The industry’s pulse has shifted from Kehlani’s birthday takeover that defined late April into a May rollout grounded in soulful returns and gritty rock revivals. This week is characterized by a “veteran’s touch,” featuring artists who are using their institutional weight to push into more experimental and cinematic territory.
The Main Event: Isaiah Rashad & The Black Keys
After nearly five years away, Isaiah Rashad has delivered It’s Been Awful. Released via TDE, the project marks a significant pivot beyond traditional hip-hop into a “cosmic jazz” landscape. The album features the lead single “SAME SH!T” and explores a more textured, experimental sound.
Sharing the marquee is The Black Keys, whose 14th studio album, Peaches!, arrives today. Billed as their “most natural” work since their 2002 debut, the project is a covers album released via Easy Eye Sound and Warner Records.
The R&B & Hip-Hop Vanguard
Lil Tjay: Released his fourth studio album, They Just Ain’t You, via TrenchKid Records today. The project arrives the day after he turned 25 — born April 30 — and features his April single “First Time.”
Durand Bernarr: Fresh off his first Grammy win — Best Progressive R&B Album for BLOOM — Bernarr has released his fourth studio album, BERNARR. Self-titled as a tribute to his father, the album showcases the “Black Queer Joy” that defined his viral acceptance speech and cements his position as one of the most technical vocalists in the game.
Cinematic Pop & Global Anchors
Kacey Musgraves provides the week’s country anchor with her seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere. Released through Lost Highway Records, the record features high-profile collaborations with Willie Nelson (“Uncertain, TX”), Miranda Lambert (“Horses and Divorces”), Billy Strings (“Everybody Wants to Be a Cowboy”), and Gregory Alan Isakov (“Coyote”).
Meanwhile, Tori Amos returns with her 18th studio album, In Times of Dragons, a politically charged and defiant project released through Fontana Records.
The Short-List
Isaiah Rashad – It’s Been Awful (LP)
Lil Tjay – They Just Ain’t You (LP)
Durand Bernarr – BERNARR. (LP)
The Black Keys – Peaches! (LP)
Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere (LP)
Tori Amos – In Times of Dragons (LP)
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source creators.yahoo.com ’
