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. 
 
 
 

Charli xcx is living the year of going all-out. With the release today of “Rock Music,” the British singer, songwriter and producer switches gears, cranks up the amps and rocks it with electric guitars.

One of those amps goes out the window at the top of the official music video. Shot in black and white, and directed by Aidan Zamiri, the clip follows Charli as she gets up to rock ‘n’ roll stuff, strutting around central Manhattan wearing fewer clothes than anyone else, smoking up a storm, and unleashing a moshpit.

At its musical core, “Rock Music” has a throwback edge, its guitar riff slotting into what is essentially a mid-paced electronic track in which Charli splices and dices her vocals in the chorus. No, it’s not heavy. “Rock Music” has more in common to Daft Punk than it does to Deep Purple.

Charli first teased her new era, new sound in an April interview with British Vogue, which premiered one of the new song’s lyrics: “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.”

She told the publication, “if I’d made another album that felt more dance-leaning, it would have felt really hard, really sad. That’s interesting for me is to bend the possibilities of what my perspective on that could be.”

Charli has since clarified that she isn’t necessarily performing an about-face. On Instagram, she recently shared a clip of herself in the studio and wrote, “a video of me making a song called ‘rock music’ that is not actually rock music which is funny because i never said i was making a rock album.”

“Rock Music” is Charli’s first release since the Wuthering Heights companion album arrived in February, and dropped in at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. Before that, her 2024 Brat album peaked at No. 3 on the all-genres chart, peaked at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart and ARIA Chart, and caught the zeitgeist.

Charli’s busy year includes a starring role in A24’s The Moment, based on her original idea and the first co-production from her new studio365 venture. Also, she appears in Daniel Goldhaber’s remake of the 1978 cult horror Faces of Death, Greg Araki’s erotic thriller I Want Your Sex, Cathy Yan’s independent film The Gallerist, Julia Jackman’s period fantasy 100 Nights Of Hero, Romain Gavras’ satirical action Sacrifice and Pete Ohs’ intimate drama Erupcja.

Stream “Rock Music” below and watch the official music video.

Today, Barry Manilow releases “Another Life – 2026,” a new version of a 1992 album track. It’s the final preview from his forthcoming album What a Time, his first collection of nearly all-original material in almost 15 years. The album is due June 5.

Co-written by Andrew Hill and Preston Sturges, “Another Life – 2026” explores the distance between former lovers, as one struggles to come to terms with the relationship’s end. Arranged by Manilow and longtime collaborator Michael Lloyd, the new 2026 recording retains the song’s wistful core while deepening its sense of nostalgia. Manilow was in his late 40s when he first recorded the song. He’s now in his 80s and has had to confront a serious health challenge. That gives the song added meaning.

Manilow first recorded the song for his 1992 box set The Complete Collection and Then Some… The song wasn’t officially released as a single, but as an album track, it reached No. 33 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

The new single follows Manilow’s first public appearance since undergoing surgery for lung cancer. On April 23, Manilow appeared at the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Fame gala in New York City to accept the President’s Award, recognizing his iconic work in advertising before he launched his recording career.

What a Time is Manilow’s 33rd studio album and his first almost all-original LP since 2011’s 15 Minutes, which debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. “Once Before I Go,” the lead single from What a Time, reached No. 25 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart in February. This is the sixth consecutive decade that Manilow has had multiple top 30 hits on that chart, a streak that began in November 1974 with “Mandy.” That classic ballad hit No. 1 on both Easy Listening (as the AC chart was then called) and the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to land a Grammy nod for record of the year.

Fun fact: In early 1976, Arista Records president Clive Davis, seeking to spotlight Manilow’s Grammy nomination, came up with the idea of hosting a Grammy party. The annual gala is still going strong and has long since become legendary.

Manilow’s new album brings together an eclectic and cross-generational group of collaborators, including 12-time Grammy winner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb, as well as Manilow’s longtime go-to co-writers Bruce Sussman and Adrienne Anderson.

After his recovery is complete, Manilow plans to tour throughout 2026. For all upcoming dates, visit Manilow’s website.

Noah Kahan has always wanted to work with “Matt & Ben,” and now his dream has come true — sort of.

In new promos for this weekend’s Saturday Night Live episode, musical guest Kahan and host Matt Damon are joined by a different Ben than the one typically associated with Damon: SNL castmember Ben Marshall.

“This is so exciting. I’ve always wanted to do something with Matt and Ben,” Kahan says in the promo, to which Marshall replies, “Aw, thanks so much, man. That’s so cool.”

“I’m sorry, I meant Ben Affleck,” Kahan clarifies.

“Why would you bring that up now, right?” Marshall wonders, while Kahan counters, “It’s the first time I’m seeing Matt!”

For his part, Damon tells Kahan: “We’d actually love to do something with you.”

“Hell yeah, amazing,” Kahan says. “Thank you. Huge fan!”

Later in the promos, Marshall tries his hand at some Kahan-inspired jokes. “More like Skit Season,” the comedian says out of nowhere, making a play on the title of Kahan’s breakthrough hit “Stick Season,” the title track from his 2022 album.

“This is your first-ever promo and you blow it on ‘Skit Season’?” Damon asks in disgust, with Kahan adding, “Come on, you’re better than that, Ben.”

Marshall’s next attempt isn’t much better — “more like Noah Ka-haha-han” — but Damon and Kahan love it.

Watch the promos below:

Kahan — who’s promoting his just-released fourth studio album The Great Divide, which debuts atop the Billboard 200 this week — is returning for his first time as musical guest since his December 2023 debut. Damon, meanwhile, will host for his third time in 25 years, after stints in October 2022 and December 2018. Kahan does the math in the promos that at this rate, Damon should join SNL‘s Five-Timers Club around 2052.

Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and streams on Peacock. (See all the options to watch SNL here.)