New Music Report - New Releases Week of June 19th

Happy Monday! Kickstart your week ahead by checking out all of the new music that has just been released in this roundup of new songs, new albums, and new artists that you need to be listening to. From new albums by Lorde and Hey Violet, to new songs from The Killers and Coldplay, to new collaborations from DJ Khaled, Rihanna & Bryson Tiller and Calvin Harris, Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean, take a look at this week's New Releases.

DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller - "Wild Thoughts"

Feeling GRATEFUL? You will after hearing DJ Khaled's latest single from his upcoming 10th studio album. For his new collab, titled "Wild Thoughts," Khaled teamed up with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, which also samples one of the smoothest jams of all time: Santana and the Product G&B's "Maria Maria." Over the famous "Maria Maria" rhythm and guitar melody, we hear verses from Rihanna and Bryson singing about the non-PG thoughts that run through their mind when they're with their significant other. Rih sings in the chorus, "When I'm with you, all I get is wild thoughts."

And in true DJ Khaled fashion, the producer also hit us with the official "Wild Thoughts" music video, which sees the trio in a tropical location, at what appears to be the largest outdoor dance party ever. 

Despite all of the all-star recording artists DJ Khaled has worked with over the years, "Wild Thoughts" marks his first collaboration with Rihanna, believe it or not. In a recent interview on Entertainment Weekly: The Show, the mogul said, "Seven, eight years I’ve been trying to do this. I always put the kites out there that I wanted to work with her. But at the same time, while I was putting the kites out there, I was always getting the right record ready. You’ve gotta start with the right energy to see if something comes back that’s possible."

Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean

We're only a few weeks away from the release of Calvin Harris's fifth studio album Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (out June 30th), and after watching a parrot get a preview of every single song on there, we now have one of the new songs in full, and its another superstar collab. The Scottish producer/DJ has released his newest single "Feels" featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, and Big Sean.

On "Feels," Calvin really brings the funk with the track's '70s disco vibes, complimented by Pharrell's smooth voice, and in the chorus, Katy sings, "Don't be afraid to catch feels." And later on, disco fuses with hip hop when Big Sean's rap verse kicks in.

Lorde - Melodrama

After a lengthy hiatus, Lorde finally returns to the scene with a new 11-song set called Melodrama. On the sophomore LP, the New Zealand star hits the studio with pop guru Jack Antonoff, Frank Dukes, Flume and other hitmakers as she touches on themes like heartbreak, solitude and loneliness. Speaking with iHeartRadio, the singer/songwriter admitted that she had a much bigger hand in creating the project compared to her debut, Pure Heroine. ”The first album was very chill, and easy, and fun, and I think everyone has a first album in them. Second album is every single decision that we made, I really climbed uphill, up the mountain with this album,” she said. "Every sound I was like, 'Is this the perfect thing?' Whereas I feel like last time I just kind of tossed it out.’” See: “Homeade Dynamite” and “The Louvre"

Lorde

The Killers - "The Man"

The Killers are back with their first new album material in five years -- since their 2012 album Battle Born. The band has shared a brand new song titled "The Man," which is the lead single from their upcoming fourth studio album Wonderful Wonderful, which the guys are in the midst of recording. "The Man" is a different sound from what we've heard in the past from The Killers. The song hears lead singer Brandon Flowers's signature vocals atop of a very funky rhythm, which during a UK radio interview he says is "funkier than anything [they’ve] ever done before." 

The Killers recorded their new single with producer Jacknife Lee during album sessions in Las Vegas (their hometown) and Los Angeles. The song is retrospective, and about Brandon Flowers looking back on a younger version of himself compared to "The Man" he is today. "Don't need no advice, I got a plan/I know the direction, the lay of the land," he sings.

Coldplay - "All I Can Think About Is You"

Coldplay is getting ready to release their Kaleidoscope EP next month, a companion set of songs to the band's 2015 A Head Full of Dreams album, and they just shared a new track from the upcoming five-song record called "All I Can Think About Is You," and it is classic Coldplay.

"All I Can Think About Is You" holds true to Coldplay's signature sound, and contains some very romantic, dreamy lyrics. Chris Martin sings about a world full of "chaos," where "Trouble's on the outside," but all he can think about is his significant other. "But now, all I can think about is you/All I can think about is you," he sings in the chorus. "If all that I’m on earth to do/Is solo, then what a lone poor shoe/I want to walk in a two."

Hey Violet - From The Outside

As with all teen stars before them, Hey Violet is determined to complete a steady transformation from their debut musical stylings and move onto a sound that cements their place in the pop sphere. On this 12-song collection, vocalist Rena Lovelis leads her bandmates on a journey to advance from their usual sound and dip their toes into something more experimental. It also tackles narratives like young men (“Guys My Age”), a lover’s old clothes (“Hoodie”) and f**k boys because, let’s face it, this is an album from a teen pop collective in 2017. See: “Guys My Age” and “Unholy" 

Hey Violet

Jax Jones featuring Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don - "Instruction"

U.K. Producer Jax Jones brings the heat with his brand-new collaboration with Demi Lovato and Stefflon Don, concocting a ferocious banger made for the dim night clubs. Over a samba-infused beat, Lovato demands listeners to get on their feet, commanding them with particular dance floor moves. "Grind to the left, sway to the right, drop it down low, take it back high/ Bitch, I don’t need introduction, follow my simple instruction,” she speed-talks during the hook. After heating things up with "You Don't Know Me" and "House Work,” “Instruction” might just be what the budding DJ needs to break into the Top 40 scene in the U.S. 

Shania Twain - "Life's About To Get Good"

Shania Twain is BACK. The top-selling country artist of all time is about to release her first album in 15 years via her longtime label Mercury Nashville, and is sharing the first taste of the record with her brand new single called "Life's About To Get Good."

"Life's About to Get Good" is an upbeat classic Shania tune with a modern twist. And despite some of its melancholy lyrics the message behind the song is optimistic. For example, in the first verse she sings heartbreaking lyrics like "I wasn't just broken, I was shattered" and "I couldn't move on," but in the chorus, lets the light and sings, "Life's about joy/life's about pain/it's all about the giving and the will to walk away/I'm ready to be loved/and love the way I should/Life's about to get good."

Shania opened up exclusively to iHeartRadio about the meaning behind her new single, and she explains that she wrote this song while sitting on a beach, and the beauty around her -- the ocean, the palm trees, etc. -- inspired a lot of the brighter moments in the track.

Big Boi - Boomiverse

Though the world would absolutely love another Outkast album, we’ve just gotten the next best thing: a solo album from ½ of the rap duo Big Boi called Boomiverse. The MC released his third studio project on Friday (6/16) and it shows the many different facets of Big Boi’s musical progression. Some tracks are hardcore, while others show him experimenting with pop and house influences.

In a previous interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Big Boi said about the new album, “I’m an extraterrestrial rock star – I’m a rock and roller. I bounce around from jazz to blues to gospel. Hip-hop is just one facet of what I do. It’s the core, but I’m a product of all music.” He continued: “The grooves, the instrumentation, the lyrics, the cadences are all brand new,” said General Patton. “No two songs sound alike. But it [the album] plays together as one body of work. It takes listeners on a journey. It’s the evolution of Big Boi.” Boomiverse clearly shows all of this!

Big Boi

Omarion - "Reasons"

Omarion took us back and we love it! The crooner released a cover of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1975 classic “Reasons.” O gifted his fans this new sample because he previously promised his fans that his next album would drop on Friday (6/16). However, that failed to happened. So, to let his fans know that he hasn’t forgotten about them and he’s still working to produce the best possible album for them, Omarion gave them his rendition of “Reasons” to show them love. As you listen to the crooner sing this timeless single, we think you’ll definitely agree that he did it justice. Thanks for thinking about your supporters and much respect for this cover, Omarion.

Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey - "Glorious"

Macklemore announced a creative split with his go-to producer Ryan Lewis and the MC's first solo serving is called "Glorious," a mid-tempo cut featuring Skylar Grey. Produced by Josh "Budo" Karp, the song hears Macklemore spitting speedy bars about his success and new-found confidence. "I was able to find a balance with my art, recovery and being a dad. I felt the perfect amount of removal from an industry that can be tricky to spiritually navigate,” he explained of his new music.

Imagine Dragons - "Walking the Wire"

With only a week to go before Imagine Dragons release their third studio album Evolve, the band is pumping fans up for what's to come by releasing another new song from the record called "Walking The Wire," which follows "Thunder," "Whatever It Takes," and the album's lead single, "Believer."

On "Walking the Wire," Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds sings about overcoming hardships in a relationship, and rising above. He sings, "Oh, the storm is raging against us now/If you're afraid of falling, then don't look down/But we took the step, and we took the leap/And we'll take what comes, take what comes." 

Icona Pop - "Girls Girls Girls"

At this point in their career, Icona Pop knows exactly what we like from them and their new offering, “Girls Girls,” keeps the energy high just in time for the summer time sunshine. On this Johan Gustafson–produced track, the Swedish pair dive into all that is great about having girlfriends. It serves as Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo’s first taste of new music in 2017 and they just so happened to have co-wrote it with their close friend Tove Lo.

Sage The Gemini - "Reverse"

Sage The Gemini gave us a new banger to turn up to in the club this summer called “Reverse.” Through the song, Sage details a woman catching his attention at a party. So memorized by her beauty, Sage tells the woman to dance for him. "Throw it down till your back muscles hurt," he raps. The Bay area rapper can even be heard singing a little bit on the song, too. "I go to clubs in certain cities and all people do is take selfies of them holding bottles," Sage told FADER about the new track. "In the Bay Area we have fun. We dance. Even the hardest thug will be on the dance floor sweating going dumb."

Def Loaf - "No Fear"

Dej Loaf is another rapper who’s deciding to dabble, a bit, in the pop world. She released a new song entitled “No Fear” and it has a disco house beat. Music is all about experimenting and pushing to envelope, so why not try this new vibe out for size? “No Fear” is basically a love letter, where Dej expresses how much she misses and loves her significant other even though she’s always traveling and has little time to see him. Dej raps: “Even though I live my life on the road/ Doesn’t mean I don’t have time for you/ Plenty have tried, almost came close/ But none of them compare to you/ So let’s live our life, more than one night/ Promise if I could, I’d do it twice.”

George Ezra - "Don't Matter Now"

Miles from Budapest, and three years later, and singer/songwriter George Ezra is back with new music. "Don't Matter Now" is the first single from George's upcoming album, the followup to his 2014 debut Wanted On Voyage. On the upbeat "Don't Matter Now," Ezra sings about his battles with anxiety. "Change your name, you won't be found/It don't matter now," he sings.

George told NME of his song that it was the first one he wrote after his debut album was released. He explained, "In time I realized that it wasn’t just me that was suffering from anxiety, it wasn’t just me that was confused, and that there’s no harm in not always understanding what’s going on in the world around you."

Terror Jr. - "Personal"

“Personal” takes the cake when it comes to the most mainstream cut off Terror Jr’s new set, Bop City 2: TerroRising, which dropped on Friday. In another attempt to help listeners understand the emotional complexities to the mysterious pop dance trio, the song offers fans with lyrics about wanting to build substantial connection with someone else over dreamy production. "I wanna get personal, personal/ I want that personal with you," the female vocalist sings on the mid-tempo hook.

Shawn Hook - My Side of Your Story EP

He hooked us with his collab with Vanessa Hudgens, "Reminding Me," and now Shawn Hook is giving is more. The Canadian singer/songwriter released his debut EP My Side of Your Story, which features his single "Reminding Me," along with three other new songs. And among these new songs is a track called "Dancing In The Sky," which he teamed up with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder on.

Shawn Hook

Jake Miller - 2:00 AM in LA

Who says nothing good happens after 2:00 AM? Obviously they haven't heard Jake Miller's new album 2:00 AM in LA yet. This is Jake's third album, and it's a self-produced produced project featuring ten new songs, including "Can't Help Myself."

During a recent interview on The Elvis Duran Show, Jake said of his album, "I’m the most proud of it because I channeled every single motion in my body and I poured every ounce of it into this music." He added, "It’s kind of a window into a side of my life that I don’t usually share."

Jake Miller

Trina featuring K. Michelle - "If it Ain't Me"

Anytime Trina and K. Michelle come together, musical magic happens. The two recording artists and best friends collaborated to create “If It Ain’t Me” and we can’t stop listening to it. Trina spits bars and a no good man doing her wrong when she traveled on the road and K. Michelle’s powerful vocals only make the song that much more impactful. True R&B lovers will immediately notice that K. Michelle’s samples the legendary Patti LaBelle’s “Somebody Loves You Baby” classic in this new single’s chorus. Trina also shows respects to Lil Kim’s “Queen B**ch” song. Listen to the new smash below. It goes hard. “If It Ain’t Me” will be featured on Trina’s upcoming project.


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