Saved this week:

HARDY - Buck On The Wall / Favorite Country Song

The National Parks - Break My Heart
Pulp - Spike Island

Shaboozey & Miles Smith - Blink Twice
Sports Team - Sensible

The Wrecks - I Didn't Use To

Having a nose through NMF UK and also the relevant threads in the genre forums (quite useful!), I've added a few new songs to my 2025 playlist:

Cynthia Erivo - "Worst Of Me" (Can't believe this was near the bottom of NMF! Cynthia sounds great on it, her low notes *_* The production is beautiful)

Louise - "Borderline"

The Amazons - "Night After Night"

Ghost - "Lachryma"

Mostly electronic favourites this week:

Charlotte de Witte - The Realm

CRUSH3d - a way out / angel

Grum - Amnesia

Lana Del Rey - Henry, come on

Leon Vynehall - Mirror's Edge (feat. POiSON ANNA)

No_4mat - Energy Angels (On Earth)

Sugababes - Weeds

yeule - Evangelic Girl is a Gun

This week's takers:

Boy In Space - Burning Down the House

Anson Seabra - Ocean of Tears

Artemas - i guess u never really cared about me

Artwin - SPACEBOY

Addison Rae - Headphones On

Maren Morris - bed no breakfast

Croixx - Bonnie & Clyde

Chance Peña - Song from Yesterday

Albums:

Boy In Space - The Butterfly Affect - EP

Isabel LaRosa - Raven (not yet heard but plan to!)

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY 18.04.25 #27 (SHORT VERSION – limited time this week)

Bluebird – Lana Del Rey (8.7/10)

Lana has such a gentle and beautiful voice, and her background is always so lovely and relaxing; the harmonica here, along with the well-composed orchestral-like sound, does a really good job… Dare I say it's better than the main single, 'Henry, Come On'?

This is what floating feels like – JVKE/Tori Kelly (8/10).

The free-flowing piano melody, along with JVKE's up-and-down vocal melody and Tori's elegant singing, made the song sound magical, as if you're actually floating. This is so amazing!

I Ain't Comin Back – Morgan Wallen/Post Malone (7/10)

After hearing this and finding out Tate McRae is on the album – I'm hyped! This legit might be a good album... but I'm still scared about there being 37 songs on it. This is a classic country song with a more pop radio hook, which is a good follow-up from the 'I Had Some Help' collab. Post delivered a good verse alongside Morgan, but Morgan did better. The use of drums added to the instrumental effect, which I quite enjoyed.

Invincible – OneRepublic (6.8/10)

Not as good as their 'Nobody' song from Kaiju, but still is good. This is giving a summer feeling where it's an empowering, strong song. Sure, it could give a little bit more to be more unique, but it's not bad.

Headphones On – Addison Rae (4/10)

Yay! Yet another female pop act who fails to impress no matter what they release; that's another added to my list of the ones I dislike. I've never been a fan of Addison and wasn't expecting anything good out of this, especially seeing she's been on an insane streak of bad, but this is actually better than her usual; 4/10 is an improvement... but overall this is still just some forgettable pop song.

Proud to be a problem – Tom Macdonald (2/10)

Whether it's rap or country, Tom is still crap, and I am one of many who share that opinion. The one thing that separates this guy's music from others is how bad it is; this is repetitive, talking about the same thing Tom always does; it's sad. It's a country where Tom sounds worn out and gives no effort; instead, it's a sad rant about how he's disliked, and I know why he is.

Strong week this week for new singles!

Benson Boone - Mystical Magical

Tom Odell - Don't Let Me Go

Bradley Simpson feat. Nieve Ella - Favourite Band

Aitch & Anne-Marie - LUV?

Zara Larsson - Pretty Ugly

Lorde - What Was That

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Vertigo

Vilhelm Buchaus - Please Don't

No albums this week have caught my eye at the moment.

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY 25.04.25 #28

Unshatter – Linkin Park (5/10)

Great... we had three songs from their new deluxe, which came down to two after 'Up from the Bottom' was released, and now we're waiting 20 days for one extra song… It's more about the song now instead of a deluxe! What a terrible rollout. To the actual song, it's the most basic rock song from the 'From Zero' era that I've heard so far; the raging expression on the hook is the best part, but even that feels mild like the rest of the song; it just gets you nowhere.

LUV? – Aitch/Anne-Marie (7/10)

Anne-Marie delivers a fine and fun performance, but yet again Aitch ruins another song with his lyrics that sound so unoriginal; his lyrics are so straightforward it's painful. It's literally straight up; I want to drink, and I'll give you my penis; it's said in the most uninteresting way, with Aitch delivering a more forgettable performance than his 'Psycho' collab with Anne-Marie. It's not all terrible, though, as I can save this; it's club music.

Mystical Magical - Benson Boone (7/10)

A step up from 'Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else', this has a melody resembling 'Physical', which is shown more in the chorus. Benson gives a tune which makes you want to dance, but in an elegant way; it's Benson's usual, but it feels like it has more class to it.

Pretty Ugly – Zara Larsson (1.5/10)

So boring!! Reminds me of JADE. If this is the main single for an upcoming album, then I can't imagine what's next. She thinks that the electronic wave with a high vocal sound brings a dance queen energy, but in reality it reminds me of JoJo Siwa's 'Karma'. Pathetic.

Stateside - PinkPantheress (8/10)

She does it again and even better than last time! This new era by her is looking to be her best yet; the dance-pop has her fun and bouncy feel, which she's known for, and her vocals aren't even annoying to me; I like them.

Tyrants – Sam Fender (6.5/10)

You can never really understand what Sam's saying, but you just know that it's something emotional. I presume this could be part of People Watching Deluxe; it sounds as good as the collection of songs on that album.

Monday – Quadeca (6.9/10)

I just don't get the huge high scores for this guy. Yeah, this was pretty impressive still; it partly reminds me of Beabadoobee's newest album with the soft voice and real sound. The guitar always tends to provide Quadeca with a better sound and helps him.

COUSINS – Kanye West (1.5/10)

This is a song about how Kanye wants and has had s*x with his cousin and how the nitrous isn't really helping him; it sounds AI, and Kanye at times sounds like a whining, autotuned baby. Still a big improvement from 'WW3', though.

Money On Money – Young Thug/Future (7.8/10)

I must admit that I've gotten bored of Future, as many think so too. But this was a big improvement; the song had a more energised feeling with some beat bars that reminded me of the 'Fein' intro but lower in pitch.

Poplife – Umru/Underscores (6.5/10)

The bass is really there, but this just doesn't do it for me.

ILYSMIH – Kali Uchis (8.1/10)

This is an improvement from Kali's last song. The slow and soothing feel suits her well.

Amen – Shaboozey/Jelly Roll (8/10)

Rare Jelly Roll is a good song! I mean, Shaboozey most likely made this happen, but to see an actual improvement from Jelly Roll is nice. The guitar and claps, along with the hold on "Amen", create a good flow and a good hook, catchy country.

Whenever – Megan Thee Stallion (9/10)

Direct, fast, clean. As a Megan hater, I have to applaud this as one of the best female rap songs I've heard over the past few months. I love her fiery energy, but on this it's danceable and bossy and really comes across as giving us a true taste of her great side.

Gripper – Flo Milli/T-Pain (0.5/10)

This is T-Pain's third contender for worst song of 2025, and we aren't even four months into the year. I can't believe T-Pain is actually taken seriously by himself, and this vocal change on top of the already painful autotune is a killer. And let's not let Flo Milli off the hook; the country plucks into a rap beat sound like it was HORRIBLY mixed, and Flo's bad lyrics about "stroking it" are in the song, ewwww. The only positive here is that at least Flo can rap… But damn, this is criminally bad.

My First Heartbreak – Myles Smith (8/10)

Wow… Myles is stepping up to make better music! The emotion is here like always, and the slower ending is the best part because it feels like it leaves time to reflect on the song. It's delivered so well.

Falling 4 U – Pola & Bryson/MPH (7.3/10)

Simple but sweet.

Down To Be Wrong – HAIM (8/10)

An improvement from 'Relationships'.

Nostalgia – Sammy Virji/Issey Cross (7/10)

The song is about what the title suggests, wanting to be taken back in time, supposedly because of nostalgia. This is better than some of Sammy's other loops.

Damocles – Sleep Token (3/10)

Really tedious with poor vocals, a simple rock pattern and some piano. Sad that this will probably get traction.

Roar Of The Lion (The Lions Pit) – Wu-Tang Clan/U-God/Kool G Rap/RZA (8.4/10)

I loved 'Mandingo', and this does nearly as good; love to see it! It feels like it has an old edge and uses classic raps which we all know, but this time adds a Wu-Tang twist to it.

Tears Dry Tonight – CYRIL/James Blunt (4/10)

The only good thing CYRIL ever made was 'Stumblin In'. He needs to retire before he becomes modern-day David Guetta.

If Karma Doesn't Get You, I Will – Lauren Spencer Smith (5.7/10)

This is a turn in a different direction for Lauren. She takes off the overly expressive and plays this more like a radio pop song, but I prefer her expressive style, and this lightens down on it. A step down.

No Secrets – Jessie J (8/10)

Why am I not hearing of Jessie anymore? To the song, it has a sweet, lighter sound but also a sound that Muni Long or Coco Jones might give, a light R&B one.

Same Sh*t – Murda Beatz (7/10)

Partly reminds me of Playboi Carti.

Square One – Redveil (8.8/10)

Conscious experiential rap like Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, The Creator together – amazing!

Cruel – James Arthur (5.7/10)

I can tell he really wants to stay the same; 'Embers' is the only good song I've heard from this era so far.

Don't Let Me Go - Tom Odell (6.9/10)

The drums and piano with Tom's harmony were quite angelic, but overall, Tom still isn't at his full potential.

Tell Me Where U Go – Clean Bandit/Tiesto/Peony (5/10)

Standard electronic tuned music.

Gimme Dat – Ayra Starr/Wizkid (6/10)

Standard Afrobeats – I wish Ayra would get better.

At The Beach, In Every Life – Gigi Perez (5/10)

Hot take here, but Gigi Perez is kind of boring. Her sound isn't always a replica of the last song, but it's still pretty similar, and it's not like the same emotional indie-folk gets me or her anywhere.

Dollars And Dimes – Faithless/Bebe Rexha (1.3/10)

Wow… the most generic and pointless thing you will hear in a while. Bebe's worst song by far.

Vertigo – Sophie Ellis Bextor (7.2/10)

We need new Sophie to go viral instead of the 'Murder On The Dancefloor' re-trend. The beat on this reminded me of modern-day Kylie Minogue.

Diva - Model/Actriz (7/10)

Zoned off but in an enjoyable way.

I enjoyed the following new songs this week:

akiaura, LONOWN & Baby Jane - Deathwish

Effy - 2011

Kali Uchis - ILYSMIH

Lorde - What Was That

Model/Actriz - Diva

PinkPantheress - Stateside

Album-wise I checked out DjRUM - Under Tangled Silence

WARGASM - Vigilantes

Wednesday 13 - No Apologies

Calva Louise - Lo Que Vale

LN - Hellfire

Ghost - Peacefield

Linkin Park - Unshatter

Arcade Fire - Pink Elephant

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY 2.05.25 #29

Old Phone – Ed Sheeran (4.5/10)

Ed Sheeran is just making the exact same music he made before but worse. 'Old Phone' is about Ed looking through his old phone and seeing his old memories. Ed believes they should be left in the past. The song uses a basic guitar and vocal melody that has a higher sound but is still a sad song; it feels too basic for me to enjoy and once again sends the album in a worse direction.

Priceless – Maroon 5/LISA (1.5/10)

This just made me mad; it's a flimsy love pop song, which Maroon 5 and LISA gave no energy to whatsoever. I know that LISA is trying to chase the bag, but this is just straight-up take all, give nothing. Uninteresting, no build-up and a song that leads you nowhere; even the music video was straight-up slop too.

Dope Boy Phone – Quavo/Takeoff (3.7/10)

Basically half this two-minute song is the words "Dope Boy Phone" being repeated on top of a few "Brrrrrrs" in the background; the rest of the production is the standard boom bap beat you would expect that adds nothing. Things aren't looking great for what's to come from Quavo.

Mind Reader – Mimi Webb/Megan Trainor (4/10)

This was straight mediocre pop that follows the likes of any young TikTok artist; the hook just isn't here either. From the point the song starts to the very end, there's just nothing to make the song get better; it's just flat out some disco song with no texture. But since Meghan Trainor is on the song, can we really be shocked?

Lose My Mind – Don Toliver/Doja Cat/F1 The Album (6.6/10)

You know, radio could pick this up. It has a fast-paced sound that fits F1, which is fitting, seeing it's going in an F1 movie. The verses aren't the clearest, and it feels like the notes are dragged on a little too much throughout the intense energy, but it's not bad. Both rappers gave a good effort.

Benz - Mabel/Clavish (5/10)

Uninteresting, and you forget that you're reviewing it before you even reach the end. Couldn't tell you about it because it's so easy to zone out on this.

Cowboy (Glorilla Remix) – Selena Gomez/Benny Blanco/Glorilla (2/10)

GloRilla adds fast and heavy rap to a soft pop song that is a million miles away from rap.

Think Of Me – HUGEL/David Guetta/Kehlani/Daecolm (6/10)

Sounds like generic drum loop electronic pop. I must admit that it still has somewhat of a catchy summer hook.

The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face – Barbra Streisand/Hozier (7.5/10)

Great chemistry that these two have together; it was a calm and beautifully composed song that's nearly as peaceful as something you would hear on Classic FM.

The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man) – Car Seat Headrest (7/10)

Not the easiest thing to digest but still pretty catchy; I feel Sam Fender would do a good job on this!

EGYPT (remix) – Westside Gunn/Doechii (7/10)

I could tell it was good, but it kind of just went in one ear and out the other for me.

Gifted Every Strength – Loathe (7/10)

User score 92?? Only the fanbase is rating this. This is a bunch of pretty standard heavy rock that only saves itself when it slows down in the second half; overall, not worth a 92.

GNARLY - KATSEYE (1.5/10)

This sounds like something a cringe but pretty TikTok girl would dance to in the late 2010s who does nothing but dance. The vocals on this use an over-exaggerated fake strong accent that sounds like the typical "periodddd slayyy" accent; there's no way they thought a hyperpop with cuts worse than Skibidi Phonk would appeal.

Recitatif - Mckinley Dixon/Tellar Bank$ (8.4/10)

Mckinley is truly at a style which Kendrick Lamar did in his older eras, and I'm all here for it; he keeps his raps with the realest and best production quality, making it sound like the real old street rap we used to have. Dixon should be much bigger!!

Vacay - Animé (7/10)

Vitamin P – Lay Bankz (3.8/10)

The more we leave her and that "Tell Ur Girlfriend" song in 2024, the better. This is straight poorly made pop rap with bad effects and a short attempt at getting something for social media.

304 - E.K.E/Sexyy Red (4/10)

As usual, Sexyy ruined this.

Voices – Damiano David (7/10)

Not his strongest song; it lacks Damiano's deep energy he often gives. Just a catchy pop song.

Sweet Love – Burna Boy (7/10)

A refresh from his usual.

Where Have You Been - Kelly Clarkson (7/10)

Back in the day, I think this could've been a classic!

Me, U & Pride – 4Batz (7.2/10)

Am I the only one who doesn't think that 4Batz is the most repetitive person ever? I like how it's not always rough rap; the slow and well-produced sound actually has more to it than boom bap traditional rap.

Lost Highway – Kacey Musgraves (6.7/10)

The Spotify snippet sounded better; in the end, this was decent country guitar music but could've shown more.

Boom – Bbno$ (6.9/10)

Bbno$'s fun, bouncy rap is always fun, but this is too repetitive for me.

Microwave – Ro$ama/BigXthaPlug (8/10)

Quick, hard-hitting and a earworm. BigX isn't missing.

The Way I Love You – Jorja Smith (5/10)

In one ear and out the other.

Want You For Life - Mackenzy Mackay (6.6/10)

Sounds like he's really going for that radio song but with a sound that feels slightly overheard, not the greatest.

Find Xanadu – Alison Goldfrapp (7.6/10)

A club disco pop song in which Alison provides a smooth vocal delivery.

French Girls - Dove Cameron (8.1/10)

It's a more chilled version of something you might've heard on 'MAYHEM'. It has the main pop girl energy with some funky chords near the end that bring a packed pop song – really good!

Backup Plan – Bailey Zimmerman/Luke Combs (6.9/10)

Luke brings his deeper and rougher side to match Bailey on the country-rock song.

Songs this week:

Ulrik Munther - Ja visst gör det ont

Powfu - i'll keep protecting you

Benjamin Ingrosso - Angela (Radio Edit)

Dove Cameron - French Girls

Jonah Marais - More Than Enough

Ed Sheeran - Old Phone

Ulrik's first Swedish language single in a decade, he never disappoints, though this one isn't really one I expect to be giving repeat plays for very long, it's very stripped back! Beautiful track regardless. Angela was a highlight from Benjamin's album anyway, the edit just makes it a bit shorter but I'm glad to be reminded of its existence nonetheless.

As for albums:

Christopher - Fools Gold

The singles have all been decent for me, it comes together nicely on the album, he's pretty consistent as far as albums go.

From this week:

Bailey Zimmerman (feat. Luke Combs) - Backup Plan

The Happy Fits - Everything You Do

Maroon 5 (feat. LISA) - Priceless

New Found Glory - 100%

Turnstile - SEEIN' STARS

Songs:

Alison Goldfrapp - Find Xanadu

NewDad - Entertainer

Nilüfer Yanya - Cold Heart

Suki Waterhouse - On This Love

Album:

Model/Actriz - Pirouette

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY 9.05.25 #30

More To Lose – Miley Cyrus (8/10)

It feels nice seeing Miley leave behind the 'Flowers' & 'Wrecking Ball' of radio pop and make a new chapter that actually feels new. Where it's just her raw voice with most instruments, where you can truly appreciate her singing skills. Miley is showing us how to be a queen in this new era, and she's doing that well.

Blessings – Calvin Harris/Clementine Douglas (6/10)

Calvin's been on a big losing streak lately; after that painfully bad country-dance crossover, we see him return to EDM, but this just doesn't have his infectious earworm no. 1 hit-making energy. It feels mediocre, and Clementine Douglas didn't help with that, and seeing as Clementine is known for mediocre dance-pop, she wasn't a good choice for this either. Calvin needs to regain his shine because right now this is nothing but a poorly made dance loop.

Messy – ROSÉ/F1 The Album (7.3/10)

Just saw the tracklist for F1: The Album, and I'm drooling out the mouth. Tate McRae, Ed Sheeran, Obongjayer, RAYE, Tiesto + more!! Take Sexyy Red off the album, and it could be perfect. This track from ROSÉ blends high-pitched drums with a deeply emotionally connected voice that's something like 'Toxic Till The End' but instead with a lot more emotional tone and depth while still being a catchy pop song.

Full Attention – Tom Grennan (7.5/10)

Tom continues his brand of fun-filled summer pop for his upcoming album. The song starts with a tambourine-like sound along with claps that goes into a piano which leads into Tom uplifting his vocals to a booming hook which has high piano notes that create a fresh sound. It may not be anything new for the industry, but it's a clean pop song that I'll accept from him; at least the wheels didn't fall off for his upcoming album.

Superman - Morgan Wallen (7/10)

Wallen opens up about his controversy and past in a heartfelt country guitar song; it gives more of the lower-note energy rather than creating a country-pop chill song; it's like a mix of a few of his other songs from the rollout. Think of it like 'I'm The Problem' and 'Just In Case' blended together; you would get 'Superman'.

Timeless – The Weeknd/Playboi Carti/Doechii (3/10)

I've already reviewed this song, and all Doechii added was a small rap segment that doesn't matter in anyone's eyes; it's still trash.

Bliss – Tyla (7/10)

Woah… this is Tyla's best song and a huge green flag since I seem to never like her music. She blends her Afro-R&B sound with a lighter pop sound that reminds me partly of something you might've heard trending in 2022 on the new popular radio stations.

Who knows – Mark Ambor (7/10)

This is simply the 2025 version of 'Belong Together', harmless pop that sounds like something Shawn Mendes might make in his new era.

The Final Countdown 2025 – David Guetta/Hypaton/Europe (1/10)

David Guetta, make us some real music and quit acting like CYRIL. These stupid remixes are lame, and you just want quick money. This guy doesn't care about his music or his audience anymore; he made an already annoying song more annoying by just adding EDM drums and replacing the hook by cutting it off. What a joke.

St Helens Alpenglow – Max McNown (7/10)

I'll admit, it's an upgrade; I like the fast strums of the guitar on this country-pop song.

Illegal – PinkPantheress (7/10)

PinkPantheress's fun dance/drum & bass hyperpop.

Shot Callin – YoungBoy Never Broke Again (1.5/10)

You will be broke if you keep making music like this – stop this rap crap where artists just sound utterly stupid. Did you download a free app and use a voice filter?

Hand That Feeds – Halsey/Amy Lee/Evanescence (8/10)

From the film 'Ballerina', Halsey leans back into the deeper meaning pop era with a song that gripped me with its intensity.

Hold Me Down – Stormzy (6/10)

After 'Hide & Seek', Stormzy keeps getting the rap-pop formula slightly off; this has the emotion but not the spark.

Wassam – BAK Jay/NLE Choppa (5/10)

Forgot it after I listened; it's NLE though, so not a surprise.

Small Town Girls – Thomas Rhett/Tucker Wetmore (5/10)

Thomas and Tucker stick to the boring traditional country roots that don't get them anything past their girls, guitars and small towns.

See U Tonight – Kylie Cantrell/ILLIT (5.5/10)

Sweet girl pop that doesn't explore new boundaries.

Hikikomoro - Jack Van Cleaf (7.1/10)

Something tells me Hozier would be a great addition to the song. While not as good as 'Smoker', Jack releases another single that brings hope for his new album, 'JVC'. The guitar here is played superbly, and it supports a hook that has a nice uplift to the folk song.

Young & Dumb – Avril Lavigne/Simple Plan (0.8/10)

A song that's supposed to capture being a kid in that "young and dumb" mindset; it always annoys me when singers use "young and dumb" in songs; it's so overused and has just become this really cringe phrase to assume everyone was dumb when they were young. This song portrays it as badly as the rest, with lines sounding like you're trying to write about the typical careless teen, and then on top of that, the song really, REALLY sounds similar to someone who's never been a crazy teen trying to pretend to be one, with lines randomly switching to being a rockstar, trashing hotel rooms, getting tattoos and all with the classic teen high school voice and beat that sounds straight out of a 2000s high school drama. It's worse than a poor attempt at recreating the fun of being young; it's straight-up diabolical.

Castle – Haven Madison (5.4/10)

The vocals giving that loud crashing down sound caught my attention on the song again – I'm not sure if it's really for the better, though.

SORRY RACH! - Stormzy (7.4/10)

Stormzy's rapping has a side that many rappers don't have; the vocals he has are gifted.

Arcade (Spotify Singles) – Loreen (6.9/10)

A cover of Duncan Laurence's 'Arcade' where Loreen replaces the song's signature sound with hers – I'm glad to see she did more with the beat and actually turned the song into something bigger.

Taste – Sophie Ellis-Bextor (6.8/10)

She continues the brand of pop that reminds me of modern Kylie Minogue, with the main dance feel with funky sounds inputted into the song that sound like it would fit on "Tension II".

I Wanna Ride – Big Softy (4/10)

Definitely inspired by BRAT; sounds exactly like something from it, specifically 'Guess'.

Look Down On Us – Maruja (8.5/10)

If this keeps up the way it does, this could be the user's highest-rated song of 2025, and as much as I must admit this had a clever spoken intro into noise rock mixed with jazz that just got better and better with the intense ending making a great ending, this is still not near the best song of 2025 for me. I get why you would say that, though.

Pretrial (Let Her Go Home) - Fiona Apple (8/10)

It sounds like something you would hear in a tribe. really well-layered art-pop.

Garbage - Get Out of my Face AKA Bad Kitty

Eville - Get With Me

Jesus and the Zealots - The Soughing

Toy Parlour - Say Something

Songs:

Marcus & Martinus - Endless Summer

Alex Spencer - Clouded Thinking

ROSÉ - Messy

Avril Lavigne feat. Simple Plan - Young & Dumb

f5ve & Kesha - Sugar Free Venom

Miley Cyrus - More to Lose

Chance Peña & Hayd - How Long, How Low?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Taste
Tom Grennan - Full Attention

Albums:

Maren Morris - D R E A M S I C L E

The Maren album has a couple of real gems on it, and it's a solid listen overall, think I like it more than her last album.

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY 16.05.25 #31

Friend Of Mine – Rihanna (2/10)

This movie soundtrack is making big hit artists make their worst song to date, and after creating possibly the worst song of the year, The Smurfs movie brings out Rihanna to make a robotic-like, over-autotuned dance loop which sounds like a better (but still bad) version of some of Rose Mulet's music.

Let You Fade – Linkin Park (7/10)

After the disappointing deluxe rollout that left us waiting three weeks for one song, it had to be good, and yeah, it's good... but it's not worth a three-week wait. Not only does it not resemble the production choices well from "From Zero", but it also feels like it's screams that go hard in the moment but then just fade from your mind. It's heavy rock; it's probably what the Chester fans wanted more of, which kind of makes me think Linkin Park did it for them.

One Thing – Lola Young (6.6/10)

The snippet was easily the worst part of the song, so it's nice to see the full thing is a huge upgrade from what I thought it was going to be. Unlike her previous songs, Lola takes a raunchy route where she talks about "breaking the bed and the sofa". The song has an unpleasant vocal change on "babe" but redeems itself, as the main build-up peak is just an alright fun pop song that's harmless.

Me + You – Ella Henderson (5/10)

Huge step down from Ella's previous country-pop attempt; this is tasteless country that has absolutely no real substance whatsoever.

Chemical Reaction – Debbii Dawson (8/10)

Debbii should be a main pop girl who goes number one! She's the one that we keep sleeping on despite her making constant hits, and this is another example with, at times, a futuristic sound with a funky dance sound. Debbii makes a radio song that's anything but your usual or boring.

Forwards – Amy Macdonald (5.1/10)

I've heard it, you've heard it – guitar rock that resembles nothing more than another song.

There She Goes – CYRIL/MOONLIGHT/The La's (0.1/10)

What the hell is this weird effect that CYRIL uses where the vocals sound like they're glitching?! This is just two minutes of the phrase "there she goes" repeating with some weird vocal effect that I can't even describe. WHO THE HELL DOES THIS TO A SONG?! This should be illegal. Burn this song, and please, please quit making music. I don't want to have to say this, but this guy is worse than modern-day David Guetta… Call this music? Yeah right, bud. Contender for worst song of 2025.

Tough Luck – Laufey (5/10)

Laufey has a really different way of singing this song, and it makes it feel like she's trying to be Beabadoobee but posher. I don't care for this.

Rather Be – GIVEON (7/10)

Love how he collaborates soulful performances with raw instruments.

Me N OG Snoop – Snoop Dogg/Sexyy Red (8/10)

Sexyy Red gets her millionth collaboration, and it's actually great… surprisingly. Snoop has the better verse, but they both add to that loud booming backing beat.


Somebody – Latto (7.5/10)

Fun rap-radio music that follows Latto's earworm hits.

Hotel – Chezile (7.9/10)

Let's Ride Away – Avicii/Elle King (3/10)

Think of Avicii's radio pop hits but picked apart to the point where the song has nothing which makes it exciting; that's 'Let's Ride Away'.

GRAVE - Avery Anna (6/10)

Avery isn't an artist that makes a niche sound you come back to; she's something for the moment.

Don't Say You Love Me – Jin (7/10)

Jin actually makes a song that's worthy of a replay? That wasn't on my 2025 bingo card. I like how he blends sadness into a nice English-Korean pop song that captures the energy well.


Feels So Good – Animé (7/10)

Another quality rap song that builds hope for what's next.

BOY CRAZY. - Kesha (7.2/10)

A HUGEEEE upgrade from "Yippee Ki Yay", this brings out the real fun Kesha we want with its diva energy that partly makes me think of Charli XCX (but better). Kesha going electronic may not seem so bad if it keeps being like this.


In My Arms – ILLENIUM/HAYLA (5/10)

Can we just stop making this really generic music? If you've heard either of these two artists, then you could've definitely seen this coming.

Hit – Boss Man Dlow/Gucci Mane (2/10)

Can't be bothered to roast these two and express my dislike for their taste again. I'll bother when they make something that isn't the same lazy rap music.

No Room For A Saint – Dom Dolla/Nathan Nicholson/F1 The Album (6.6/10)

Yet another high-energy song from the upcoming album that has a huge list of A-listers. F1 The album is going for a pumped party feeling, buty, with each song, it feels like there's something off...


Young – Little Simz (1/10)

WHAT?! THE FIRST TWO SONGS ON THE ALBUM WERE GOLD… WHAT HAPPENED?! Not only are the lyrics and tone so off-putting, but any flavour in the beat was sucked away by how painfully awkward Simz's vocals were... Don't listen to this; it's her worst song to date.

The Boys – Chloe Qisha (7/10)

Another person who could potentially be a big pop girl one day! This sounds like a mix of Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.


Body Talk – Issey Cross (6.5/10)

Enjoyable yet forgettable.


Jellyfish - Obongjayer (7.5/10)

Love to see what Obongjayer will create for the F1 album! This is what he's made of here: art that showcases something that only he does… Still could've done with some more added touches, though.


Bulletproof – JoJo Siwa (0.1/10)

Disgustingly overproduced vocals that sound like AI made them, along with really poorly placed chords.

Dudu - Yeule (7/10)

A really interesting take on dream pop and alt pop.

Bloom Baby Bloom – Wolf Alice (7.8/10)

These are the types of alternative rock songs that really help me enjoy the genre.

Sola - Arca (4/10)

The pitch and sound were confusing and on a new level of "I don't even know what I'm hearing."

Piranha – Nova Twins (7.4/10)

Got a lot better as the song got to the middle!

In The Name Of The Father – PRESIDENT (4/10)

Almost 4 minutes of metal that reminds me of Sleep Token.

Dog Race - Return The Day (Colours)

Delilah Bon - PRINCELESS PRINCESS

Wolf Alice - Bloom Baby Bloom

Lorna Shore - Oblivion

Nova Twins - Piranha

Singles

Will Linley - Cinematic

Corbyn Besson - Tied Up

Kesha - BOY CRAZY.

Diplo & Artemas - BRAIN

Avicii & Elle King - Let's Ride Away

Albums

Jonah Marais - More Than Enough - EP

Had heard most of Jonah's EP live a few weeks ago, nice hearing the studio versions, Miracle Fruit is a particular highlight. Relatively calm week on the singles front but plenty of time to get to grips with my Eurovision favourites in lieu of many fresh releases!

Saved this week:

Kaleb Cohen - East Coast Summers

Scotty McCreery (feat. Hootie & The Blowfish) - Bottle Rockets
Steve Aoki (feat. Tyler Hubbard) - Forget Tonight