Doja Cat, Zach Bryan, Shakira, Bink-182 – Billboard

Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to Friday’s biggest releases—the key music that everyone will be talking about today and that will dominate playlists this weekend and beyond.

This week, Doja Cat turns into a hip-hop titan, Zach Bryan has even more tricks up his sleeve, and Shakira continues to rack up wins. Check out all of this week’s new releases below:

doja cat, Scarlet

Not many music stars could release an album with five bona fide pop hits and then usher in a new rap-centric era and achieve the same artistic and commercial success – but that’s exactly what Doja Cat achieved with Scarleta spectacular curveball that still complements her inherent skill set. Planet She demonstrated that Doja can write fierce, funny rhymes between pop choruses, and although Scarlet contains plenty of hummable melodies that follow the songwriting of recent No. 1 single “Paint the Town Red,” the album’s greatest triumph lies in Doja’s fully fleshed out verses with boastful onomatopoeia (“Shutcho”) and extended sex metaphors (“Gun”). whirlwind romance (“Agora Hills”) and deafening claps (“F–k The Girls (FTG)”). Scarlet

proves Doja can remain among hip-hop’s elite for a long time—but that assumes she won’t create a whole new dazzling world with her next project.

Zach Bryan Boys of Faith E.P.

For those surprised that Zac Bryan’s self-titled album consisted of just 16 songs after last year’s 34-track epic. American heartbreak, Boys of Faith, a surprise EP released less than a month after the country superstar’s first chart-topper, does a little to level things out, while also boasting a few more intriguing sounds and collaborations to add to Brian’s repertoire. The immediate focus will be on back-to-back guest spots from Noah Kahan (on the dynamic, brooding “Sarah’s Place”) and Bon Iver (on the wrenching, fuzzy title track), as well as opening track “Nine Ball.” in which Brian talks about his complicated feelings towards his father when he helps him win a bet at pool, highlights this useful addition to the revolutionary project.

Shakira and Fuerza Regida, El Jefe

“I feel like a cat who has more than nine lives; Every time I think I can’t get better, I suddenly get a second wind,” Shakira said. Billboard during her recent cover interview. In a period of personal turmoil and professional triumph, Shakira appears poised to enjoy another success with “El Jefe,” a collaboration with regional Mexican group Fuerza Regida that brings her unmistakable voice to their ever-expanding world while upping the tempo. the guitar sounds and murmur of horns gradually become more insistent. “El Jefe” sounds like no other Shakira song before it and is truly addictive – which is why it continues to get better.

Blink-182, “One More Time”

Blink-182’s 2023 reunion tour included a slew of arena and festival dates, more scatological stage banter, and the tongue-in-cheek 2022 comeback single “Edging,” which added to the collection of veteran pop-punk anthems; The live broadcast also featured some unexpected moments of reflection from the trio, who spoke candidly about Mark Hoppus’ battle with cancer in 2021 and how grateful they were to be back together. “One More Time” turns that assessment into a somber, truly moving three-and-a-half minute introspection, as Hoppus and Tom DeLonge sing to each other, “I don’t wanna act like there’s a tomorrow / I don’t wanna wait to do it again,” longtime fans will wipe away tears, grateful they didn’t.

Kylie Minogue, Voltage

Although “Padam Padam” was a surprise comeback for Kylie Minogue, it reached international charts that the dance-pop veteran hadn’t graced in a decade, and also became her first top 10 single in the Billboard Dance Chart’s 10-year history. Electronic Songs US – The revival of the Minogue aesthetic hinted at in the hit single can now be heard in full on Voltageher most complete full-length album since the 2010s. Aphrodite. Minogue’s gift for airy, energetic pop sounds more natural on songs like “Things We Do For Love”, “Green Light” and the title track than in years, as the Australian star extracts simple pleasures from each track and then strengthens them. influence.

Editor’s Pick: 070 Shake, “Black Dress.”

070 Shake is currently hitting stadiums as the opening act for Coldplay’s current West Coast run, and “Black Dress,” the bold hip-hop artist’s first single released in 2023, deserves a huge platform: like 070 Shake herself, the song defies easy categorization. – it combines a heavy guitar riff, stormy electronics and a na-na-na pop chorus – but the mixture sounds massive. After 070 Shake scored a surprise Top 40 hit with Ray with “Escapism” earlier this year, let’s hope “Black Dress,” which precedes the upcoming new album, also gets a pop moment.