Happy Drake For All the Dogs day — or, sorry, I mean happy Friday! Though it may seem like it these days, it isn't every Friday we get a new Drake album. And during those particularly tough weeks in which every day feels like a Monday, the most underrated gift is New Music Friday. This edition of NMF also welcomes new singles, projects, and releases from NewJeans, Omar Apollo, Tems, and NCT 127. Keep reading to check out our picks for the week's best new music.
Drake, For All the Dogs
The Boy is back, and this time it’s with his highly-anticipated eighth solo studio album For All the Dogs. The rapper allegedly tapped into The Old Drake for the construction of this 23-track record, which features assists from Tees Touchdown, 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, PartyNextDoor, Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, Lil Yachty, Sexyy Red, and SZA — not once, but twice.
The album’s latest single, “8AM in Charlotte” was released just a day before the project’s drop with a music video that stars his 5-year-old son Adonis. The video begins with Adonis explaining his creative process and conception of the scrawled, sinister-looking — now-iconic — album art. Drizzy is in his barettes-and-fronts era, and while we’re open to the reinvention, let’s hope there are much stronger bars present on the rest of the project than that cringey lyric in the opening verse of “Slime You Out.” (You know which one.)
NewJeans, “Gods”
When NewJeans’ collaboration with League of Legends was announced, everyone wondered how it would sound. We finally have the answer, and it’s… freaking good. The five-piece group was tasked with the official song for Worlds 2023, the long-anticipated eSports season final taking place in South Korea from October 10, and they delivered, okay? The K-pop group is known for their pared-down compositions, while the popular game tends to favor more anthemic, high-octane tracks for its soundtracks. Despite the contrasting trademark sounds, the symbiosis is superb.
Tems, “Me & U”
“Me & U,” Tems’s new single and her first solo release in over two years, puts faith in the spotlight. Co-produced with Ghanaian DJ GuiltyBeatz, the mellow “Me & U” shines bright with a bubbly snapping base, soft guitars, and Tems’s honeyed vocals. “[This song] is about discovering the real me, building a genuine relationship with the Creator, and gaining a true perception of self,” the Nigerian singer-songwriter said about the new song in a statement.
Omar Apollo, Live For Me
Following the release of “Ice Slippin” in late August, Omar Apollo has finally released his new four-track EP titled Live For Me. The track that gives the project its name features all elements that have made the Chicano star one to follow in the R&B scene: dreamy keys, hazy harmonies, and lyrics so vulnerable that they’ll both break and heal your soul in a little over three minutes.
NCT 127, Fact Check
NCT 127 is back with Fact Check, their nine-track fifth full-length album, ushered in by the track of the same name. The nine-member group’s trademark boisterous sound is all over “Fact Check,” which mixes elements of EDM, Afrobeats, and Hip-Hop to create a sound that’s uniquely 127. If you want offerings that are not as raucous, however, the album's got you covered with ballads aplenty.
