Billboard's Friday Music Guide is your handy guide to the biggest songs releasing this Friday — the big songs everyone's talking about today, and the songs that will dominate playlists this weekend and beyond.
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Check out the latest videos, charts and news
Check out the latest videos, charts and news
This week, Billie Eilish hits a new sweet spot, Zayn hits a new level, and A Boogie wit da Hoodie is on the rise. Check out our picks for the week below.
Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
Forgetting the standout tracks (and there are several) and the overall atmosphere (lushly developed and instantly engrossing), the miracle of Billie Eilish's third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, is the fact that one of the most celebrated young superstars in the history of popular music (a second Oscar at just 22!) is able to continue to sound free from expectations and unfettered by modern pop trends. Eilish has always made choices unflinchingly in the face of ever-widening fame; from the crackling pop-rock of “Lunch” to the labyrinthine narrative of “Bittersweet” to the heartfelt jangle of “Birds of a Feather,” she remains unpredictable and masterful of her craft on her latest full-length album.
Zayn “The Room Under the Stairs”
Room Under the Stairs is Zayn's first album since turning 30 last year. While the earthy country-rock sound signals a change in approach, the songwriting and vocal performances also capture a maturity, as the former One Direction star seems ready to leave pop stardom behind and tell his own story, his own way. Lead single “What I Am” sets the tone immediately, while “Stardust” blends his flair for melody with a deep, hard-earned soulfulness, immersing listeners in the promise of a new era for Zayn.
A Boogie wit da hoodie, I'd rather be alone
In a few weeks, Bronx rapper A Boogie Wit da Hoodie will headline Madison Square Garden, a turning point for an MC who's always been left of center among hip-hop's elite, but who's steadily built a loyal fanbase and racked up hundreds of millions of streams. His new album, Better Off Alone, features guest appearances from Future, Lil Durk, and Young Thug, but it's “Body,” featuring rising star Cash Cobain, that best represents A Boogie's new-school take on Jersey club-by-way-of-New York hip-hop, and it sounds like a surefire hit.
Luke Combs, “There's No Love in Oklahoma”
Luke Combs' strong new song, featured on the soundtrack for the upcoming Twister sequel, Twisters, explains lyrics like, “You'll know when it's coming/Ride the wind and the rain.” But taken outside the context of the film, “Ain't No Love in Oklahoma” finds Combs singing rollicking over a beefy guitar riff, showcasing a side of the superstar unfamiliar to anyone outside of country fans who know him only from his sensitive cover of “Fast Car.”
Editor's Pick: Saweetie, “NANi”
Saweetie has been climbing the charts and infiltrating mainstream audiences thanks to pop-rap feats like “My Type” and her Doja Cat collaboration “Best Friend,” and her new summer single “NANi” is the perfect opportunity to follow in those hits' footsteps, with its plucking keyboard riffs and sing-along melody. As always, Saweetie's solid flow holds her sound together, as she closes with a superstar brag: “Another day, another bag of shit.”