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!
Allow Kat Graham to kick off Pride Month in style.
While fans may know the actress for her work on The Vampire Diaries, the 32-year-old is going back to her music roots with her new dance-pop album, Long Hot Summer.
"It is such a fun album about liberation," Kat told E! News' Daily Pop. "I wanted to do something for Pride for many, many years. I wanted to do something that would benefit GLAAD. I wanted to do something that was a culmination of my journey as an artist."
Kat said she is ready to give the community that first embraced her an album focusing on self-exploration and acceptance. For even more new music picks for the first weekend of June, keep reading.
Alexander Ludwig—"Faded on Me"
When announcing the upcoming release of his full-length debut album, Highway 99, the Hunger Games actor gave fans a sneak peek into what he's been working on. "If my album could be summed up in a song, it would be 'Faded on Me,'" Alexander said. "The song spoke to me so much. As a kid, my parents taught me to roll with the punches, and this song is all about that. Taking whatever life throws your way and throwing it right back."
Diplo and Swae Lee feat. Gary Clark Jr. and Austin Butler—"Tupelo Shuffle"
Before performing at the MTV Movie & TV Awards on June 5, Diplo and Swae Lee released their latest collaboration from the Elvis movie soundtrack. Named after Tupelo, Miss., the song pays tribute to Elvis Presley's hometown and will make fans even more excited for the upcoming Baz Luhrmann film about the king of rock and roll.
Kat Graham—Long Hot Summer
Before kicking off a global tour on June 3 at Los Angeles' OUTLOUD Festival/WeHo Pride, the singer created a love-letter to the LGBTQ+ community. The album is full of bangers with sweeping pop synths over aggressive '80s beats. Get ready to dance all weekend long.
Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX—"I Don't Care Re-Edit 2022"
Icons, are you ready for this remix? More than 10 years after the party anthem's release, Icona Pop and Charli XCX come back together for a special edition. Do we feel old? Yes, but as these ladies sing: "I don't care, I love it!"
aespa—"Illusion"
In just two days, the rising K-Pop girl group's new song has racked up close to 3 million views on YouTube alone. They were also just named Apple Music's Up Next artist! This weekend, take some time to hear the sweet sounds of Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning.
Sophia Scott—"Don't Tempt Me"
The day is finally here! Nashville's breakout country artist has released her debut EP, One of These Days. Her opening song immediately welcomes her fun side with the perfect soundtrack for a wild night out with friends. The track sets the stage for a body of work that balances poignant ballads with high-energy, country bops.
Mitch Bradford—"More Than Life"
With his soulful vocals on full display, Mitch has created a song that is equal parts nostalgic and hopeful for the future. "'More Than Life' is about the magic of radio," he said, "when you could turn to an FM station, hear something totally unexpected, a new song for the first time, and feel so good. We tried to capture the spark of hearing a new song for the first time and knowing you're going to love it forever."
Megan Knight—My Drama
The title track of Megan's new EP out today features a rock vibe that gets you moving to the beat from the intro alone. The chorus has Megan accompanied by a male vocalist, and their harmonizing emphasizes the core message of the song: "I can deal with your demons and your trauma/if you can live with me and my drama."
Happy listening!