As music week draws to a close, Hypebeast has rounded up the best projects for the latest episode of Best New Tracks.
This week’s lineup is led by Travis Scott, Post Malone and Denzel Curry, who each released the albums UTOPIA And AUSTIN and the single “BLOOD ON MY NIKEZ” featuring Juicy J, respectively. This selection also includes offerings from Terrace Martin, Burna Boy, Louis The Child, Shamir, Fly Anakin, KennyHoopla and Erick the Architect.
Travis Scott- UTOPIA
After a five-year hiatus, Travis Scott’s latest studio album UTOPIA is finally here. THE ASTROWORLD the follow-up features collaborative work with Playboi Carti, Beyoncé, 21 Savage, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, James Blake and more, and arrives as a cohesive elevated effort by the artist.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Post Malone – AUSTIN
Post Malone merges his musical roots in the aptly titled AUTIN, following its legal name. The 17-track effort hears the artist explore sounds he knows and the sounds he wants to delve into, creating an interesting yet complementary soundscape of acoustic guitars over layers of synth pop, pop and even folk production.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Denzel Curry x Juicy J – “BLOOD ON MY NIKEZ”
Denzel Curry releases the official version of his latest track “BLOOD ON MY NIKEZ”, this time featuring the legendary Juicy J. The track is the artist’s first original single of the year after his Living at Electric Lady EP.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Burna Boy – “Big 7”
Burna Boy officially announces their seventh studio album I told them…, which was released on August 24 in the United States, with the single “Big 7”. He describes it as “a melodic tribute to embracing new heights in my musical journey”, adding: “The title represents a symbolic aspiration to reach greater horizons, the number seven embodying achievable and harmonious growth”. Its accompanying Benny Boom-directed music video sees the GRAMMY winner in New York and features cameos from RZA, Busta Rhymes, Junior Mafia, actor Shameik Moore and more.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Martin Terrace – Curly
The Martin terrace makes its debut Curly, the second in a series of six jazz albums he will release throughout the year. “It is a work that represents the spirit of my father,” he explains in a press release. “Curly represents courage, heart and adventure.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Shamir – “The Beginning”
Shamir is preparing the release of his next album Homo Anxietatem, which will be released on August 18, with the latest single, “The Beginning”. The cut comes with a music video directed by Shamir, who says of the song, “‘The Beginning’ is a song I wrote when I was 14 and never knew love, but I was already inundated with all the typical tropes. Even back then, I realized that a happy ending depended on a healthy beginning. The video represents the healing power of being surrounded by friends after a breakup.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Steal Anakin – Skinemaxxx (B-side)
Fly Anakin drops the second part of his Skinemaxxx project with Skinemaxxx (B-side). The nine-track disc features ANKLEJOHN and Demae and is an equally fun and technical sequel to In front of.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Erick the Architect – “Parkour”
Erick the architect of Flatbush Zombies follows “No Ice” with “Parkour”. The track features a James Blake co-production and is accompanied by a music video directed by Darryl Richardson and Ellington Hammond.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
KennyHoopla – “MARRY KILL F*CK //”
KennyHoopla shares a music video for “MARRY KILL F*CK//”. Co-starring Travis Barker, the artist says of the visual, “We just did this one day on tour – we were just crazy being stupid in the studio and that’s what came out of it. A lot of this song was originally done freestyle so it only made sense for the video to have the same drive and spirit I think haha. We shot the video in about 30 minutes I’d say and then we went to the sound check hahaha – it turned out to be fucking fucked up.
Watch: YouTube
Louis the Child – “How High”
Louis The Child samples Aretha Franklin in their brand new single “How High”, which is set to join the duo’s upcoming album Alter-Ego. “We did this song last year in Palm Springs between Coachella weekends. It’s a throwback to future bass with a hint of euphoria and my beautiful dark twisted fantasy,” they share in a “When we started playing it in our sets, our fans started calling it ‘Jump To It’ (because those are the only words in the song). He samples an Aretha Franklin song called “Jump To It”, and when we got the sample, they told us we weren’t allowed to name it “Jump To It”, or one of those words from the original song. So we let our fans decide on the new name via an Instagram poll, and they chose “How High”. We are so excited that the world now has it! We know our fans have been waiting a while for this one.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music