Every Friday, the internet is swarmed with new tracks (even 1.4 million on Spotify), each promising to define your weekend mood. But which ones actually deliver? Welcome (or welcome back) to the weekly Arts & Culture column of the UNISVERSE, New Music Friday Reviews! Step inside this section of UNISVerse to a world where music is discussed as the key to representing our modern-day culture, that is, like music, arguably evolving with every passing minute. Covering genres of music from Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, Rap, Jazz, Alternative, Rock, and so much more, the goal of this column is to provide insight not only on how masterful today’s top-emerging art is, but to give you, as the reader, the deliberate declaration to an everlasting question with any song: is this worth the listen?

So, yes, while as a reader, you may be currently intrigued in discovering which music is truly the zeitgeist of the week, month, year, or era, you must be wondering; what even is “a” New Music Friday? You might have seen the Spotify or Apple Music algorithm recommending this New Music Friday playlist to you, but are these playlists solely several new songs released on the day before a restful weekend? While cursorily, this may be the case, the act of publishing new music on a Friday has been the official global standard since 2015 (and the reason why you’ve never heard of a New Music Tuesday: “ball out to the new, say, The Weeknd album while unwinding, getting ready for sleep, prepping for a meeting, and being ravenously joyful to survive yet another ‘Hump Day’ at school tomorrow!”) In addition, since the releasing of music on Friday also limits international piracy, boosts chart performance, sales, and aligns with the start of the weekend, the international music industry generally came to the consensus that Friday was the unanimous music-release day. And the rest becomes history.

To preserve what has been made of this largely positive history, though, this column aims to highlight the essence of genuinely good (or bad) music through critical analysis and a one-to-ten point ranking system of top New Music Friday songs from a list of categories: Most Streamed, Lyrical Standout, Sonic Standout, Hidden Gem, and Personal Favorite. Where the song selected for each category will be evaluated by the rubric provided below, the song selections and the responding commentaries will be parallel with the most recent New Music Friday releases. Together with me, I encourage–and hope–that you’ll follow me on my weekly endeavors to discover the best music and harshly criticize and inquire the pools of music, or even my critiques!

This week, let’s look into a series of various solo artists and bands who’ve taken listeners’ ears to new dimensions. This Friday was particularly exciting for me, as it granted the revival of long-time interluded artist Joji, as well as a deluxe album release by sister-trio group HAIM. What’s more, the up-and-rising artist, Ruel, has released “Not What’s Going On,” creating a familiar and comforting atmosphere. What, sadly, wasn’t as particularly exciting about this week was the disappointment I felt in listening to some of this week’s new releases. Charlie Puth’s new single, “Changes,” offered nothing but genericness that felt like a plain tub of vanilla ice cream. The particular offense of this track was not that Puth lacks the necessary capabilities for an adequate track, but that he breaches the simple but relevant artistry rule, “show don’t tell,” through barren lyrics such as, “There’s been some changes in our life.” Either way, here are this week’s top selections:

1. Most Streamed Song of the Week – “Pixelated Kisses” by Joji (7.75/10)

Marking his first single after nearly three years of no new music, Joji brings us into a new atmosphere within his discography. While his most recent album SMITHREENS, features tracks such as “Die For You” and “Glimpse of Us”, which rely on slower-moving piano-based ballads, Joji is unapologetic and curt with Pixelated Kisses. With brevity, Joji immediately hits the gas pedal and provides a techno-pop production that describes the struggles of a long-distance relationship. Merging club-worthy beats with immediate tempo drops by the first verse, the song is praisable for its ability to move through water and levitate the listener. Other than lines that provide ambiguity rather than clarity (see: “are you really down”), the track draws from Artemas-sounding inspirations and presents a clear narrative, hopefully further explained in a later body of work.

2. Lyrical Standout – “Tuna in a Can” by Of Monsters and Men (10/10)

Metaphorically deep and intricate, every moment of “Tuna in a Can” from Of Monsters and Men’s new album hits home base. The Icelandic group of five is marking their fourth studio album, and doesn’t shy away from hiding the morals of their songs in plain sight: the trick? You just have to look right under your nose. Introing with, “tuna in a can, sticky from the brine,” the band cleverly evolves the object into a priceless metaphor. The battle between one’s rational and irrational self-thoughts is carefully depicted through the tuna can. Like being stuck inside the can, you’re stuck believing self-critical perceptions, even when, evidently, you know they’re not true. Alongside Fleetwood Mac-style soft and glamorous production, “Tuna in a Can” is an underrated critical piece of modern questioning.

3. Sonic Standout – “My Old Ways” by Tame Impala (9.25/10)

In many ways, this song is brilliant and marks a new layer of sonic exploration for 39-year-old Kevin Parker (Tame Impala). Following his recent resurgence and recognition of his 2015 album, Currents, Impala has been at the top of many people’s music radars. Closing off the summer with lead singles “End of Summer,” “Loser,” and “Dracula,” Tame has just released his 6th studio album, Deadbeat. Kicking off the album is “My Old Ways,” which initially appears to be an acoustic ballad reminiscent of Impala’s old and destructive habits. Yet, within seconds, Impala sprints the ramp to demonstrate what house music is often lacking these days–originality and trap beats that don’t rely on the same infinite loop. While the initial piano ballad’s melody resurges throughout the track, it is always done with intention, allowing the track to show the clarity of Kevin’s musical instincts.

4. Hidden Gem – “December 10th” by Cortex (8.25/10)

I’ve been following Cortex, the Swedish pop-rapper, for quite some time, and to see that he isn’t recognized by the mainstream media irritates me. The paintings Cortex can create through his music are out-of-this-world, galactic, even. Merging ingredients of jazz, house music, pop, and rap, Cortex is a unique artist who any listener should be on the lookout for. His newest release this Friday is a testament to this claim. “December 10th” depicts the confusion created from being in love with someone whom you also need to escape from. Using the collisions of piano, chimes, and triangle, Cortex truly masters the art of slow-trap music, allowing any listener to feel as if they are literally walking through a cloud. While I cannot say the production on “December 10th” is dissimilar to his other tracks, it provides the next chapter within Cortex’s novel, and as he reaches more mainstream praise (I’m superstitious about this), I hope he will have the authority to experiment with new realms of production, to add onto his already evocative and unique storyline.

5. Personal Favorite – “The Story of Us” by HAIM (5/10)

The sister-trio group HAIM recently broke records as the first all-women band to reach a No.1 Placement in the UK album chart. The album that broke this record, I Quit, in mid-summer, fell somewhere in the middle of garage rock and ballad pop; combinations that are rarely ever executed in the appropriate mannerisms. Tracks like “Relationships” had the perfect display of HAIM’s capabilities, while certain songs like “Cry” fell into a void of inadequacy to expectations. The deluxe version of this album, released just this week, falls victim to this recurring trope. Very sadly, the deluxe felt regressive – in my humble opinion. While tracks like “The Story of Us” was initially (and still) a song I enjoy listening to, this track is only enjoyable when you give half an ear. Shamefully, the production on the track is flawless and allows the song to be my current favorite of the week. Yet, by the fourth or fifth time (I lose track) I have to hear the tagline of the song, “is that the story of us?” it is astonishing how little my life gained from the track. So, while I love this song’s production to death, what I don’t enjoy is the lyrics that seem to be found in a grunge-punk teenager’s diary.

Evaluation Rubric