{"id":2428490,"date":"2026-05-22T19:31:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2428490"},"modified":"2026-05-22T19:31:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:31:40","slug":"new-music-friday-may-22-2026-the-weeks-best-releases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/new-music-friday-may-22-2026-the-weeks-best-releases\/","title":{"rendered":"New Music Friday May 22, 2026: The Week&#8217;s Best Releases"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Is there anything better than a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Music Friday<\/a> leading into a three-day weekend?<\/p>\n<p>Monday is Memorial Day, giving us an extra 24 hours to do precisely what we please\u2014and we\u2019re deciding that music is going to be a huge part of the celebrations. That\u2019s especially true thanks to new releases from everyone from Olivia Rodrigo and TAEYONG to Charlie xcx. Can\u2019t wait to get listening right along with us? Keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of May 22, 2026.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h5>(\u2018the cure\u2019 via Olivia Rodrigo)<\/h5>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.mediadelivery.net\/embed\/570913\/fa70244d-89de-453d-bdcc-8005e8410ce6?autoplay=false\" style=\"border: none; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" allow=\"accelerometer; gyroscope; autoplay; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>1. Evenson Seeks Self-Understanding Through Love in \u2018The Way I Feel\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Alternative singer-songwriter <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/evenson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Evenson<\/a> is set to release his debut album later this year, and based on what we\u2019ve heard so far, we\u2019re ready to put the album on frequent rotation. Last month, he stunned us with \u201cTrading Places,\u201d and we may be even more infatuated with his latest release, \u201cThe Way I Feel.\u201d On the surface, it might appear like a simple love song, propelled by funky \u201990s R&amp;B sounds, but look deeper and its really a tale of self-discovery and the kind of introspection that infatuation can inspire.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArguably, this is one of the more important songs on the album,\u201d Evenson shared in a press release. \u201cIt\u2019s like a coloring of the heart\u2014adding the oxygen of self, as well as the innermost feelings through the companionship of another \u2026 Throughout the song, there\u2019s an opening of love. There\u2019s an opening of a light. And there\u2019s a passage to nourishment, to grow and to self-actualization.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>2. Will Swinton Pleads for Love With \u2018Only One\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>New Zealand alternative artist <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/will-swinton\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will Swinton<\/a> demands to be on\u00a0<em>everyone<\/em><em>\u2018s\u00a0<\/em>radars in 2026, and this week was full of exciting announcements for the star. In addition to announcing that he\u2019ll be playing at Lollapalooza Chicago this year <em>and\u00a0<\/em>opening for the Australian leg of mgk\u2019s world tour, he also just released his newest single, \u201cOnly One.\u201d The yearning and atmospheric rock track feels like a desperate yet euphoric plea as he begs to be reassured that the one he loves returns his feelings.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/will-swinton-cant-let-go-lyrics-meaning-interview-071924\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How the Struggles of a Long-Distance Relationship Inspired Will Swinton\u2019s \u2018Can\u2019t Let Go\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>3. Kevian Kraemer Captures a Moment in Time With His <i>only if it matters <\/i>EP<\/h2>\n<p>As longtime fans of indie-pop artist <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/kevian-kraemer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kevian Kraemer<\/a>, we\u2019ve loved watching his viral rise to fame. His new EP,\u00a0<em>only if it matters<\/em>, feels like the next step toward becoming a household name. Including singles \u201ci just get worse,\u201d \u201cyou woke me up\u201d and \u201cdown under,\u201d the seven-track EP is packed with the kinds of undeniably catchy and melodic pop tracks that put him on the map. They capture the nostalgic vibes of an endless summer, inspired by Kevian\u2019s real experiences over the last half of a year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s completely me,\u201d Kevian shared in an interview with Sweety High. I\u2019m so, so proud of it, and it was made by some really wonderful people\u2014my writers and producers \u2026\u00a0 We wrote these songs over the span of six months after headline touring last summer. I knew I wanted to make a project that was built for a live show, and I knew I wanted to head in a more experimental rock direction. Besides that, <em>only if it matters<\/em> is basically a snapshot of a few different experiences I\u2019ve had over these past six months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/kevian-kraemer-only-if-it-matters-ep-interview-052226\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kevian Kraemer Discusses His <em>only if it matters<\/em> EP and What to Expect From His Headline Tour<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>4. PSYCHIC FEVER Show Off Their Mature Side in \u2018I Got Ways\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>J-pop boy group <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/psychic-fever\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PSYCHIC FEVER<\/a> are on a roll in 2026, and after appearing at SXSW earlier this year, they\u2019re gearing up to release their sophomore album,\u00a0<em>DIFFERENT<\/em>, on July 10. We just got a taste of what\u2019s to come with the new single \u201cI Got Ways,\u201d a sleek and sultry R&amp;B love song with a driving beat that feels tailor-made to get listeners moving. The guys have come a long way since their debut in 2022, and that evolution is evident with each new release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the kind of song that feels new for PSYCHIC FEVER\u2014something we hadn\u2019t really done before,\u201d shared JIMMY of PSYCHIC FEVER. \u201c<span style=\"font-size: inherit; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol';\">Even the members who usually focus on rap challenged themselves to sing in a more sensual style for this track, and that contrast is one of the highlights as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/psychic-fever-j-pop-psychic-file-iii-interview-063025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rising J-Pop Group PSYCHIC FEVER Talks Their New EP, Touring and What\u2019s Next<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>5. Skylar Grey Explores Her Formative Years With <i>WASTED POTENTIAL<\/i><\/h2>\n<p>Multi-Platinum artist <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/skylar-grey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Skylar Grey<\/a> is perhaps best known as a prolific songwriter and frequent collaborator who\u2019s worked with the likes of Eminem and Dr. Dre to Macklemore and more, but we\u2019ve always sound her solo work to be the most profoundly irresistible. That\u2019s especially true of her new album,\u00a0<em>WASTED POTENTIAL<\/em>. Its 12 tracks of hazy, atmospheric grunge-pop weave a cinematic coming-of-age tale encapsulating Skylar\u2019s youth, before she left home to pursue her dreams, sharing the moments that shaped her into the woman she is today. At the center of these tracks are the pain Skylar caused herself out of fear of wasting her potential, which feels resolved not in the album itself but in seeing just how far she\u2019s come.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/skylar-grey-trivia-bio-fun-facts-wcw-040622\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Everything You Need To Know About Singer-Songwriter Skylar Grey<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>6. Lola Young Begins a New Chapter With \u2018From Down Here\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>English singer-songwriter <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/lola-young\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lola Young<\/a> has had an incredible couple of years, winning the Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance with her viral song \u201cMessy.\u201d After releasing her album,\u00a0<em>I\u2019m Only F***ing Myself<\/em>, in September, she\u2019s back and setting the stage for something entirely new with her latest single, \u201cFrom Down Here.\u201d The song is vulnerable and raw as ever while showcasing a different side of Lola\u2019s musicality with a more operatic and expansive sound. We can\u2019t wait to see where this era takes her next.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe day after the Grammys, I had a wave of inspiration hit me, so I got in the studio with the incredible James Blake and made this song,\u201d Lola shared in a press release. \u201cI am rewriting the next chapter of my story because what a boring book the old one would\u2019ve been anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>7. Khalid and Ahn Hyo-seop\u00a0 Join Forces for \u2018Something Special\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Music icon <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/khalid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Khalid<\/a> and actor and singer-songwriter\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/ahn-hyo-seop-series-to-watch-if-you-loved-jinu-kpop-demon-hunters-072125\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ahn Hyo-seop<\/a> (who we know best as the voice of Jinu from\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/kpop-demon-hunters-korean-lyrics-translated-into-english-070825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>KPop Demon Hunters<\/em><\/a>) have teamed up for a new single. Released by the new music platform FANDOM, it absolutely lives up to its title, \u201cSomething Special,\u201d fusing K-pop and American R&amp;B sounds to create something smooth, timeless and border-blurring. It\u2019s not just\u00a0Ahn Hyo-seop\u2019s first single as a solo artist but Khalid\u2019s first with a Korean artist, paving the way for many more exciting collaborations to come.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/best-khalid-lyrics-as-photo-captions-012026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">50 Introspective Khalid Lyrics to Use as Your Next Caption<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>8. Charli xcx Reflects on Art and Impending Doom With \u2018SS26\u2019<\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/charli-xcx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charli xcx<\/a>\u2018s yet-untitled upcoming album gets more and more intriguing with each subsequent release, and \u201cSS26\u201d may be her most intriguing\u2014and meaningful\u2014single yet. The laidback alt-rock track\u2019s title comes from the spring-summer \u201926 fashion season as Charli reflects on a world on fire and picks apart the true meaning of art, fashion and musical in an increasingly commercialized world. What does creativity even mean when the world is ending, and should we allow a sense of impending doom to stop us from doing what\u2019s meaningful to us?<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/best-charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-lyrics-as-captions-051525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">35 Reflective Lyrics From Charli xcx\u2019s <em>how i\u2019m feeling now<\/em> to Use as Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>9. NCT\u2019s TAEYONG Shows Off His Capabilities as a Soloist With <i>WYLD<\/i><\/h2>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/taeyong\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TAEYONG<\/a> may be best known as a member of K-pop boy group NCT, but with the release of his debut solo album, he\u2019s more than ready to flaunt everything he\u2019s capable of as a soloist. The project,\u00a0<em>WYLD, <\/em>dropped earlier this week, consisting of 10 dynamic and bold tracks that showcase not just his vocal and lyrical prowess, but also his versatility. He wrote lyrics for every single track on the album, and that\u2019s evident in the passion that shines through, from the frenetic hip-hop of the title track to its melodic indie-pop conclusion with \u201cRun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also read about: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/taeyongs-wyld-album-review-051826\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Review: TAEYONG\u2019s <em>WYLD<\/em> Is the Best K-Pop Release of the Year<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>10. Olivia Rodrigo Teases Her Upcoming Album With \u2018the cure\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019re eagerly counting down the days until <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/tag\/olivia-rodrigo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Olivia Rodrigo<\/a>\u2018s third album, <em>you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,<\/em> releases on June 12, and with the release of her new single, \u201cthe cure,\u201d we know we\u2019re in for something special. Opening with the\u00a0moody strums of an acoustic guitar, the song comes to life with whispered verses as Olivia tussles with the realization that the love she thought would fix her hasn\u2019t healed her at all.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2018the cure\u2019 song and video is out now!\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DYoHI9-Dbge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Olivia wrote in a post on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cThis song means so much to me and I\u2019m so so so happy that it\u2019s out in the world! Shout out to @dan_nigro for making it with me and being the best producer\/songwriter in the game. Thank u @bead.lizard and @catsolen for creating this brilliant, imaginative music video that I adore. This song is the thesis statement of <em>you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love<\/em> and it made the whole album click for me. I hope you enjoy it xoxoxox \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetyhigh.com\/read\/new-music-friday-best-songs-may-15-2026-050826\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of May 15, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\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.sweetyhigh.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is there anything better than a New Music Friday leading into a three-day weekend? Monday is Memorial Day, giving us an extra 24 hours to do precisely what we please\u2014and we\u2019re deciding that music is going to be a huge part of the celebrations. That\u2019s especially true thanks to new releases from everyone from Olivia [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2428491,"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-2428490","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\/05\/New-Music-Friday-May-22-2026-The-Weeks-Best-Releases.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2428490","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=2428490"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2428490\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2428492,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2428490\/revisions\/2428492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2428491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2428490"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2428490"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2428490"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}