This week’s big releases
Live Nation’s New Music Friday list for this week included new singles and albums such as Chris Brown’s “Obvious,” Foo Fighters’ _Of All People_, Evanescence’s “Who Will You Follow,” The Strokes’ “Going Shopping,” and a Doechii‑Lady Gaga collaboration called “RUNWAY” (Live Nation via X). Social coverage also highlighted indie and alternative picks across smaller accounts, pointing to a broad set of drops generating attention this week (Beehive Candy via X).
This week’s release calendar landed on Friday, April 10, with new songs from Chris Brown, Foo Fighters, Evanescence, The Strokes, and a Lady Gaga-Doechii collaboration arriving at once. (dknetwork.draftkings.com, pauseandplay.com) The drop mixed album rollouts with one-off singles. Chris Brown used “Obvious” to announce his 12th studio album, _BROWN_, due May 8, while Foo Fighters released “Of All People” ahead of _Your Favorite Toy_, due April 24. (ratedrnb.com, consequence.net) The Strokes tied “Going Shopping” to a larger comeback plan. The band announced its seventh album, _Reality Awaits_, for June 26 on Cult Records and RCA Records, its first new album since 2020’s _The New Abnormal_. (sonymusic.ca, consequence.net) Evanescence also paired a new single with an album announcement. “Who Will You Follow” arrived April 10, and the band said its next album, _Sanctuary_, is due June 5, its first full studio release since _The Bitter Truth_ in 2021. (metalsucks.net, yahoo.com) The Gaga-Doechii track came with a film tie-in. Universal Music said “Runway” is the first song released from 20th Century Studios’ upcoming _The Devil Wears Prada 2_, and Film Music Reporter said a full soundtrack album is scheduled for May 1. (universalmusic.ca, filmmusicreporter.com) Friday release stacks like this are built for streaming services and social feeds. DraftKings Network noted that most major Friday releases hit at 12:00 a.m. Eastern time, and multiple music outlets published same-day “New Music Friday” roundups built around playlist listening. (dknetwork.draftkings.com, beyondthestagemagazine.com) The week also showed how veteran acts now package new music as the first step in a longer campaign. Brown attached “Obvious” to an album date, The Strokes attached “Going Shopping” to a June LP, and Evanescence attached “Who Will You Follow” to its first album cycle in five years. (bet.com, sonymusic.ca, metalsucks.net) Attention did not settle on one genre. The April 10 lists ran from Brown’s R&B and Gaga-Doechii’s soundtrack pop to Foo Fighters’ rock, Evanescence’s hard-edged return, and The Strokes’ indie-rock comeback. (etonline.com, revolvermag.com, consequence.net) By the end of the weekend, the story was less about a single blockbuster than a crowded April 10 release lane. The songs were out, the album dates were set, and the next round of this cycle now points to April 24, May 1, May 8, June 5, and June 26. (consequence.net, filmmusicreporter.com, ratedrnb.com, metalsucks.net, sonymusic.ca)
