The MixtapE! Presents Sam Smith, Macklemore, Dolly Parton and More New Music Musts

Featuring new releases from Thomas Rhett, Kim Petras, Joshua Henry, Conor Maynard and more, your playlist for the Jan. 20-22 weekend has arrived.

By Mike Vulpo Jan 20, 2023 9:38 PMTags

New music Fridays are a thrilling, yet daunting prospect for any music lover. 

It's essentially a weekly holiday where fan-favorite artists and fresh faces alike drop their latest offerings for all the world to hear, flooding streaming services and digital retailers with an onslaught of aural goodies. But who has the time to sit there and listen to everything before updating their playlists? There's just too much good stuff! (And, if we're being honest, usually a few stinkers, too.)

As it turns out, we do. Welcome to The MixtapE!

We know we're not the only ones excited for new Sam Smith music. 

On Jan. 20, the Grammy winner released the title track from their upcoming album, Gloria. "One of the most important pieces of music I'll ever make has just come out," they wrote on Instagram. "I love this song, I love you all. Introducing 'Gloria' x." 

Written during the coronavirus lockdown, "Gloria" was recorded at St Mary's Church in England, which Sam attended as a child. And the track itself is part of a bigger collection of music that Sam says "got me through some dark times and was a beacon for me in my life." 

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Musicians Performing Live on Stage

Whether you're looking for songs to brighten your day or get you dancing into the weekend, we compiled the best new music of the week. Keep scrolling for new music from Macklemore, Thomas Rhett and more stars. 

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Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan & Debbie Harry—"Gonna Be You" 

Featured in Paramount Pictures' upcoming film 80 for Brady, "Gonna Be You" celebrates deep friendships between women. "Since 80 was in the title, I got a crazy idea," songwriter Dianne Warren said. "Why not get some of the most iconic singers from the '80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!" The result is a game-winning hit. 

Sam Smith—"Gloria" 

Before serving as musical guest on Saturday Night Live Jan. 21, the Grammy winner released the title track from their forthcoming album. "This is my queer love hymn, saying life is a song to 'Gloria,' the thing I can't put a word to," they said. "I don't know if it's nature or a feminine energy inside me that I'm setting free."

Macklemore feat. DJ Premier—"Heroes" 

As excitement continues to grow for the Grammy winner's studio album Ben, Macklemore is honoring some of his idols including DJ Quik and N.W.A. "Seven, I heard N.W.A in the street / From my older neighbor who was playin' ‘F--k tha Police,'" he raps. "Eleven, writin' graffiti, fifteen, I'm sellin' weed / By sixteen, I had an MPC / (It was Hip Hop's fault) That I wanted to grow up." 

Thomas Rhett—"Angels (Don't Always Have Wings)" 

The country singer showcases his rich vocals in a song that celebrates unconditional, patient love. "I wrote it from a personal perspective, but I think it will resonate with a lot of people," he explained. "It's about how none of us are perfect, and how lucky we are to have those people in our lives who show up and love us despite our flaws. I often look at my wife and think she's truly an angel, for the love and grace she shows me every single day."

Joshua Henry—"Can't Nobody Tell Us Nothin"

After appearing on Broadway's Into the Woods and ABC's live musical production of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, Joshua is ready to drop a brand-new single from his forthcoming album set for release this spring. "‘Can't Nobody Tell Us Nothin'' is a feeling of being undeniably and totally in the embrace of love," he said. "It's a mix of intimacy and fireworks only the heart can understand."   

Kim Petras—"brrr"

On the heels of her 2023 GLAAD Media Awards nomination for Outstanding Music Artist, Kim has released a beat-heavy song she's proud to call a "bad bitch anthem." Prepare for the debut performance of "brrr" on Late Night With Seth Meyers Jan. 23. 

Kali Uchis—"I Wish You Roses"

Before heading to Coachella 2023, the 28-year-old is reminding fans that they deserve their roses while they can still smell them. "The message is just about releasing people with love," Kali told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. "Being able to not look at it as a negative thing to let people go." 

Conor Maynard—"If I Ever" 

After disappearing from social media in the winter of 2022, Conor is finally ready to give his followers some answers in a personal new song. "‘If I Ever' is the first of a series of songs I wrote about an extremely difficult breakup I went through last year," he said. "It was a unique relationship and hard to write about, because 90 percent of it took place over phone calls and video calls, which I understand was common during the pandemic. This song captures my emotional experience following that breakup." 

Meghan Patrick—"She's No Good for Me" 

Opening with booming drums and a piercing guitar riff, Meghan's new track finds the singer shedding her old rough-around-the-edges self and emerging as a stronger person. "It feels like a major milestone in the journey," she noted. "It has not been an easy one, and it has required a lot of strength and dedication to growth and change. I have been bound and determined to not only find and fall in love with my best self, but find my best, most authentic self musically and dive into her unapologetically" 

Happy listening! 

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