Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Madonna with Sabrina Carpenter, Kacey Musgraves and Zara Larsson.
This week, Charli xcx kicks off her next chapter with “Rock Music,” MUNA releases its punchy fourth album and Lykki Li drops her sixth and final career project… plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Charli xcx, “Rock Music”
Soon after Charli’s management teased to Billboard in April that she was working on her forthcoming eighth album, she started dropping hints about what that would sound like, including telling British Vogue there may would be some rock inspiration. Sure enough, her new single is aptly titled “Rock Music,” and includes the hotly contested lyric: “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.” But, true to form, Charli’s take isn’t what listeners might expect; “Rock Music” is a dizzying one-minute and 55-second track that is more or less a grungy dance track with a guitar riff — and sure enough, it would sound right at home on a dance floor.
MUNA, Dancing On the Wall
MUNA’s fourth album, Dancing On the Wall, arrives today with focus track “Eastside Girls,” complete with its music video starring actor Hannah Einbinder, comedian Kate Berlant and more. With vocalist Katie Gavin’s distinct voice creating a throughline through all of MUNA’s work — from introspective slow songs to uptempo bangers — Dancing On the Wall is a full-bodied continuation of the trio’s rising arch.
Kelela, “linknb”
As Kelela readies her upcoming album, New Avatar, out 10 July, she continues to raise the bar with her genre-blurring blend of soul, R&B, and alternative experimental music. And “Linknb” manages to fit it all in — in just under two minutes — keeping expectations for her third full-length at an all-time high.
Lykke Li, The Afterparty
The sixth and, according to the Swedish singer, final Lykke Li album is out today — and serves as a bittersweet celebration of a near 20-year career and a farewell on her own terms. While The Afterparty offers a complete narrative as a whole, “Happy Now” is perhaps the best snapshot of this moment for Lykki Li, as she sings on the chorus: “Did your tears all go away? Did the darkness ever fade? Is it over? Are you happy now?”
The Last Dinner Party, “Big Dog”
Rock band The Last Dinner Party go all in with latest single “Big Dog,” delivering big, electrifying riffs alongside vocals that slide from eery whispers to full-throttled declarations. Fittingly, the act released an “(On The Road)” music video, given that the track is already a staple of its live show — which even more fans will be able to catch, since The Last Dinner Party will support Olivia Rodrigo on select dates early into 2027.
Little Simz, Sugar Girl
Two weeks after teasing its existence, Little Simz has shared Sugar Girl, her third new project in as many years. From the bouyon-inflected “Open Arms” to the Auto-Tuned fantasia of “That’s A No No,” Sugar Girl is a triumphant reunion of Simz and producer Jakwob, the craftsman behind 2024’s endlessly danceable Drop 7 EP. Nonetheless, the clear standout is the JT-assisted “Game On”; “I’m so T, I support the trans/ Game on bitch, let’s take a stand/ Do black lives still matter to these brands?” she spits in her guest verse, delivering a disarming combination of politics and humor like only she can. – KYLE DENIS
PJ Morton, “Sell My Soul”
Housed on the Saturday Night side of the tracklist, “Sell My Soul” is the latest taste of PJ Morton’s forthcoming Saturday Night, Sunday Morning double album. “You try to come at my weakest/ You try to come when I’m down/ But as long as I am breathing/ The sun can come back around,” he croons in the first verse, desperately holding onto optimism and faith in the face of grueling temptation. Featuring Keyon Harrold on trumpet and flugelhorn, “Sell My Soul” is a grounding mantra we can all take a few pointers from. — K.D.
