Olivia Rodrigo leads a notably crowded New Music Friday with “Drop Dead,” the lead single from her forthcoming third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. Featuring an Amy Allen cowriting and a Cure namedrop, the new single welcomes the Grammy-winning pop princess back to the genre’s upper ranks.
Fellow rock-adjacent pop star sombr also shared his new “Potential” single ahead of his set at Coachella weekend two slated for Saturday (April 18). Madonna also hyped up the dance floor with the first taste of Confessions II when she debuted new song “I Feel So Free” on iHeartRadio’s Pride Radio Friday. Tyla and Zara Larsson channeled the sensual pop duets of eras past on their steamy “She Did It Again,” while Demi Lovato paid tribute to Blackout-era Britney Spears with “Low Rise Jeans.” Lana Del Rey finally got her Bond theme (kind of) with “First Light,” a cinematic cut for the new James Bond video game of the same name. And Rosalía reloaded last year’s critically acclaimed Lux with a handful of new songs, led by the soaring “Focu ‘Ranni.”
This week also featured new singles from Riley Green (“My Way”), Midland (“Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey”), Inayah (“Outside”), WizTheMc (“Wait For You”), Buju Banton (“Butterflies”), Cody Johnson (“I Want You”), 21 LIl Harold & BabyDrill (“Spin”), Ava Max (“Out of Your Mind”), Belles & Dolly Parton (“Son of Jolene”) and Kenya Grace (“The One You Loved”).
In terms of larger projects, Nine Inch Noize — the collaborative outfit of Nine Inch Nails and Boys Noize — dropped its 12-track self-titled set, featuring reimaginations of NIN classics such as “Closer.” One Direction alum ZAYN dropped his sultry fifth studio album, Konnakol, while Grammy-nominated MC Sexyy Red shared her new Yo Favorite Trappa Favorite Rappa LP. With some help from marquee pop names including Jack Antonoff, Charli xcx and FKA twigs, Anne Hathaway shared the full Mother Mary: Greatest Hits soundtrack for her new A24 film, which hits theaters this weekend. M.I.A. also debuted a fresh gospel pivot with her left-field new M.I.7 album.
Other notable album releases include new drops from Lewis Capaldi (Survive EP), Yaya Bey (Fidelity), Protoje (The Art of Acceptance), Jessie Ware (Superbloom), rjtheweirdo (At Least She’s Beautiful), Tokischa (Amor & Droga), Flying Lotus (1983), Amma (Middle Child) and John Summit (CTRL Escape).
Which new release this week is your favorite? Vote — or share your own pick — in Billboard‘s New Music Friday poll below:
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