This week’s New Music Friday
New Music Friday landed a stacked list of releases — everything from Chris Brown’s “Obvious” to a Doechii & Lady Gaga collaboration called “RUNWAY,” plus new tracks from The Strokes, Foo Fighters, Hilary Duff, Josh Groban, Marshmello & Thomas Rhett, Young the Giant, and Ella Langley’s album Dandelion. If you care about fresh playlists, Live Nation flagged the full roundup as the week’s discovery map. (x.com)
Friday’s release pile was so crowded that one soundtrack single ended up sitting next to comeback records, country crossover plays, and a full 18-song album in the same weekly drop. Live Nation pointed fans to the roundup after the April 10 wave hit streaming services. (livenation.com) (universalmusic.ca) The song getting the most instant curiosity was “Runway,” because it is not just a Lady Gaga and Doechii team-up. Universal Music Canada said it is the first piece of music released from 20th Century Studios’ upcoming film *The Devil Wears Prada 2*, after being teased in the movie’s final trailer earlier that week. (universalmusic.ca) (variety.com) That turns a normal New Music Friday single into part of a movie launch. Variety reported that 20th Century Studios used “Runway” in the new trailer for *The Devil Wears Prada 2*, which is scheduled to open in theaters on May 1, 2026. (variety.com) (rollingstone.com) Around that headline-grabber, the rest of the playlist looked like a map of very different fan bases landing on the same day. Spotify listings show Chris Brown’s “Obvious,” The Strokes’ “Going Shopping,” Foo Fighters’ “Caught In The Echo,” Josh Groban’s “As Time Goes By,” Marshmello and Thomas Rhett’s “Where We Go,” and Young the Giant’s three-track single release *Already There* all live as 2026 releases. (open.spotify.com 1) (open.spotify.com 2) (open.spotify.com 3) (open.spotify.com 4) (open.spotify.com 5) (open.spotify.com 6) Hilary Duff was in the mix too, which makes this week feel even less like a single-genre dump and more like a streaming-era free-for-all. Spotify currently lists 2026 Duff tracks including “Mature,” “Tell Me That Won’t Happen,” and “Future Tripping,” showing she is back in release mode rather than just sitting in catalog nostalgia. (open.spotify.com 1) (open.spotify.com 2) (open.spotify.com 3) The one full-length project in the roundup with the clearest built-in storyline was Ella Langley’s *Dandelion*. Spotify lists the album at 18 songs, and Forbes said the April 10 release arrived after Langley’s single “Choosin’ Texas” spent five non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (open.spotify.com) (forbes.com) That helps explain why one country album could sit comfortably beside rock bands and pop stars in the same Friday conversation. Music Mayhem said *Dandelion* is Langley’s sophomore album, released April 10 via SAWGOD and Columbia Records, with 18 tracks and a more personal direction for the 26-year-old Alabama singer. (musicmayhemmagazine.com) (open.spotify.com) New Music Friday used to mean one record-store endcap and maybe one radio add. In 2026 it can mean a film soundtrack lead single, a country album with chart momentum, a dance-country pairing from Marshmello and Thomas Rhett, and fresh releases from rock acts like The Strokes and Foo Fighters all competing for the same weekend playlist slot. (universalmusic.ca) (forbes.com) (open.spotify.com 1) (open.spotify.com 2) (open.spotify.com 3)
