The Oswegonian

The Independent Student Newspaper of Oswego State

DATE

Dec. 25, 2024

Laker Review Music

Breaking down Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist: Sept. 20

Last Friday, Sept. 20, Spotify updated its weekly “New Music Friday” playlist. This week’s edition includes another new 98 musical releases, featuring new hits from artists such as Lauv, Maroon 5, blink-182, Hailee Steinfeld, Alicia Keys, Liam Payne and Bebe Rexha.

Maroon 5 is back on the road with their new single “Memories,” ending their hiatus since releasing the smash-hit “Girls Like You” with rapper Cardi B back in 2018. The theme of the song is about losing someone or something. “This song is for anyone who has ever experienced loss. In other words, this song is for all of us,” tweeted lead vocalist Adam Levine.

Lauv, the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and producer who peaked the charts back in 2017 with his hit single “I Like Me Better,” also dropped a new track titled “Feelings,” which currently serves as a stand-alone. The song was written by Lauv himself after he fell in love with a girl who did not have the same sentiments towards the singer.

Solo female artist Hailee Steinfeld released a new single last week, too. “Afterlife” will serve as part of the official soundtrack for the upcoming Apple TV series “Dickinson,” which will also see Steinfeld as the infamous poet Emily Dickinson.

When it comes to girl power this week, Steinfeld is not alone. American singer-songwriter Bebe Rexha is also back on the airwaves with her new track “You Can’t Stop The Girl.” During an interview with MTV, Rexha said that the song, which serves as an ode to strong women, recognizes such “angels” are subject to painstaking attacks from others who want to “pull their wings off.”

Swede Tove Lo also released a new single along with her fourth studio album “Sunshine Kitty.” “Sweettalk My Heart,” the second single extracted from the studio album, is preceded by “Glad He’s Gone,” released back in May of this year.

If what your heart desires is some punk music and guitars, then you have that assured this week as well because blink-182 is back with both a new album and a lead single to go with it. “Pin the Grenade,” will get audiences dancing with its catchy chorus along with its power pop-punk blend. The song pertains to their new studio album “NINE,” also released last Friday, which serves as their ninth studio album.

Also along the lines of indie pop, Los Angeles-based Fitz And The Tantrums are back on the grind ending their three-year hiatus with a new song “OCD,” now under Elektra records. The lead single will serve as part of the band’s fourth studio album, “All The Feels.”

If none of the aforementioned music styles match listeners likes, there are plenty of choices this week in both rap and hip-hop music, with new tracks from artists such as G-Eazy and his new song “Too Loud.”

Nonetheless, whether audiences are into electronic music or not, Norwegian DJ and record producer Cashmere Cat dropped a new tune called “WATERGIRL,” recycling the chorus from Christina Aguilera’s 1999 hit “What A Girl Wants.”

Image from Lauv via YouTube