Some of our favorite artists delivered new music this Friday, as we were blessed with projects from Justin Bieber (Changes), A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (Artist 2.0), Tame Impala (The Slow Rush), Fetty Wap (Trap & B), and more. Beyond the full-length offerings, some of the best new music this week came in the form of singles: Migos, Travis Scott, and Young Thug’s “Give No Fxk”; Swae Lee’s “Back 2 Back Maybach”; YG & Kehlani’s “Konclusions”; Snoh Aalegra & Pharrell’s “Whoa”; YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Knocked Off”; and more. These are the best new songs this week.
Follow our accompanying Best New Music playlist on Spotify here.
Migos, Travis Scott & Young Thug, “Give No Fxk”
As the world awaits the release of Culture III, the Migos returned this week with “Give No Fxk,” featuring Travis Scott and Young Thug. Produced by Murda Beatz and DJ Durel, each member of the the all-star pairing trades verses over bouncy production. “I made the beat with DJ Durel and Quavo walked in the room yelling ‘We don’t give no fucks.’ I said ‘That should be the hook’ and the rest is history,” Murda said about “GNF” in a statement to Complex. “The song happened pretty organically. I know its about to fuck the streets up!” The Atlanta trio’s first offering since last August’s Quality Control: Control The Streets Volume 2, “GNF” is expected by some to be the lead single from Migos’ forthcoming studio album. —Brad Callas
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie f/ Roddy Ricch and Gunna, “Numbers”
This is unfair. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Roddy Ricch, and Gunna on the same song, over London On Da Track production?! Sheesh. This is going to do Kpop numbers. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the formulaic brainchild of a bunch of executives in a major label boardroom, though. A Boogie, Roddy, and Gunna are three of the most gifted young melodic rappers in the world, and they beautifully complement each other over guitar-driven production on “Numbers.” We’re going to be hearing this one everywhere in 2020 and we’re not mad about it at all. This is a smash. —Eric Skelton
Justin Bieber, “Take It Out On Me”
On “Take It Out On Me,” Justin Bieber addresses the not-so-perfect side of every relationship. Instead of dwelling on the bad days and stress, though, he manages to find the silver lining. “Sometimes I don’t mind you havin’ the worst day/Oh no, I don’t/All the stress turns into built-up energy,” he croons. Some could say the track is shedding some light on his marriage Hailey Bieber, although none of the lyrics explicitly say so, although the couple has agreed that “marriage is very hard.”Changes isn’t quite the R&Bieber some of us had in mind, but “Take It Out on Me” is one of the closest singles to his 2013 era, and finds Justin embracing all facets of love instead of just the side with butterflies and roses. —Jessica McKinney
Tame Impala, “Breathe Deeper”
I spent way too long trying to pick just one song from Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush to include in this week’s Best New Music roundup. This is an album meant to be consumed front-to-back, and it feels unfair to pick just one song out of the tracklist. Plus, there are so many great songs on here to pick just one. On first listen, my early favorites (outside of the singles) were “Breathe Deeper” and “On Track,” but then I ran it back for a second spin and songs like “It It True” jumped to the top. So, take our word for it and just listen to the whole damn album. But if you need a place to start, go ahead and try “Breathe Deeper,” which makes the most of its 6-minute runtime. You did it again, Kevin Parker. —Eric Skelton
YoungBoy Never Broke Again, “Knocked Off”
As NBA YoungBoy gears up to release his new mixtape, Still Flexin, Still Reppin, the Baton Rouge Rapper returned with the threatening “Knocked Off.” Backed by TayTayMadeIt’s ominous piano keys, the dark street single finds NBA at his most villainous. “Can’t help you see I’m rich, yeah/Say the wrong thing and you bent/We got FN’s and Glock 10s, ten millimeter/YoungBoy hot and I done broke the meter/All this money got me blind, I don’t know these people, yeah,” he raps, embracing his lack of remorse. We’ll find out soon if YoungBoy’s aggression carries over to Still Flexin, Still Reppin. —Brad Callas
Swae Lee, “Back 2 Back Maybach”
As Swae Lee continues to tease his upcoming second solo album, the Rae Sremmurd rapper returned this week with “Back 2 Back Maybach,” a smooth new song to hold fans over. “Using the cash as an offerin'/Smokin' and drinkin' on contraband/I'm with the gang and we walkin' in,” he sings over the 808-driven beat. “All my life I had to fight/Did I manage to survive?/Will I ever find a wife?” “Back 2 Maybach” marks Swae’s first solo release of 2020 after he dropped “Sextasy” and the Drake-assisted “Won’t Be Late” next year. We can’t wait to hear what’s next. —Brad Callas
YG f/ Kehlani, “Konclusions”
Kehlani and YG have had their share of ups and downs since they went public with their romance in September 2019, but the duo put those issues aside on their new collaboration, “Konclusions.” On the track, which includes production from Boi-1da among others, YG asks, “Do you fuck with me how I fuck with you?/Ayy, is your love for me bulletproof?” Kehlani slips in on the chorus, offering a melodic break in the track. And giving it the official westside stamp, the R&B singer appears to borrow some familiar rhymes and flows from the intro of Tupac’s 1996 classic, “Hail Mary.” “You say you want a ride-or-die/Well, la, la, la, la, la, la, I ride/But you know I’ma ride, la, la, la, la, la, la,” she sings. “Konclusions” is a lighthearted record that arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day. —Jessica McKinney
Snoh Aalegra f/ Pharrell, “Whoa”
Snoh Aalegra previously captivated fans with her warm love song “Whoa” in 2019. The audio was followed up by a music video that featured Michael B. Jordan. Now, the soul songstress is circling back with a remix featuring Pharrell Wiliams. Skateboard P floats on the record’s second verse with sweet raps. He manages to incorporate several metaphors about extraterrestrials, making it sound more romantic than creepy. It’s a pleasant surprise to hear Pharrell rapping on a track rather than singing, like we’ve heard so much from him recently. Together, Snoh Aalegra and Pharrell make the perfect love song. —Jessica McKinney
Fetty Wap, “Questions”
Nearly five years since he owned spring and summer 2015 with “Trap Queen,” Fetty Wap is switching things up for his latest project, Trap & B. The 20-minute, seven-track offering features a handful of slow jams from the New Jersey rapper, including the early standout, “Questions.” Although songs about love aren’t new to Fetty (see his Top 20 hit, “Again”), “Questions” is a true mood-setter, as he serenades his lover over lo-fi R&B percussion. “Always keep it real, don't put your feelings first/Playin' with emotions, get your feelings hurt/You love me but you don't, how do this feeling work?/I'm with you, baby, just say I'm yours,” he croons on the hook. —Brad Callas
BONUS: Justin Bieber f/ Ski Mask the Slump God “Running Over”
Many of us were disappointed to see Lil Dicky’s name show up on the tracklist of Justin Bieber’s new album, but things got even worse when, moments after Changes hit streaming services, members of Ski Mask the Slump God’s team revealed that he was originally supposed to be on the Dicky song, “Running Over.” Then, a few moments later, the Ski Mask version leaked online, and it’s flames. This would have been a huge moment for Ski, especially since the song is so good, but he has handled the whole situation with class. Acknowledging his fans who were outraged by the situation, he tweeted: “Lmaoo I Love My Supporters.” We stan a respectful king! Justin, please put this version on the deluxe, or throw Ski on the remix. Justice for Ski Mask! —Eric Skelton
