It's finally the end of the week, which can only mean one thing: New Music Friday. This week, we have long-waited releases from the likes of Stray Kids and Dua Lipa. Whether you are looking for a new club anthem, a smooth R&B ballad, a frisky hip-hop track, or are in the market to update your K-pop playlists, this week's new releases have got your back.
This week is big for long-anticipated returns. Dua Lipa is ushering in a new era with “Houdini," which will follow 2020's Future Nostalgia; R&B budding star Ryan Trey recently released Streets Say You Miss Me, his first album in two years; and Tierra Whack tapped into her archives to release her first single in almost two years, as well. In the K-pop realm, the comebacks are much more frequent, but this week's releases also have anticipation stacked high, particularly in the case of Stray Kids and aespa, who are both putting out new mini-albums.
But why describe it with words when you can just listen? Below, check out the new songs you need to be listening to this week.
Dua Lipa, “Houdini”
Miss Dula Peep is coming for us, and we are more than ready. Over three years after the release of her hit album Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa (and her spanking new red hair) is introducing a new era with her single “Houdini,” co-produced by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Danny L Harle. Firmly rooted in disco-pop, which has become Lipa's home turf, the hazy “Houdini” features synths galore, funky bass, and a dose of distortion for good measure while using the figure of the famed escape artist as a metaphor for leaving the thrill of the chase if unimpressed.
Stray Kids, 樂-STAR
K-pop juggernauts Stray Kids are back with ROCK-STAR, their eighth Korean mini-album, which again taps heavily into the unapologetically raucous soundscape they are known and loved for. Leading the project is the title track, “락 (樂) (LALALALA),” a rock-leaning phonk gem with wordplay galore that displays the members' different charms. Changbin's intro guttural rap sets the tone for the rest of the song, which gets progressively growlier, except for a quasi-orchestral bridge.
aespa, Drama
Following a slew of breathtaking concept photos, aespa has finally released their fourth mini-album, Drama. Leading the six-track project is the title track of the same name. The SM Entertainment quartet lives up to the album's name in the noir-esque music video for the song, rife with lyrical repetition and more than a couple of self-references to their existing repertoire.
Tierra Whack, “Chanel Pit”
Tierra Whack's new single, produced by Nick Verruto, takes the playful hip-hop route with innocent chimes, subdued rattling, and sporadic heavy bass leading the composition over Whack's melodic rap. This might be Whack's first release in almost two years, but it's not a new song per se. “The song has been sitting for a while,” Whack told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. “I made it a few years ago. We’ve been all the way honest. The song is old. I have a lot of music stacked, but it’s something about any time I would play that song for people, their eyes would just light up.” Now that it's finally seen the light of day, “Chanel Pit” is supposed to be the first taster of her debut studio album, expected to drop sometime in 2024.
Ryan Trey, Streets Say You Miss Me
If you are looking for new R&B to add to your playlists, look no further than Ryan Trey. Off his new album Streets Say You Miss Me, his first release since 2021, the budding crooner has put out the music video for “More Than Sorry" featuring the narrative allure of ‘00s music videos with the suave tones of the genre’s new wave. Though anchored by smooth guitar, pulsating bass lines, and sweetly insidious chops, “More Than Sorry" puts Trey's vocals and lyrics in the spotlight.
P1Harmony, “Fall In Love Again”
P1Harmony are back with “Fall In Love Again," a new single co-produced by Grammy award winner Tricky Stewart, whose name you might recognize from some super niche songs like Rihanna's “Umbrella,” Beyoncé's “Single Ladies,” or Justin Bieber's “Baby.” Though mainly in English, the track also features original rap verses in Korean penned by members Jongseob and Intak. To record “Fall In Love Again," the sextet traveled to Atlanta, marking the first time they fully record a song outside of their go-to studio in South Korea. The leap of faith paid off, and “Fall In Love Again" is an undeniable earworm.
RIIZE, “Get A Guitar (English Ver.)”
RIIZE have unveiled their first-ever English-language single with the re-edition of the lead track from their debut single album of the same name, which also included fan-favorite track “Memories.” The SM rookies' “Get A Guitar (English Ver.)” features all the trademarks that made the original song a hit — groovy strums, bubbly riffs, and sweet harmonies delivered by the septet — alongside cutesy lyrics to boot.
