From radically optimistic pop songs to unflinchingly pessimistic diss tracks, this week has been filled with notable new music releases.
Dua Lipa returned Friday (May 3) with her highly anticipated third album, Radical Optimism, an 11-track dance-pop set that finds the star departing somewhat from her disco-infused Future Nostalgia sheen in favor of a more summery sound. It’s also her most personal project to date, with Lipa telling Billboard, “I felt so free in telling my stories and talking about my experiences.”
Operating on an entirely different wavelength is Kendrick Lamar, who dropped not one, but two vengeful response songs targeted at Drake this week — “Euphoria” and “6:16 in LA.” Not a single aspect of Drizzy’s artistry and personal life goes unaddressed by the “Money Trees” rapper, who spits on the former, “I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk/ I hate the way that you dress/ I hate the way that you sneak diss …”
The week was also full of big collaborations, with Imagine Dragons and J Balvin teaming up for “Eyes Closed,” and Kane Brown joining forces with Marshmello for a follow-up to their 2019 “One Thing Right” duet, “Miles on It.” Plus, Gunna dropped new single “WhatsApp (Wassam)” one week ahead of his fast-approaching album One of Wun, while Willow served up her sixth studio record, Empathogen.
With such a diverse offering of new music releases this week, it may be hard to choose just one favorite. Regardless, we want to know what your top pick is — so let us know by voting in our poll below.