Friday Music Guide: New Music From J-Hope & GloRilla, Lil Tecca, Gunna and More
This week, J-Hope kills it with GloRilla, Lil Tecca extends his viral success and Gunna makes a dramatic return. Check out all of this week's picks below:
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j-hope feat. GloRilla, 'Killin It Girl'
As the BTS members complete their mandated military services and their millions of fans wonder what will come next for the globe-conquering group, j-hope is enjoying a nice little run of solo singles right now: following 'Sweet Dreams' with Miguel and 'Mona Lisa,' 'Killin' It Girl' takes a time machine back to early 2000's hip-hop percussion, with j-hope flexing over the beat and GloRilla crashing the party midway through.
Lil Tecca,
Lil Tecca's Dopamine kicks off with 'Dark Thoughts' and 'OWA OWA,' a pair of sample-heavy singles that have recently gone viral and reinvigorated the New York rapper's commercial prospects — yet his fifth album sounds more self-assured than his previous output, with Tecca using his recent success as a springboard to refine his aesthetic instead of freezing in the face of expectation.
Gunna, 'Won't Stop'
An artist as prolific as Gunna typically doesn't wait until June for his first release of a calendar year, but 'Won't Stop' follows up last year's One of Wun with three minutes of calm determination, as if the rapper had been waiting for the right moment to once again strike; the single artwork depicts an ancient, decaying clock, a nod to how long Gunna believes his reign will last.
Mark Ronson & RAYE, 'Suzanne'
From Amy Winehouse to Miley Cyrus to Lykke Li, Mark Ronson has always excelled when presenting a magnetic female singer with a rich sonic tapestry, and 'Suzanne,' his new single with 'Escapism' star RAYE, provides her soaring voice with big-band opulence, creating a throwback soul-pop track that still sounds like it could very well crack pop radio rotations today.
Brandon Lake,
Is Brandon Lake ready to be the mainstream face of contemporary Christian music? After 'Hard Fought Hallelujah,' his absorbing team-up with Jelly Roll, cracked the Hot 100 chart, new album King of Hearts has primed the gruff-voiced, deeply passionate singer-songwriter for a much wider audience, with further collaborations on the full-length still allowing his solo spirit to make a lasting impression.
Editor's Pick: Zara Larsson, 'Midnight Sun'
Although Zara Larsson has enjoyed a winding career over the past decade, her finest moment remains her hit MNEK collaboration 'Never Forget You' — and fortunately, her upcoming album Midnight Sun, including the quiet-storm title track, was created alongside MNEK, as the studio polymath once again provokes the most immediate hooks out of the Swedish pop star.
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