Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
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This week, Mac Miller’s beautiful mind shines once again, Central Cee debates currency with 21 Savage, and Lucy Dacus might break with “Ankles.” Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Mac Miller, Balloonerism
If 2020’s Circles, the first posthumous Mac Miller release, provided fans a sense of closure following his tragic 2018 passing at the age of 26, Balloonerism — a long-sought-after collection of songs that date back over a decade — serves as a reminder of his wonderfully unruly creativity, with songs ranging from the shimmering piano-rap anthem “Funny Papers” to the nearly 12-minute closing exploration “Tomorrow Will Never Know.”
Central Cee feat. 21 Savage, “GBP”
Considering the success of “BAND4BAND,” Central Cee’s team-up with Lil Baby, it’s no surprise that the UK rapper has previewed his imminent album Can’t Rush Greatness with another high-wattage collaboration — but “GBP,” featuring 21 Savage, iterates on the formula of Cench’s biggest hit, with similarly eerie production but a more spacious flow, which nicely counterbalances 21 Savage’s twitchy delivery.
Lucy Dacus, “Ankles”
Boygenius has become a supergroup that has elevated all three of its members’ profile, and Lucy Dacus’ next album, Forever is a Feeling, will arrive in March with much more fanfare than any of the singer-songwriter’s previous projects; it also helps that “Ankles,” a driving love song with beautiful harmonics on the hook, may be Dacus’ most accessible single to date, and bring in even more fans ahead of the new full-length.
Marshmello & Jonas Brothers, “Slow Motion”
Four years after scoring a hit together with “Leave Before You Love Me,” Marshmello and Jonas Brothers have reunited for “Slow Motion,” which veers toward country-pop territory more than its predecessor: after the JoBros croon the wide-reaching chorus together, their masked producer swoops in a sparkly beat drop, making for a charming bit of pop interplay.
John Summit feat. CLOVES, “Focus”
John Summit’s upward trajectory continues with “Focus,” a hypnotic new dance track with Melbourne singer-songwriter CLOVES, in which the producer tosses out a collection of pulsating rhythms and lets his collaborator weave them into a yearning cry; “Focus” runs for nearly four minutes, but begs for repeat listens (or, fingers crossed, an extended mix).
Mumford & Sons, “Rushmere”
Mumford & Sons have gone back to basics with “Rushmere,” which previews the band’s first album in seven years and finds Marcus Mumford, fresh off a recent debut solo album, leading his group (now a trio, following the departure of banjoist Winston Marshall) toward the stomping, crowd-pleasing folk-rock that made them mega-sellers at the turn of the 2010s.
Hailey Whitters, “Casseroles”
On her first new single in two years, country star Hailey Whitters offers a nuanced reflection on grief and recovery with “Casseroles,” with the Iowa native wondering how people move on from loss once loved ones stop checking in and the comfort food stops arriving. Whitters, who lost a brother over a decade ago, imbues the song with an unsettled sense of hurt, her voice prodding at an uneasy questions for herself and others.
Editor’s Pick: Rose Gray, Louder, Please
The cover of Rose Gray’s debut album depicts the British pop singer on a beach, listening to a Walkman and seemingly screaming along to her favorite song while the strangers around her ignore her cries; Louder, Please will inspire similar fits of passion from pop listeners, with songs like “Everything Changes (But I Won’t),” “Free” and “Tectonic” providing sophisticated beats and top-notch sing-along fodder.
