinney
Jhené Aiko f/ Future & Miguel, “Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)”
Jhené Aiko, Future, and Miguel make quite the trio on their latest collaboration. “Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)” has a fun vibe that interpolates lyrics from Aiko’s 2011 single, “Hoe,” which Miguel is featured on alongside Gucci Mane. Miguel doesn’t sing more than the chorus on this record, but his harmonies with Aiko are soothing. And who better to recruit for a record about situationships and than Future. The lovesick rapper hops on the second verse with syrupy vocals. “You so caught up in the hype, you could have easily been my wife/I see the way your friends look, they already thinkin' I'm sheisty/They misunderstood me when they say I'm Jesus Christ,” he sings. “Happing Over Everything” is the fourth single from Aiko’s forthcoming album, Chilombo, following behind “Triggered (Freestyle),” “None of Your Concern,” and “Pu$$y Fairy.” —Jessica McKinney
PARTYNEXTDOOR, “SPLIT DECISION”
PartyNextDoor didn’t give us an album this month (he previously vowed to release PARTYMOBILE in February), but he did treat fans to a new single. “Split Decision” is a slow-burning record with similar stripped-down instrumentals as his previous releases (“Loyal” and “The News”). On the track, Party appears to grapple with the consequences of his infidelity. “I can see it on your face, you gotta make a split decision/Is it, is worth it?/You won’t spare me any mercy,” he sings. After several delays, PARTYMOBILE is now slated to drop on March 27. —Jessica McKinney
KNDRGRTN, “Blue and Grey”
We premiered KNDRGRTN's debut project Insert Here about a year and a half ago, which saw the Detroit native turned Los Angeles transplant making a specific brand of L.A. listless alt-trap. His new project, once again helmed entirety by Beewirks, feels even heavier on the alt. It’s understandable—we're all seemingly having a rougher go of it than we were in 2018. The mood peaks with “Blue and Grey,” which bears the closest sonic kinship to Insert Here, and features the refrain “life feels like death” right now. Shit isn’t sweet, even in the hills. At his best and most promising, KNDRGRTN is able to put those feelings on wax for music we can ride around to as we sort it all out. —Frazier Tharpe
