{"id":2338663,"date":"2026-03-20T14:59:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T14:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2338663"},"modified":"2026-03-20T14:59:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T14:59:11","slug":"new-music-friday-alex-isley-mike-will-made-it-coco-jones-6lack-tank-the-bangas-bring-the-heat-for-the-first-day-of-spring-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/new-music-friday-alex-isley-mike-will-made-it-coco-jones-6lack-tank-the-bangas-bring-the-heat-for-the-first-day-of-spring-news\/","title":{"rendered":"New Music Friday: Alex Isley, Mike WiLL Made-It, Coco Jones, 6LACK, Tank &#038; The Bangas Bring the Heat for The First Day of Spring | News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"ArticleCopyContainer\">\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>Spring has officially arrived, and so has one of the most stacked New Music Fridays of the year. From a long-awaited major-label debut rooted in L.A. soul to a producer album that reads like an Atlanta hip-hop family reunion, this week&#8217;s releases are serving range, depth, and plenty of replay value. Here&#8217;s everything worth adding to your rotation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">Alex Isley, When The City Sleeps<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>This is the one. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/music.apple.com\/us\/album\/when-the-city-sleeps\/1875112024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alex Isley<\/a>&#8216;s major-label debut on Free Lunch\/Warner Records has been building momentum since her WHEN EP last year, and the full 15-track album is a lush, unhurried love letter to Los Angeles. Isley has described it as her most personal work yet, blending R&amp;B and jazz into something that feels like a late-night drive down Crenshaw with the windows cracked. The tracklist features collaborations with James Fauntleroy on the title track and Syd on &#8220;PCH,&#8221; plus D&#8217;Mile-produced standout &#8220;Sweetest Lullabye,&#8221; a gorgeous farewell ballad that showcases the kind of vocal restraint most singers can only dream of.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>The Grammy-nominated singer, who carries the Isley Brothers legacy in her DNA while carving out a sound entirely her own, also announced a North American tour kicking off May 26 in Atlanta and hitting 14 cities through late June. She was nominated for Outstanding Female Artist at this year&#8217;s NAACP Image Awards alongside Teyana Taylor and SZA, and if you&#8217;ve been sleeping, consider this album your alarm clock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>NPR named <em>When The City Sleeps<\/em> one of the week&#8217;s best albums in their <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/03\/20\/nx-s1-5752262\/new-music-friday-best-albums-march-20-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Music Friday roundup<\/a>. It deserves every bit of that shine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">Mike WiLL Made-It, R3SET<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>Mike WiLL Made-It is back with his first solo album in nearly a decade, and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thesource.com\/2026\/03\/20\/mike-will-made-it-r3set-album\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>R3SET<\/em><\/a> is a full-scale Atlanta homecoming. The 15-track project reads like a cross-generational summit: 21 Savage opens things up on &#8220;ATL (APPR3CIAT3 TH3 LOV3),&#8221; Young Thug sounds noticeably reinvigorated on &#8220;RUSSIAN ROULETT3,&#8221; and the trio of Killer Mike, T.I., and Young Dro link up on &#8220;MON3Y TALK$.&#8221; CeeLo Green brings soulful depth on &#8220;ALL I KNOW,&#8221; and J. Cole shows up on &#8220;OFG!&#8221; with the kind of sharp, stripped-back delivery that suits the skeletal production perfectly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>But what makes <em>R3SET<\/em> live up to its name is how Mike WiLL weaves newer voices into the mix. Monaleo connects with Travis Porter on &#8220;STANDING O,&#8221; KARRAHBOOO and Anycia join Mississippi vet J Money on &#8220;MY WAY,&#8221; and Chief Keef and YoungBoy Never Broke Again collide on &#8220;ROOMS.&#8221; In <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/entertainment\/2026\/03\/19\/mike-will-made-it-r3set-reset\/498f88be-23ab-11f1-954a-6300919c9854_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an AP interview<\/a>, Mike WiLL spoke about losing everything on stolen hard drives and spending the years since rebuilding, both his vault and his creative identity. This album sounds like a man who used the setback as a setup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">6LACK, &#8220;Bird Flu&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>6LACK is in his feelings, and we&#8217;re here for it. &#8220;Bird Flu&#8221; is the lead single from his upcoming album <em>Love Is The New Gangsta<\/em>, due May 22 via LVRN\/Interscope. The track finds the five-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter reflecting on relationship struggles with the kind of quiet vulnerability he&#8217;s made his signature. The accompanying music video sets a cinematic tone for what he&#8217;s describing as a project about growth, fatherhood, healing, and the idea that compassion is the real power move. After years of reflection and transformation, this feels like 6LACK at his most emotionally transparent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">Coco Jones, &#8220;LUVAGIRL&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>Fresh off performing &#8220;Lift Every Voice and Sing&#8221; at the 2026 Super Bowl and riding the momentum of her sophomore album <em>Why Not More?<\/em>, the Grammy winner is stepping into a brand-new era with &#8220;LUVAGIRL.&#8221; The single blends theatrical soul with a warm, bold love story, and it highlights the vocal range that&#8217;s made Coco one of the most undeniable voices in R&amp;B right now. She&#8217;s been teasing the track for weeks, and the full release delivers on every bit of the hype.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">Lizzo, &#8220;Don&#8217;t Make Me Love U&#8221;<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>Lizzo is confronting her past self, literally. Her new single &#8220;Don&#8217;t Make Me Love U,&#8221; produced by longtime collaborator Ricky Reed and Cheche Alara, is a synth-driven power ballad that draws from &#8217;80s rock energy and channels it into a raw meditation on public perception and loyalty. The music video, directed by Tanner K. Williams, puts Lizzo face-to-face with her <em>Cuz I Love You<\/em>-era self in a surreal, emotionally charged visual. She told Billboard the song is about the toxicity of being built up and discarded by the same people. Her fifth studio album, <em>Love in Real Life<\/em>, has been announced but doesn&#8217;t have a release date yet. Outside of music, she&#8217;s set to portray gospel pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in an upcoming biopic alongside Forest Whitaker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">Samara Cyn, Detour EP<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>If you haven&#8217;t been paying attention to Samara Cyn, now is the time. The Tennessee-born, L.A.-based rapper and singer dropped her seven-track EP <em>Detour<\/em> today via Vanta\/Disney, and it&#8217;s a project that blends dark, introspective hip-hop with boom bap rhythms and neo-soul textures. A 2025 XXL Freshman and Daily Show alum who&#8217;s earned co-signs from Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, Samara is pushing into increasingly experimental territory while staying rooted in something deeply personal. The lead single &#8220;oooshxt!&#8221; set the tone with distorted production and an unfiltered energy, and the full EP expands on that vision with a focus on freedom, disconnection from digital noise, and vulnerability.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">RAYE, &#8220;Click Clack Symphony&#8221; (feat. Hans Zimmer)<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>The British-Nigerian singer-songwriter is continuing the rollout for her sophomore album <em>THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.<\/em> (due March 27) with her most ambitious single yet. &#8220;Click Clack Symphony&#8221; is a collaboration with legendary composer Hans Zimmer, and it&#8217;s every bit as dramatic as that billing suggests. The track builds from a fast-paced spoken intro into a cathartic, orchestral chorus, tackling themes of survival, friendship, and the struggle to just get out of the house when the world feels heavy. Coming off the massive success of &#8220;Where Is My Husband!&#8221; and a BRIT Award-winning 2025, RAYE is making a strong case for most ambitious pop-soul artist of the moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">Tank and the Bangas, &#8220;Move&#8221; (feat. Lucky Daye)<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>New Orleans&#8217; most genre-defiant band is gearing up for the final chapter of their balloon trilogy, and &#8220;Move&#8221; is the first taste of what&#8217;s coming. The single, featuring Lucky Daye, is a groove-heavy, rhythm-first track that does exactly what the title promises. It arrives ahead of <em>The Last Balloon<\/em>, due May 15, which completes the arc that started with <em>Red Balloon<\/em> and <em>Green Balloon<\/em>. The album is executive-produced by Austin Brown and features a lineup that includes Dawn Richard, Ledisi, and Jelly Joseph. Coming off their first Grammy win for Best Spoken Word Album at the 2025 ceremony, frontwoman Tarriona &#8220;Tank&#8221; Ball and the band sound like they&#8217;re leaning all the way into joyful, danceable, communal energy. Tank has described the album as intentionally built for the live experience, full of gang vocals, handclaps, and call-and-response moments designed to pull a crowd in. If &#8220;Move&#8221; is any indication, <em>The Last Balloon<\/em> is going to be a celebration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"article-block article-block-title\">More Singles to Stream<\/h3>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p>The rest of this week&#8217;s singles slate is deep. Here are the highlights worth your time:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/createmusic.fm\/wild-ride\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Durand Bernarr &amp; James Fauntleroy, &#8220;Wild Ride&#8221;<\/strong> <\/a>brings together two of R&amp;B&#8217;s most gifted vocalists for a collaboration that&#8217;s been a long time coming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XtNRu6nyjFA\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Yaya Bey, &#8220;Egyptian Musk&#8221; (feat. NESTA)<\/strong><\/a> continues the Queens-born artist&#8217;s run of genre-blurring R&amp;B that pulls from hip-hop, jazz, soul, and soca in equal measure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-display-name=\"GenericText\" class=\"article-block article-block-text css-1cgrwt0 e1arxily0\">\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=udhtUteNFrw\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Jorja Smith, &#8220;Price of It All&#8221;<\/strong> <\/a>is the latest from the British soul singer, whose knack for understated emotional depth keeps her among the most consistent voices in the game.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.bet.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spring has officially arrived, and so has one of the most stacked New Music Fridays of the year. From a long-awaited major-label debut rooted in L.A. soul to a producer album that reads like an Atlanta hip-hop family reunion, this week&#8217;s releases are serving range, depth, and plenty of replay value. Here&#8217;s everything worth adding [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2338664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2338663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/New-Music-Friday-Alex-Isley-Mike-WiLL-Made-It-Coco-Jones.usbace24f1-3c50-4f6a-8168-25272e559ad3.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2338663"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2338665,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2338663\/revisions\/2338665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2338664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2338663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2338663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2338663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}