Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, BLACKPINK, and More Best New Music
Add these new tracks to your weekend playlist.
The end of summer is fast approaching and this week’s best new songs certainly reflect that. Change is in the air and it’s definitely permeating through the sonic waves, with artists channeling nostalgia and heartbreak big time.
This week’s New Music Friday is a big one for longtime Disney Channel fans, with both Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus making grand musical returns. However, the nostalgia continues for the ’90s and ’00s kids. Were you a fan of Pokémon in your youth and still have a soft spot for the fictional creatures? There’s a song for you.
K-pop fans are also in for a treat, with new songs from the likes of super rookies RIIZE and superstars BLACKPINK. It’s also a big week for heartbreak, with Omar Apollo and Conan Gray tapping into their crooner sensibilities to make us feel all the feels. Finally, Victoria Monét’s new album Jaguar II is quite possibly the best new album this week.
But why tell you when you can just listen? Keep scrolling to check out some of this week’s best new songs and releases, and update your playlists accordingly.
Selena Gomez is back in the music scene, and she chose a flirtatious pop song with a disco flair for her return. As you can probably infer from the тιтle, her new track “Single Soon” is a break-up ode that’s sonically tame but catchy nonetheless. “I’m picking out this dress / Trying on these shoes / Cause I’ll be single soon / I’ll be single soon,” Sel sings in the chorus. “I know he’ll be a mess / When I break the news / But I’ll be single soon / I’ll be single soon.”
Teasing the song prior to its release, Selena admitted that “Single Soon” serves as a little appetizer for fans to satisfy their hunger until she’s ready to drop something bigger further down the line. “Y’all have been asking for new music for a while. Since I’m not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that’s perfect for the end of summer,” she shared on Instagram.
Miley Cyrus, “Used To Be Young”
You know you are in for a treat when Miley Cyrus releases a ballad. Opening with lullaby-esque arpeggios and led by suave guitar strums, “Used To Be Young” is a poignant reflection of Cyrus’s past in which she addresses naysayers forthwith.
“The truth is bulletproof / There’s no fooling you / I don’t dress the same / Me and who you say I was yesterday / Have gone our separate ways,” the singer reflects on the opening lines. “I know I used to be crazy / I know I used to be fun / You say I used to be wild / I say I used to be young / You tell me time has done changed me / That’s fine, I’ve had a good run,” she continues in the chorus.
The push and pull of good and bad is what makes “Used To Be Young.” Cyrus herself describes the single as optimistic but laced with sadness, looking back on her past to open the door to her future without regrets.
RIIZE, “Memories”
After a buzzy introduction with the performance video “Siren” earlier this month, SM Entertainment’s new boy group RIIZE have finally given a full song. Accompanied by a video romanticizing suburban summers, “Memories” toes the line of hip-hop and pop. The rookies’ very first song introduces various rhythmic changes throughout its just under three minutes duration, striking a balance that showcases the members’ vocal and rapping abilities while keeping fans on their toes.
Taking cues from the golden age of hip-hop, “Memories” opens with a muted guitar strum ‘that morphs into skittering beats and distorted synths and keys. “East to the south, to the north, to the west side. We RIIZE!” the septet shouts in the pre-chorus right after the first switch-up. High-powered drum and bᴀss take over leading up to the chorus, with the RIIZE’s honeyed harmonies taking center stage.
“Memories” will serve as the B-side to RIIZE’s upcoming debut single “Get a Guitar,” slated for September 4, which we get a small peek of at the end of the “Memories” music video — or so we ᴀssume. The snippet is seconds long but enough to discern that the vibes couldn’t be more different from what we’ve seen so far. It’s safe to say RIIZE’s got the range.
BLACKPINK, “The Girls”
Can you guess who BLACKPINK’s new song is for? “The Girls” is the quartet’s newly unveiled song for the free mobile game BLACKPINK The Game. Though players might have already heard it in-game, “The Girls” made its long-awaited streaming debut this week, and, sure, it is part of a game, but it could have easily been part of a main album.
The rap-heavy, fast-paced track was co-written and co-composed by members Rosé and Jennie during their trips to L.A. and produced by Ryan Tedder and Michel “Lindgren” Schulz. “The Girls” features the quintessential BLACKPINK sound, including a dance break that the quartet’s chibby avatar counterparts bring to life in the accompanying music video. “Don’t mess with the girls / With the girls, with the girls / Stop sign we’re burning it down / Better watch out, we coming in loud / BANG BANG / Just playing around / Don’t mess with the girls / With the girls, with the girls,” the chorus goes.
