Nothing stops New Music Friday — not even Grammy nominations.
Though 2023 MVPs like Ice Spice, 21 Savage, Drake and Nicki Minaj racked up the rap subject nominations for the upcoming 66th annual Grammy Awards, final Friday (Nov. 10) supplied a litany of music past these 4 2023 Billboard Music Awards finalists. Final week noticed new albums from the likes of Brandy, YoungBoy By no means Broke Once more and Kodak Black, however these weren’t the one notable releases to replace your weekly playlists with.
With Recent Picks, Billboard goals to focus on a few of the finest and most fascinating new sounds throughout R&B and hip-hop — from BADBADNOTGOOD’s attractive rework of an Elmiene standout to BJ the Chicago Child and Chloe Bailey’s sultry, synthy link-up.
You should definitely take a look at this week’s Recent Picks in our Spotify playlist beneath.
Freshest Discover: Sinkane feat. Tru Osborne, “Every little thing is Every little thing”
For his first new track since 2019’s Dépaysé album, Sudanese-American singer Sinkane selected to floor his lyrics within the harsh realities of the Black residing expertise. Written and composed by bandleader Ahmed Gallab with vocal contributions from Harlem-bred artist Tru Osborne, “Every little thing Is Every little thing” is an amalgam of free jazz, Sudanese pop, gospel, funk and rock. A hearty choir offers a robust anchor for the association, whereas Sinkane and Tru’s harmonies add splotches of colour all through the monitor. “The tides of change / Serve nice objective in our each day / My individuals, we’ll discover our manner,” Sinkane sings, with a hopefulness that constantly permeates the darker truths that the track explores.
Elmiene, “Marking My Time (BABDBADNOTGOOD Edit)”
Elmiene dropped off his debut main label EP, Marking My Time, final month, and to proceed his promotion of the venture, he’s launched a reworked model of the title monitor, helmed by Canadian experimental jazz collective BADBADNOTGOOD. Right here, the group reimagines Elmiene’s authentic with heavy splashes of R&B and psychedelic, particularly of the ’70s persuasion. Elmiene’s vocal relies on allegiance to refined dynamism, and it’s that regular construct that grounds the successful remix.
Rick Ross, Meek Mill & Cool & Dre feat. BEAM, “Go To Hell”
Hip-hop heavyweights Rick Ross and Meek Mill unleashed their extremely anticipated Too Good To Be True joint album final week (Nov. 10), and this collaboration with BEAM and Cool & Dre is a right away standout. Closely nodding to Tears for Worry’s “Shout,” “Go To Hell” finds the 2 rappers deep of their braggadocio as they commerce bars about their wealth, their escapes from the feds, and the way a lot standing and clout they’ve in no matter room they select to stroll into. “Bitch boys run to social media / Wealthy n—a, title in Wikipedia / If I f–okay her as soon as, she wanna f–okay me twice / All the actual n—as clique up, let’s get wealthy tonight,” Rozay raps.
Kevin Gates feat. B.G. & Sexyy Crimson, “Yonce Freestyle”
In a manner, Kevin Gates and Sexyy Crimson are good foils: two devil-may-care rappers who’re unafraid to embody and have a good time the grimiest elements of intercourse and sexuality, with a wholesome sprint of humor so as to add some levity to the entire affair. On “Yonce Freestyle,” the pair’s new collaboration which additionally options NOLA rapper B.G., the 2 maximize their similarities — even when the top result’s a bit tamer than what some might count on. “Yonce Freestyle” is a well-crafted membership banger, with a murky Southern hip-hop beat courtesy of ProdByJM, EJ Grimes and Juko, and an ideal laid-back ratchet tone from Sexyy.
BJ the Chicago Child feat. Chlöe, “Honey”
BJ the Chicago Child additionally launched an album final week (Gravy), and that venture featured a great deal of collaborations for R&B lovers. Amongst these spectacular duets is the Chloe Bailey-assisted “Honey.” Touchdown squarely within the disco-tinged pop that has dominated mainstream prime 40 for many of the younger decade, BJ and Chlöe ship a horny, synth-laden collaboration that balances come-hither euphemisms with some excellent harmonic decisions. Between a surprisingly clean vocal mix and a vivid, clear combine, this simply may be Chlöe’s finest launch of the yr.
Ben Hughes, “What Was It For?”
For the opening monitor of his forthcoming Manha EP, UK musician Ben Hughes opts for a breezy guitar and drum-forward groove. “What Was It For” suits properly within the panorama of up to date British R&B, and Hughes’ cautious vocal strategy works alongside the instrumentation as a substitute of towering over it. It’s a really smooth and luxurious quantity — an air that provides a wise counterbalance to the melodrama of the lyrics. “Convey me peace / And heal my wounds / I’m bleeding out / Only for you,” he croons.
