New Music Sunday: The Best 5 Songs Released This Past Week Pt. 12

Happy New Music Sunday, aka the best day of the week!

Noteworthy album & EP releases:

til the end of time, Almost Monday
Things Take Shape, Amorphous
Forget You, Bahari
6 Of A Billion, Claire Rosinkranz
Mythopoetics, Half Waif
in defense of my own happiness (complete), Joy Oladokun
It Won’t Always Be Like This, Inhaler
XOXO: From Love & Anxiety In Real Time, The Maine
Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3, Tkay Maidza
Twin Shadow, Twin Shadow
Vince Staples, Vince Staples

In chronological order:

“Cure For Me” – Aurora
Release Date – July 7

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve fallen off the Aurora bandwagon: I just haven’t been to interested in her music since her debut project All My Demons Greeting Me was a Friend – was released back in 2014. However, when I first stumbled upon “Cure For Me” during my New Music Friday listening ritual, I was super into what I was hearing. What initially made Aurora an interesting artist: her ethereal, fairy-like aesthetics, airy voice, and weird, Lorde-esque dance moves still exist in this new track: it just feels more refined, more evolved. The song is more dance-infused, close to the point where I think this song could be on the radio. I’m super excited to see what Aurora does next: it looks like she’s gearing up for another album release soon.

“Seventeen Going Under” – Sam Fender
Release Date – July 7

I’m convinced that British rocker Sam Fender was on his way to North American domination just when COVID struck. Due to laryngitis, he had to cancel a slew of US shows back in Fall 2019: eventually having to further postpone due to COVID. Now Fender is back with a new track ahead of his upcoming album of the same name, which drops later this year. “Seventeen Going Under” explores the years living in limbo: not fully an adult, but certainly not a kid anymore, either. Fender’s songwriting and singing is very anthemic, telling the stories of the average Joe and our struggles figuring things out as human beings. It reminds me very much of artists like Bruce Springsteen and Bleachers (which makes sense, considering Jack Antonoff’s hero is none other than Springsteen). Seventeen Going Under drops on October 8.

“Forget You” – Bahari
Release Date – July 9

It’s really hard to believe that I featured Bahari on the website just about five years ago at this point, highlighting the band’s music in a post here. Fast forward to 2021, the band (who was once a trio, now a duo) has had a decent track record, including collaborations with artists like Zedd and Illenium, as well as touring with artist Elohim. “Forget You” is the opening track on Bahari’s newest EP of the same name, including the band’s recent hit “Savage,” but this time, featuring artist BIA. The song is very reminiscent of Sasha Sloan’s earlier music, specifically the vocal performance: Selena Gomez’ slower songs also come to mind.

“NDA” – Billie Eilish
Release Date – July 9

I feel like Billie’s new singles ahead of her next album have been all over the place: “Your Power” was an interesting choice for a lead single, followed by “Lost Cause” and now “NDA” – I personally feel like “NDA” would have been the strongest choice for the lead single ahead of her new album, Happier Than Ever, which drops on July 30. “NDA” brings me back to old Billie: specifically songs like “my boy,” “bellyache,” and more recently, “You Should See Me In A Crown.” It’s a bit creepier, more mysterious and intriguing in the sense that it really makes you wonder who Eilish is behind her public persona. It’s definitely breathed new energy into the album promo (at least for me).

“Bouncin” – Tinashe
Release Date – July 9

Will 2021 be Tinashe’s year? After releasing one of the sleeper hits of the year, Songs For You, back in 2019, I’m curious to see where she takes her career next. The song, running just under three minutes, is definitely a summertime vibe: an R&B pop anthem that catapults me back into the songs of the same genre that were popular when I was a pre-teen. There’s a certain sense of nostalgia baked into the song, for sure, but it still feels cool and current without being gimmicky.

Be sure to follow the playlist (updated weekly) below: