As the week in music comes to a close, Hypebeast has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks.
This week’s lineup is led by albums coming from Mustard, Ice Spice, Empire Of The Sun and Porter Robinson, with singles – a lineup of collaborative ones, specifically – coming in from Jorja Smith; Young Nudy x Metro Boomin; Cordae x Lil Wayne; Smino x Cousin Stizz; DJ Premier x Lil Wayne x Rick Ross x Big Sean and Ravyn Lenae x Childish Gambino.
Mustard – Faith of a Mustard Seed
Legacied producer Mustard has unveiled his fourth studio album. Faith of a Mustard Seed – which arrives on the heels of his contributions to “Not Like Us” – features 14 tracks and a solid squad of featured lyricists. Mustard kicked off the rollout with the engine-revving “Parking Lot” with Travis Scott, followed up by his rap debut on the solo “Pray For Me.” This week he wrapped it up with “One Bad Decision” with Ella Mai and Roddy Ricch, while other assisting artists include Vince Staples, ScHoolboy Q, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty and many others.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Young Nudy x Metro Boomin – “John Wayne”
While it’s not a collab album, the long-awaited collaboration between Young Nudy and Metro Boomin has surfaced. Complemented by an equally thematic video, “John Wayne” marks quite the return for Nudy – whose last studio release was the Sexyy Red and Latto remix of the head-banging “Peaches & Eggplants.” The high-octane track comes accompanied by a thematic Western-inspired visual as well.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Cordae x Lil Wayne – “Saturday Mornings”
Cordae has stepped back onto the scene with a nostalgia-coated new single. Dubbed “Saturday Mornings,” Cordae enlists Lil Wayne for the assist, and the two prove their sonic chemistry has not subsided since “Sinister.”
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Smino x Cousin Stizz – “Nokia”
In a similarly nostalgic vein, Smino tapped back into the early aughts for his third single of the year. Following up “Polynesian” comes “Nokia” with the assist from previous collaborator Cousin Stizz. Kicking off with the instantly recognizable “Original Tune,” the duo exchanges witty bars over the retro cut.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Ice Spice – Y2K!
Ice Spice has made her debut. The People’s Princess has dropped off the long-awaited Y2K! album – her first full-length studio LP. Arriving just over a year after her debut EP Like… Y2K! is equipped with features from Travis Scott, Gunna and Central Cee. Rounding out at 10 tracks, pre-released “Think U The Sh*t (Fart),” “Phat Butt,” “Gimmie a Light” – all solo efforts by the Bronx rapper – serve as standout points.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Porter Robinson – SMILE 😀
SMILE 😀 signals a move into uncharted territory for Porter Robinson. Tapping into themes of internet culture and pop-punk sonic influences, the producer’s third studio album saw quite the dynamic rollout – both online and IRL. With singles “Knock Yourself Out XD,” “Cheerleader” and “Russian Roulette” leading the tracklist, Robinson delves into what he describes to Hypebeast as “the more ugly sides of himself” on the immersive 10-track project.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Jorja Smith – “High”
After showing out on Childish Gambino‘s Bando Stone & The New World last week, Jorja Smith has unveiled an ethereal solo song of her own. Entitled “High,” the tune is a reflective one for Smith, who says it’s a song about “finding a friend within myself, even through the lows, you have to find the highs.”
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Empire Of The Sun – Ask That God
Everyone’s favorite esteemed, electric Australian duo has dropped its first project in almost a decade. Empire Of The Sun’s latest touchpoint on its expansive discography is a 12-track presentation dubbed Ask That God. Surfacing eight years after its predecessor Two Vines, Empire’s Luke Steele refers to the immersive offering as “a rebirth.”
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
DJ Premier x Lil Wayne x Rick Ross x Big Sean – “Ya Don’t Stop”
DJ Premier has gathered quite the gang on his latest standalone single dubbed “Ya Don’t Stop,” which lands as the latest in a consistent stream of cuts from the producer. It’s been a goal for Premier to get Rick Ross and Weezy on a track together, he recalled in a statement. The timing worked out with Big Sean coincidentally asking for a scratch hook from the producer – and hopping on the high-octane song to lay down some bars in return.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Ravyn Lenae x Childish Gambino – “One Wish”
As Bird’s Eye‘s release date grows nearer, Ravyn Lenae continues to flesh out the project’s universe with a delivery of dreamy singles. The latest in the lineup is “One Wish” with Childish Gambino, which comes paired with a cinematic music video.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
