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!
Leave it to Kane Brown and H.E.R. to convince us not only that it's possible to make a country and R&B collab—but also that it works so well? The musical geniuses came together this week to show exactly why they're "Blessed & Free," with a pensive song about being grateful "as long as my heart still beats."
But if you want something even more steeped in the country genre, Brandi Carlile's seventh album is going to be your weekend jam.
Then, we're expanding our horizons with excellent new numbers from Mahalia, August Royals, Calum Scott and Years & Years.
What follows are our picks for the best of the best. Your playlist for the weekend of Oct. 1-3 has arrived. Enjoy!
Kane Brown and H.E.R. — "Blessed & Free"
Their vocals just sound so good together?! Brown and H.E.R. teamed up for this emotional song about trying to avoid drama and find inner peace. "Struggle with my own fights / So don't try to tell me that it's alright," the Back of My Mind artist sings, while affirming to herself that she has "good intentions" in life.
For Brown, he was inspired by the gratitude he felt after spending more time with his nearly 2-year-old daughter, Kingsley, during the pandemic. "I got to hang out with her all year," he explained to Billboard. "I got to really know her and see her grow and start walking, and I didn't have to miss any of those moments... I'm so thankful now that she's old enough that I can bring her on the bus. I still get to be with her all throughout my tour."
Brandi Carlile — "Broken Horses"
The powerhouse vocalist is certainly not staying silent with her latest album, In These Silent Days. Carlile calls out someone who thought they could "come for me" and shuts them down in her song "Broken Horses," which borrows its name from her new memoir.
"I have whispered through the tears and pleaded sweetly to your face," sings the six-time Grammy winner, whose influences include Elton John. "It is time to spit you out like lukewarm water from my mouth." She's no longer "tethered," but "runnin' wild."
Mahalia feat. AJ Tracey — "Roadside"
This is exactly what you want to play when you find out your S.O. is cheating. Mahalia deserves all the applause for this song and accompanying music video, in which she plays Beyoncé's version of a scorned woman by wielding a baseball bat (kept in a frame reading, "Smash in case of a heartbreak").
"When you left me on the roadside / When you kept me waiting on you all night / I never knew you'd be a heartbreaker," says the singer, who made the track while "talkin about breakups and feelin left in the lurch."
August Royals — "Oxygen"
It's a sign of the times: Royals said the one and only Harry Styles breathed life into his latest song by serving as the primary inspiration. He told fans that "Cherry" by Styles "was the only song I was listening to at the time it was written."
The result: A lament about not being able to "live without" someone after their relationship crashed and burned. "I'm fighting for oxygen," he sings. "I think I got used to your jacket in my living room / Perfume on my mattress / You were gone so soon / It's hard to imagine what happened."
"Oxygen" will satisfy your "Perfect" One Direction craving.
Years & Years — "Crave"
Fans are already grooving to "Crave," with its rainbow visuals and "party vibe," as one person commented on YouTube. Electropop artist Olly Alexander takes listeners into a fantasy world with a dance floor: "Baby, I don't ever wanna replace all the heartache / For a dream come true / The only thing I crave is the pain from you."
Calum Scott — "Rise"
Scott's "Rise" is an anthem for starting anew. "I've got my sleeves rolled up / And I'll be on my way," croons the Britain's Got Talent alum in this soulful song. Pair it with your favorite Kings of Leon and OneRepublic tracks while making an inspirational or spiritual soft rock playlist for fall.
Happy listening!