New Music Friday Explodes
New Music Friday brought major album drops including Bruno Mars' *The Romantic*, Gorillaz' *The Mountain*, CHASE B's *BE VERY AFRAID*, and BabyTron's *Out On Bond Again*. Hot singles include Joyner Lucas & Kodak Black's "Enemies," Yeat & EsDeeKid's "Made It On Our Own," and Juvenile & Megan Thee Stallion's "B.B.B."
Bruno Mars' *The Romantic* marks his first solo album in a decade, following the massive success of 2016's *24K Magic*. The new nine-track project was co-produced entirely with D'Mile and features the lead single "I Just Might," which already debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Gorillaz' ninth studio album, *The Mountain*, is a concept album heavily influenced by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's time in India. The record explores themes of grief and the afterlife, shaped by the recent loss of family members, and features posthumous appearances from former collaborators like Bobby Womack and De La Soul's David Jolicoeur. *BE VERY AFRAID* serves as the debut studio album from Travis Scott's DJ and producer, CHASE B. The album is a showcase of his production style, blending trap energy with cinematic textures, and features a star-studded lineup of collaborators including Travis Scott, Quavo, Big Sean, Swae Lee, and Don Toliver. Detroit rapper BabyTron's latest EP, *Out On Bond Again*, was recorded immediately following his release from jail after an arrest earlier in the month. The project's cover art is an edited version of his own mugshot, and the title track opens with him addressing fans who were concerned about his legal status. The new single "Enemies" from Joyner Lucas and Kodak Black is built around a haunting production featuring icy piano notes and an eerie children's choir. Lyrically, the track sees both artists exploring themes of paranoia and distrust that accompany success and wealth in the music industry. Yeat's collaboration with Liverpool's EsDeeKid on "Made It On Our Own" is the first single from his highly anticipated upcoming album, *A Dangerous Life*. The track's release was preceded by a guerilla marketing campaign in New York City that saw yellow cabs with a mannequin arm hanging out of the trunk, teasing the album's title. The "B.B.B." remix pairs New Orleans legend Juvenile with Megan Thee Stallion, a collaboration fans began demanding after the original track went viral on TikTok. The updated version features a beat that flips Gucci Mane's 2000s hit "I Think I Luv Her" and comes after Megan personally teased her verse on social media.
