Summer is officially here, and A-list names and rising stars are making sure our playlists are ready for the sunny fun. This week’s New Music Friday brings everything from surprise mixtapes to genre-bending collaborations and feel-good anthems, so let’s get the good vibes going and have some musical fun.
Jessie Reyez – WHEN YOU HOLD HER
When Jessie Reyez releases an album, it’s time to lock in and get in your feelings. LITTLE VENGEANCE is officially here, and it’s another incredible body of work with vulnerable interludes, all too relatable lyrics, swag, and sheer talent as she shows off her vocal range. The 17-song album includes “WHEN YOU HOLD HER,” which is all about getting over someone who never deserved you to begin with, and has already found a replacement. “I hope your new girlfriend hates my album,” she wrote on Instagram. It comes at an exciting time for the Colombian-Canadian singer, who just opened up the Canada World Cup opening ceremony with Elena Rose.
ELENA ROSE – HAPPY
Just like Reyez, Elena Rose is taking global stages and releasing hits. With her new single, “Happy,” the Venezuelan singer-songwriter brings her infectious melodies with a message that is all about self-love. “Happy” has a global sound rooted in African drums, with lyrics that will uplift you and remind you to live life with a smile, keep the vibes high, and ignore the haters.
Chino Pacas x FLVCKKA – Madrugada
Mexican singer Chino Pacas takes a dreamy detour on “Madrugada,” teaming up with FLVCKKA for a genre-blurring track that feels both atmospheric and addictive. Despite their very different vocal styles, the pair find surprising chemistry, creating a song that balances vulnerability with late-night energy. The music video leans into that juxtoposition, shifting between angel wings and pink clouds and dark walls and flames, all while telling a sweet but raunchy story about love.
Mon Laferte – A Pesar De Ti y De Mi
Mon Laferte blesses fans with FEMME FATALE VOL. 2, a companion album to her recent release that leans further into blues, folk, punk, and alt-rock influences. The 20-track project was written by Laferte and features collaborations with St. Vincent, Chilean artist Javiera Electra, and Mexico’s GRTSCH. At the heart of the album is “A Pesar De Ti y De Mí,” a powerful track about knowing when it’s time to let go. The song arrives with a beauty pageant-inspired music video that explores identity, femininity, and the pressure of impossible standards. The release comes ahead of Laferte’s North American Femme Fatale tour, which includes a sold-out stop at Radio City Music Hall.
Feid, Munic HB – they already know
Feid surprises fans with the release of *EL MOCO VERDE*, a mixtape inspired by the music, style, and attitude of New York hip-hop’s golden era and late-’90s and early-2000s hip-hop. One of the standout tracks is “they already know,” with Munic HB, the swaggy Spanish rapper with Gambian roots. The song does anything but stay in a box as it explores their diverse sounds.
Ricky Martin, Luan Santana – Estranho
Ricky Martin is taking one of the most beloved songs from his catalog in a new direction. More than three decades after the release of “Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo,” the Puerto Rican superstar has teamed up with Brazilian singer Luan Santana for “Estranho,” a Portuguese-language reimagining of the 1995 hit. The updated version introduces the classic ballad to a new audience while incorporating elements of sertanejo, Brazil’s wildly popular country-inspired genre. “Recording in Portuguese is especially meaningful because of the love and support I have always received from Brazil,” Martin shared ina press release.
Olivia Rodrigo – stupid song
Olivia Rodrigo’s third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, is officially out. She told Dazed magazine the album is about the “first time being in an adult relationship; it’s me discovering what romantic love looks like in real time. I’ve been in relationships before that were really exciting and tumultuous in a teenage way, but this was my first time being in a real, ‘big girl’ relationship,” she said. Tracks like “stupid song” tap into the sheer physical and chemical craziness that happens when you’re yearning for someone.
ROBI, Wisin – Se me hace imposible olvidarte 🙁
ROBI is keeping the world of *sorry si soy GRRRIS* alive with a new bonus track, “se me hace imposible olvidarte :(“, alongside reggaetón icon Wisin. The song finds the Puerto Rican singer-songwriter leaning into the emotional honesty that defines his debut album, exploring the memories and feelings that linger long after a relationship ends. The collaboration is a full-circle moment for ROBI, who has been a part of a new wave of Puerto Rican artists expanding beyond traditional genre boundaries while staying connected to the Island’s musical roots.
Sublime – F.T.R
Sublime’s legacy continues with the late founding frontman, Bradley Nowell’s son, Jakob Nowell, leading the way. Their newest album, Until the Sun Explodes, is here, which he described as their “Fourth era of Sublime” in an interview with Billboard. Since 2023, Jakob has stepped into his father’s shoes with an almost eerily similar voice and charisma. “It’s just a fun, messy, chaotic punk band that your parents used to love and showed you, or that you just discovered two years ago and you love it for your own reasons now,” he said. “F.T.R” is the perfect example of nostalgia meets modern and fresh energy.
Joel De La P, Chuyito – La Frontera
After introducing fans to “Las Trincheras” earlier this year, Joel De La P is back with another hard-hitting corrido tumbado. On “La Frontera,” the Mexican singer-songwriter joins forces with Chuyito to tell stories shaped by life along the U.S.-Mexico border. Through vivid storytelling and sharp lyrics, the track captures the realities of a region defined by constant surveillance, shifting loyalties, and the pressures that come with living between two worlds. Known for blending traditional corrido storytelling with a modern tumbado sound, Joel continues to build on the momentum that’s made him one of the rising voices in the genre.
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