What do Jungkook, Taylor Swift, Nayeon, Beyonce, BINI, and Ben&Ben all have in common? They all dropped new music this week.
Related: The Round-Up: The Best Recent Song Releases To Start Of Your June On The Right Note
Something must have been in the water as the final full week of June really gave us all the bops, smashes, and everything in between. Already, the past week was filled with news to make any concert goer happy as Billie Eilish, TREASURE, BamBam, Jackson Wang, and TXT all announced concerts in Manila. NCT Dream also announced the first date of their new tour, so you probably know what that means.
We got comeback announcements from WINNER and Super Junior while some people really had the nerve to call BTS selfish for focusing on their solo work. The ‘97 female line, aka Lisa, Jihyo, Mina, and Minnie, blessed us with cute photos of their friendship that helped end fan wars. And when you add all the new music releases that landed on the internet, it made for a fun week to say the least. There’s a lot to get into so here are our picks of the new music drops of the week that will probably go to your On Repeat section.
LEFT AND RIGHT – CHARLIE PUTH AND JUNGKOOK
The collab of the year (so far) is finally here with the much teased Left and Right finally hitting our playlists. A team up between Charlie Puth and Jungkook, the track is a playful pop song that sees the two musicians sing about an ex who still follows their thoughts left and right. It’s an addicting song and both sound so good, but we love most with how the “I can feel you over here” is heard when you hear it with headphones. This is the first solo activity for BTS since their announcement, and let’s just say we can’t wait for this new era.
CAROLINA – TAYLOR SWIFT
For those who’ve seen The Summer I Turned Pretty, you probably are on a Taylor Swift binge thanks to the soundtrack. And lucky for you, she has new music out with the release of her new song, Carolina. The touching and atmospheric song is like the child of Evermore, Folklore, and Safe and Sound. The track tells a tale of a girl stuck between two world, one who wants to be free but at the same time is still tied to her roots. The song also serves as part of the OST for the upcoming movie adaptation of Where The Crawdads Sings, whose plot is very much similar to the song’s story.
POP! – NAYEON
TWICE’s NAYEON really said the summer ain’t over until I say so. She recently made a major milestone when she became the first member of TWICE to release solo music with the release of her solo album IM NAYEON. POP! serves as the lead single and it’s the definition of summer fun. The seven-track album is also a worthy listen at it straddles between bouncy pop like her collab with Stray Kids’ Felix in NO PROBLEM and smooth R&B-like SUNSET.
BREAK MY SOUL – BEYONCE
Beyonce really said quit your job and just dance, and we just might. The queen is back with new music and this time we get her take on disco and club beats for a banger on living your life and freedom from the shackles of unfair labor. We also love how she sampled Robin S and Big Freedia in Break My Soul. If this is how the rest of the album is going to sound like, July 29 can’t come soon enough.
LANGYAN PAG-IBIG – BEN&BEN
Mixing tarot cards and heartbreak, Ben&Ben wades through a bad breakup on angsty rock anthem with their new track, Langyang Pag-ibig. Don’t listen to the track unless you’re in the mood to feel things at the song articulates one’s feelings of being betrayed in all its aching messiness and honesty. Ben&Ben take on the persona of someone whose breakup leaves them with anger as they struggle to put their life back on track. It’s another serve from Ben&Ben, but do they really have to hurt us like that?
YOUNG – KRYSTAL BRIMNER
For her second single, teen star Krystal Brimner uses her talents for good by making makes a statement for her fellow youth who are still figuring out with her song Young. The feel-good dance pop song, composed by fellow Kapamilya talent SAB and produced by Star Pop label head Rox Santos, encapsulates the highs and lows of being young especially in the age of social media, where many aspire to portray a perfect life and live up to society’s standards without much room for mistakes.
LIFE’S TOO SHORT – AESPA
Aespa has a message for their fans, get a life please. Taking a break from their more hard-hitting tracks, aespa treats us to a heartwarming track called Life’s Too Short. The whole track serves as their biggest clapback yet to their haters as they sing about the hate and drama that comes their way. But even with all that, they still do what they do so why should they stop. It’s a touching song that anyone going through a bad time can find comfort in.
LAGI – BINI
BINI’s sweet charms are on showcase once more with their new song Lagi. The cute pop track is a love song about falling in love as the girls of BINI go head over heels for a potential flame. The song’s fun vibe reminds us of their other love songs like Na Na Na and Kinikilig which means it’s a bop.
ANGHEL – ZACK TABUDLO
While Ben&Ben may be hurting us, Zack Tabudlo is here to mend a broken heart. He surprised us this week with a new haircut and a new era which means we’re getting new music. And just like that, he dropped his latest single Anghel that will have you feeling all the feels. Zack has that secret sauce when it comes to heart touching love songs and its on display once more in the track. In it, Zack implores a significant other to not put herself down because she doesn’t see the herself as the angel Zack does. (Sana all.) The vocals are on point, lyrics hit in all the right places, and the production fits the song perfectly.
KISLAP – JIKAMARIE
jikamarie takes on a sentimental nostalgia ride to the 80s with her new song KISLAP. The 80s-inspired dream-pop track was based on a crush she had back then and narrates a story of a doomed love. But even if that is so, the song expresses one more night with that person as you forget about what could happen and just enjoy the moment. The song feels ripped straight from a rom-com as it may just make you emotional for remembering the good times.
DISASTER – CONAN GRAY
Conan Gray is ready to get personal on a low chapter on his life with the recent drop of his excellent new album, Superache. As the name suggest, the album delves into a breakup Conan experienced as he digs deep to tell the story of his failure and even a little bit about his childhood. The end result is a memorable LP of bangers that will hit you in the heart.
SHARKS – IMAGINE DRAGONS
Mixing addicting beats with biting lyrics, Imagine Dragons serves once more with their new single Sharks. The fun and upbeat nature of the track will get you moving as the lyrics narrate a tale of a person who is not the good person as they portray them to be.
REACH THE TOP – VXON
In case you didn’t know, there is currently a P-pop reality competition show currently airing on TV. Top Class follows a set of male trainees as they learn and compete against each other for a chance to debut as a P-pop boy group. And quite fittingly, monster rookie group VXON are the people behind the show’s theme song Reach The Top. The pop/EDM track is a reflection of the goals of the contestants. You can catch Top Class every Saturday on TV5.
BRAT$ DOLL – ZAE
Zae has often used the iconography of Barbie and Bratz Dolls in her music so it only feels right that for her comeback, she treats us to a song called Brat$ Doll. The breakthrough Pinay rapper goes full glam as she delivers fire bars that showcase her rising star status.
UP! – KEP1ER
Kep1er just made their first comeback of their careers and they’re treating us to some summer fun. Up! serves as their comeback single and it’s a fun pop song that feels perfect to soundtrack all the fun adventures you want to have with your friends. They also dropped their new EP DOUBLAST filled with five new tracks to enjoy.
FLIP THAT – LOONA
Speaking of summer, the ladies of LOONA are here to deliver just that with their new EP Summer Special [Flip That]. Flip That serves as the comeback single and it feels like happiness in song form. The pop song with great use of house beats is a fun summer jam with bright colors, an addicting beat, and an uplifting melody.
HIT YA! – LAPILLUS
K-pop is about to get a taste of Pinoy talent as former Star Magic actress Chantal Videla has made her debut with LAPILLUS, the newest girl group from MLD Entertainment. And for their first offering, they give us the hard-hitting HIT YA! that definitely does just that. The intro in particular gives us goosebumps.
27 BODIES – EZ MIL
Hard-hitting raps and honest bars are on deck in Ez Mil’s new song 27 Bodies, his 3rd single off his new album, DU4LI7Y. The track is the rapper’s take on his 24 Bars Challenge as he delivers with energy as well as words that speak to what is happening in today’s society.
LATE TO DA PARTY – LIL NAS X, YOUNGBOY, AND NEVER BROKE AGAIN
Remember when the BET Awards snubbed Lil Nas X at their most recent nominations? Well, the rapper took to social media to express how he really felt about the situation and we finally have the full release of that tease. Late To Da Party is a collaboration between Lil Nax X and YoungBoy and goes as hard as you expect it to.
SUGAR – YOUNGJAE
Youngjae’s solo career continues to shine with the recent release of his new EP, SUGAR and as well as the comeback single of the same name. The pop-rock sun sees the GOT7 member express his love for a potential flame, even if that person isn’t a complete angel. The song’s music video also showcases this fun dynamic as it sees Youngjae recall a wild night out as his eyes were set on that special someone.
LOST ME – GIVEON
R&B Giveon is here to tantalize your ear drums once more with his smooth voice as he recently dropped his third studio album Give Or Take. At 15 songs long, it’s his longest album to date filled with moving R&B bops.
TRUE ROMANCE – TOVE LO
Drama, that’s what Tove Lo’s new song, True Romance, is all about. No beat drops are in sight as the singer enchants us with a tale of destructive love, all told through her strong vocals.
RING THE ALARM – KARD
Underrated K-pop co-ed group KARD has finally made their comeback after one of their members returned from military service. And clearly, they haven’t lost their touch. Serving as their lead comeback single, Ring The Alarm is a refreshing listen as it hits in all the right notes with its mix of pop and island influences. Once you’re done listening to the song, you need to give their new mini album, Re, a play.
Continue Reading: The Round-Up: New Music Releases To Play For Your Next Soundtrack Session (June 4 – 10)
