I must say, this past New Music Friday popped off! For music fans like myself, I’m sure we’ve all seen the onslaught of recent releases. Since there is a never-ending stream of new music these days, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the options. Lucky for you, I’ve scoured the sacred Spotify list of all of last week’s top releases. Because it is the start of the week, Mic Drop Music will catch you up with you the latest drops you may have missed last week.
SZA, “Ghost in the machine”
One of the biggest and most talked about releases from this past Friday comes from SZA. Her latest album S.O.S. comes five years after her debut with CTRL. SZA has finally gifted us her sophomore album! This album did not disappoint whatsoever. There are 23 songs on the album to make up for the wait, and guests like Don Toliver, Phoebe Bridgers, Travis Scott. The late Wu-Tang Clan member Ol’ Dirty Bastard even appears on several tracks. These songs are stunningly personal snapshots of SZA’s development as a songwriter and performer over the course of a decade. This album showcases how her relationships have grown and changed and occasionally fallen apart.
While I certainly had no skips on this album, “Ghost in the Machine” is one of my top favorites. “Ghost in the Machine” was quite different from what we usually hear from SZA. However, it is a triumphant return to the lo-fi, nostalgic synthesizers that helped break SZA out back in 2014. SZA cries “I need humanity” on the heavily programmed single. An unexpected addition to this song was the collaboration, of Phoebe Bridgers. Midway through the song, the breathy multitracked Bridgers enters, talking of transitory places like “an airport bar or hotel lobby.”
Throughout their collaboration, SZA and Bridgers express a need for interpersonal connection. The obliqueness of their allusions suggests they may be making a point about the music business. In “Ghost in the Machine,” she seems to be expanding on these feelings, reassuring herself that she is, in fact, a human and not a machine.
Hailee STEINFELD FT ANDERSON .PAAK – “Coast”
One of my favorite music releases of the past week has been the recent acoustic version of “Coast,” a collaboration between Hailee Steinfeld and Anderson.Paak. The original version of this song was released back in August; however, this new acoustic version was released on Wednesday, December 7th. The song itself is an irresistible and funky chorus that you won’t be able to get out of your brain. Even though it may not seem to be the most obvious pairing at first glance, Steinfeld and Anderson. Paak perform incredibly well together as a duet. Hailee’s incredible voice serving as the ideal complement to Anderson’s music. Paak’s rap style.
LANA DEL REY – “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under ocean blvd”
Being that Lana Del Rey is a personal favorite musical artist of mine, it’s only fitting that I mention the upcoming release of her new album. Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is the name of her next album and she has just released a song with the same name. The sequel to her previous album, Blue Banisters, is scheduled for release on March 10th 2023.
In the song, Lana discusses small, unremarkable things that fascinate her more than dramatic themes or catchy pop choruses did in her earlier work. This was one new music releases that I was looking forward to!
A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE – “i need it”
I was shocked to hear so little about rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and his new album, Me vs. Myself. A Boogie raps and sings under two aliases. Artist, who deals with sensitivity and sorrow, and A Boogie, who is more brash and confident. Me vs. Myself is just a rebranding of the same basic idea. The 22-song collection switches between A Boogie and Artist with strict regularity. Me vs. Myself features artists such as Tory Lanez, Roddy Rich, Kodak Black, Don Q, G Herbo, Lil Durk, and H.E.R.
WHICH MUSIC RELEASE WAS YOUR FAVORITE?
With all of the new music releases, including those that aren’t on this list, there are so many amazing songs to listen to. It felt great to finally hear some new tracks, considering I had repeatedly been listening to the same few songs for the last couple weeks. We heard from artists from all genres last week, so what would you say was your favorite album or song released last week?
