Happy New Music Friday! It’s every audiophile’s favorite day of the week, and some of our favorite artists from all different genres have blessed us with new tunes.
Gwen Stefani dropped another danceworthy single off her upcoming album, Selena Gomez released her first Spanish language EP, and Joshua Bassett finally dropped his buzzed-about debut album — minus one notable track.
Plus, Best New Artist nominee CHIKA prepped for the GRAMMYs with a new EP and a cover of a former winner in her category, and America’s Got Talent fan favorite Mandy Harvey debuted her uplifting new single, with a heartwarming music video that features some familiar faces!
Read on for some of our favorite recommendations for new songs and albums to listen to this week — plus, where you can stream them now!
“Slow Clap” – Gwen Stefani
She’s reintroduced herself, and now she’s ready for the applause! Stefani dropped the second single off her upcoming fifth solo album on Friday, thrilling fans with the reggae-inspired, dance floor-ready sound.
“Been the champion, rang the bell / Rocked the bottom, been through hell,” Stefani sings on the track. “Climbed the mountain, now I’m well / I just feel like coming back for the belt.”
Following singles “De Una Vez” and “Baila Conmigo,” Gomez dropped her first Spanish language EP on Friday, a project that’s been nearly a decade in the making for the young performer, and an accomplishment she says she’s “so grateful” for.
“This has been something I’ve wanted to do for 10 years, working on a Spanish project, because I’m so, so proud of my heritage, and just genuinely felt like I wanted this to happen,” Gomez told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe of the project. “Of course I want everyone to enjoy the music, but I am targeting my fan base. I’m targeting my heritage, and I couldn’t be more excited… I just hope that people understand how much I put my heart into this, and how amazing I feel about it.”
After several buzzed-about singles and plenty of fan speculation about a real-life love triangle, Joshua Bassett’s debut EP is finally here, and the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star is eager to let his heartfelt collection of songs write their own narrative (except for that Sabrina Carpenter duet, which was recently cut from the EP).
“I think the songs speak for themselves. That’s really the truth. If you listen to them, that’s the inspiration for it,” Bassett told ET’s Katie Krause about fan speculation over his lyrics. “I wrote it over the last two years, so to finally get it off my chest, I’m excited, and I can’t wait for people to hear it.”
