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!
Somehow, it's June.
And not only does that mean summer is officially upon is, but it's time to celebrate Black Music Appreciation Month too! Fittingly, there are a number of Black artists offering up new releases worth your time. From the return of Tinashe to the long-awaited foray into original music from Cynthia Erivo and so many more, these are our picks for the best of the week's best.
Your playlist for the first weekend of June has arrived. Enjoy!
Tinashe feat. Buddy — "Pasadena"
About her first solo release of the year, a high-energy bouncing bop perfect for the summer months, Tinashe told E! News, "I hope this song makes people want to dance! I'm all about bringing good vibes and joy into 2021!" Mission accomplished. Fingers crossed this is the lead single to the fifth studio album we've been waiting for.
Cynthia Erivo — "The Good"
We're not quite sure how it took the superstar multi-hyphenate this long to release original music of her own, but judging by this lead single off her forthcoming debut album Ch. 1 Vs. 1, the wait was well worth it. The pop-soul production is a dream and Cynthia's vocal performance is impeccable, per usual. Is it September yet?
BRELAND feat. Keith Urban — "Throw It Back"
The genre-bending up-and-comer reteams with the country legend after their collab on Keith's 2020 album The Speed of Now Part 1 for this country-trap track that feels tailor-made for your pool party and summer BBQ playlists.
Joy Oladokun — "let it be me"
It feels unfair to single out just one track from the singer-songwriter's stunning major label debut LP, In Defense of My Own Happiness. The entire album is just that good. But this achingly intimate and engrossing song is a great place to start if you're looking for a sense of just how special Joy is.
Mykki Blanco feat. Kari Faux — "Summer Fling"
Ahead of the release of their forthcoming mini-album Broken Hearts & Beauty Sleep, Mykki's released this track that takes inspiration from the early aughts production of Missy Elliott and Timbaland. "I wanted 'Summer Fling' to feel like a song I could have heard at my middle school dance, maybe it's because those were the years in which I was coming of age," they said in a press release announcing the single. It may be referencing the past, but this one feels so perfectly of the moment. It's a whole bop.
Lucky Daye — "Running Blind"
Appearing on the upcoming Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3 EP from ESPN's The Undefeated, this track from the rising R&B star is a searing and empowering scorcher.
POLO & PAN feat. Channel Tres — "Tunnel"
It may seem like we're always including a Channel Tres track here at The MixtapE!, but it's not our fault that the guy is wildly prolific. Here he teams up with French electro-pop duo POLO & PAN for a woozy little wonder that practically demands to be played late-night as you get into whatever after-hours mischief awaits you.
Kidd Kenn — "Good Day"
One listen to this upbeat track from the queer Chicago hip-hop sensation and it's easy to see why it was chosen for a sync-up in the Target x NY Pride online ad. "I just wanted to make a track that people heard and instantly felt confident after hearing it," Kidd said in a press release. "I wanted everyone to have a good day. Working with Target was wonderful, exciting—it was something new. It was a dream that I always wished for."
Happy listening!