This <\/span>New Music Friday<\/span><\/a> is packed with more than enough exciting music to carry through the weekend and the rest of the summer. This week\u2019s biggest releases comes from two of music\u2019s two most popular artists. Read on to view a complete list of top EPs and albums out now.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Who would have figured that Charli XCX, <\/span>who took over the world only two summers ago with <\/span>Brat<\/span><\/i><\/a>, would want to take a break from music? The burnout from touring, becoming a social media trend, hearing from every critic in every corner of the world became too much for Charli, or so she claimed herself while touring around the world as the biggest pop star in 2024 and 2025. She wanted to take a break, but only found herself back into creative practices to ease the pain. \u201cI think for me as an artist it would be extremely uninspiring to attempt to recreate what <\/span>Brat<\/span><\/i> was,\u201d Charli said. \u201cBecause you sort of adapt and change and you react to the way your previous work is interpreted.\u201d So now with a new outlook on stardom, Charli presents <\/span>Music, Fashion, Film<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n Charli cranks up the guitars right away on \u201cRock Music,\u201d with fuzzy riffs and more raw drum tracks than she\u2019s ever allowed on one of her tracks before. \u201cI think the dancefloor is dead, so now we\u2019re making rock music,\u201d she proclaims in a sweet and elongated vocal effect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSS26\u201d explores Charli\u2019s life: the defiant cultural reset she brought with <\/span>Brat<\/span><\/i>; her turn to a celebrity scoundrel who dodges criticism; a reflection on the \u201cKamala is Brat\u201d fiasco. It\u2019s a lyrical time capsule for this current era of Charli\u2019s past few years while jamming to her current instrumental sound.<\/span><\/p>\n Other songs bring the desire to bob your head more so than shake your ass. \u201cCard Declined\u201d continues the more metallic and rock sounding record that <\/span>Music, Fashion, Film<\/span><\/i> might become remembered for. While Charli has made plenty of echoey pop songs made fresh for the dance floor, this is not that kind of album. It\u2019s probably a great showing of her artistry and knack for the new, but some of Charli\u2019s newest fans might not be into it. But that\u2019s clearly not why Charli attempted to make this album. It was to do something innovative to her, something fresh. Just look at it\u2019s iconic album cover, featuring John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese, three people who are synonymous with each of those industries. Charli is equally iconic, and at this peak in her career, this is a great opportunity for her to keep being bold. Which is one of the best ways to describe her newest venture. To go from top of the pop charts to a dream rock record is brave and it makes Charli perhaps more noticeable than before.<\/span><\/p>\n Listening to The Strokes first album in six years for the first time is one of the most exciting things to happen in music this year. The band had already released several singles, gone viral at Coachella for making comments on war and western compliance, and now have presented a full-length record that sounds like the The Strokes record Julian Casablancas always seemed determined to make.<\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s already been plenty said about autotune on this record<\/span><\/a>. Let\u2019s talk about the other stylistic choices: \u201cPsycho Shit\u201d is a crescendo-y opener, \u201cDine N\u2019Dash\u2019s\u201d closing remark \u201cI think that\u2019s the minimum soft,\u201d straight into the explosive opening line of \u201cLonely in the Future\u201d is #badass. The album\u2019s overall mixing is much different than a Strokes album has featured. The scratchy guitars or brief solos are always heard in the forefront. This is a Strokes album that begs to be listened to on a nice pair of headphones or speakers.<\/span><\/p>\n The carousel sound of \u201cFalling out of Love\u201d makes for one of the most beautiful Strokes songs ever recorded, and it sounds like the band isn\u2019t quite over Daft Punk\u2019s breakup. Its bridge and conclusion is being touted by fans as the most beautiful moment in the band\u2019s entire discography.<\/span><\/p>\n While <\/span>Reality Awaits<\/span><\/i> is not necessarily changing how other bands approach music, it does stand out as a completely unique experience. For a band lauded for being \u201cthe same\u201d in its first two albums, then lauded for making all their other records \u201ctoo different,\u201d The Strokes have decided to answer to no man. They have presented a brand new record, done on their terms, for others to enjoy from now and in their lonely futures, about 100,000 days from now.<\/span><\/p>\n Which of these tracks from <\/span><\/i>New Music Friday<\/span><\/i><\/a> will you add to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on <\/span><\/i>Instagram<\/span><\/i><\/a>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nThe Best of New Music Friday:<\/span><\/h4>\n
Charli XCX \u2013 Music, Fashion, Film<\/h4>\n
The Strokes \u2013 Reality Awaits<\/i><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nNew Music Friday Top Picks:<\/span><\/h4>\n
Alex Cameron \u2013 Late To Set <\/i>[Self-released]<\/h4>\n
Ian Sweet \u2013 Shiverstruck<\/i> [Polyvinyl]<\/h4>\n
Shania Twain \u2013 Little Miss Twain<\/i> [Republic]<\/h4>\n
Willow \u2013 The Thread<\/i> [Three Six Zero]<\/h4>\n
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