Billboard’s Friday Music Information serves as a useful information to this Friday’s most important releases — the important thing music that everybody will likely be speaking about at present, and that will likely be dominating playlists this weekend and past.
This week, Eminem returns to recapture the glory days of him attempting to recapture his glory days, Normani’s debut album is lastly simply weeks away, Foster the Individuals are again on a brand new label with a brand new sound and way more. Take a look at all of this week’s picks under.
Eminem, “Houdini”
Not shocking that Eminem begins “Houdini” — reportedly the lead single off his upcoming The Loss of life of Slim Shady album — with a callback to his traditional 2002 single “With out Me,” recreating that music’s well-known “Guess who’s again?” intro. Extra shocking is the raise that follows: Eminem not solely swipes the backing melody from the Steve Miller Band’s 1982 Billboard Sizzling 100 topper “Abracadabra,” he roughly recreates the refrain wholesale, simply swapping out Miller’s “I wanna attain out and seize ya” for “I’m bout to achieve in my bag, bruh.” Sadly, on this case, Em stepping into his bag entails making jokes about R. Kelly, the Megan Thee Stallion capturing and his “transgender cat,” earlier than proclaiming, “If I feel that s–t, I’ma say that s–t/ Cancel me, what?” Effectively, if it hasn’t occurred but for Eminem after 25 years of superstardom, this music most likely gained’t be the factor that does it, anyway.
Normani, “Sweet Paint”
Solely two weeks till Normani’s long- — and we imply lengthy — awaited debut album, Dopamine, lastly arrives. Within the meantime, now we have another advance single: “Sweet Paint,” wherein she boasts about her potential to steal your man if and when (and for so long as) she’s so inclined. “If you happen to let me take him, you may by no means get him again/ I’m a baddie and I don’t know the best way to act,” she proclaims within the refrain, with the primary half evolving to “Once I’m completed, child, you may have him again.” It’s a frisky and enjoyable three minutes, with a Coke-bottle-clinking beat from co-producers Starrah and Tommy Brown that retains every thing shifting properly.
Shaboozey, The place I’ve Been, Isn’t The place I’m Going
Few artists releasing albums in 2024 have achieved extra leveling-up since their prior LP than Virignia nation artist Shaboozey, who featured prominently on one of many 12 months’s greatest units in Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, then scored a breakout hit of his personal with the Billboard Sizzling 100 prime 5 hit “A Bar Tune (Tipsy).” That also-growing smash is discovered on Shaboozey’s third album, The place I’ve Been, Isn’t The place I’m Going, together with different dusty and frivolously hip-hop-inflected bangers like “Freeway” and “Let It Burn,” in addition to ballads like “East of the Massanutten” and the Noah Cyrus collab “My Fault.” However there’s additionally some enjoyable newer appears for the artist, just like the Put up Malone-sounding pop-rock of “Anabelle” and the trappier, BigXthaPlug-featuring “Drink Don’t Want No Combine.”
Charli XCX feat. Robyn & Yung Lean, “The 360 remix with robyn and yung lean”
Sure, that’s the actual title of the star-studded new remix of Charli XCX’s “360” single, now that includes a pair of Swedish company in rapper Yung Lean and pop icon Robyn. The three commerce lyrics breathlessly and virtually interchangably all through the two-minute redo, amping the power of the already impressively kinetic authentic model. And naturally, the very best lyrics belong to Ms. Carlsson: I began so younger, I didn’t even have e-mail/ Now my lyrics in your booby.”
Ayra Starr, The 12 months I Turned 21
Rising Beninese-Nigerian singer-songwriter Ayra Starr releases her follow-up to 2022’s 19 & Harmful with this week’s aptly titled The 12 months I Turned 21. The album, which options the the highest 10 Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs hit “Commas,” seamlessly mixes Afrobeats with genres like pop, R&B and amapiano, all tied along with Starr’s wealthy, deep vocals. “It feels very cohesive due to my voice,” she advised Billboard earlier this week. “My voice is my sound — so no matter style I discover myself in, so long as my voice is there, you’re gonna hear the Afrobeats.”
Foster the Individuals, “Misplaced in Area”
Talking of artists with a “Houdini,” 2010s alt-pop hitmakers Foster the Individuals are again this week with the brand new single “Misplaced in Area,” the band’s first style of their just-announced upcoming album Paradise State of Thoughts, FTP’s first new set in seven years. “Area” takes off with a squelching synth bass line and disco groove that sounds nearer to “Pump Up the Jam” than “Pumped Up Kicks,” with a falsetto vocal hook from lead singer Mark Foster — all making for an auspicious starting to the group’s new period, which they’ll be starting on Atlantic Data after spending their first three years on Columbia.
