New Music Round-Up: Drake, A Star Is Born, Charli XCX, Troye Sivan & More!

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's stunning A Star Is Born soundtrack is finally here, as is some pretty major collaborations from many of our faves - hi Kendrick! - and surprise releases from a little known artist called Drake.

Heard of him? Let's get into this week's New Music Round-Up...

Singles

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan - ‘1999’

https://open.spotify.com/track/05mAIVLkIWc2d1UBYZBCp8

Two of pop music’s most forward-looking millennials team up for a flirtatious romp about celebrating the moment with a little help from Britney, MJ and - ahem - MTV. It's a relentless, sparkling banger and we cannot get enough.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - I'll Never Love Again’

https://open.spotify.com/track/3DKpA54hrFIdPN6AtL9HXa

This song is to A Star Is Born what 'I Will Always Love You' is to The Bodyguard: an overwhelmingly emotional power ballad that captures the essence of the entire movie, sung incredibly by one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Anderson .Paak - 'Tints (feat. Kendrick Lamar)'

https://open.spotify.com/track/1gnwGVoG7V08vMX3hyr90x

Two of our favourites reunite for a funky, smooth AF bop about the magic of tinted windows. Legendary line: "Bitch, I'm Kendrick Lamar, respect me from afar."

Samm Henshaw - 'Doubt (feat. Wretch 32)'

https://open.spotify.com/track/3zmS23swrDKQGPIr20Ldl9

Wow. Wow. Wow. Samm Henshaw and Wretch 32 join forces for 'Doubt', a soulful and utterly brilliant anthem of defiance.

Jonas Blue, Liam Payne and Lennon Stella - 'Polaroid'

https://open.spotify.com/track/1wsLHgXJ4SKIfd5ePSX1hD

Remember when we told you that Jonas Blue and Liam Payne were working on a song together? Well, 11 months later (!), they have finally released their collab with the help of Lennon Stella. About bloody time, boys!

Lil Baby, Gunna and Drake - 'Never Recover'

https://open.spotify.com/track/6wWaVoUOzLQJHd3bWAUpdZ

We can barely keep up with all of the Lils in the world but Lil Baby and Gunna have released a joint album that features a very special Drake collaboration. 'Never Recover' is one massive chooon, to say the least.

Halsey - 'Without Me'

https://open.spotify.com/track/5p7ujcrUXASCNwRaWNHR1C

Offering a more vulnerable side to herself, Halsey bares her soul on 'Without Me', an emotional track that interpolates Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me A River'. I mean, that says it all, right?

Mariah Carey - 'With You'

https://open.spotify.com/track/5br7roRMvno5sXHu5GAqXf

Serving up a retro moment of sing-along '90s R&B or whatever, the one and only Mariah Carey sounds magnificent on the slickly produced and rather lovely 'With You'.

Dave - 'Funky Friday (feat. Fredo)'

https://open.spotify.com/track/01IQ4aQgOf0Kkq3a273hmO

He's back! Dave makes a massive return this week with 'Funky Friday', a massive collaboration that brings new depth to the tropics. Well worth the wait.

Jessie Ware - 'Overtime'

https://open.spotify.com/track/2bDDxoUe9CHgdIrYzsLGhH

Oh, yes! Jessie Ware switches up the pace and heads for the disco on 'Overtime', an excellent track that she has just nonchalantly dropped to give fans a taste of what she's cooking up in the studio.

Sigrid - 'Sucker Punch'

https://open.spotify.com/track/6DlxVlOMWDG71sNyaJtmTy

'Sucker Punch' is Sigrid's best song since 'Strangers', hands down. No question. Bratty in the best way, with geniusly awkward lyrics that make for some brilliant pop moments.

AlunaGeorge - 'Cold Blooded Creatures (feat. Bryson Tiller)'

https://open.spotify.com/track/6fi6gDXhy1jFeiMKrhrIyC

Ah, how we have missed AlunaGeorge. Hooking up with Bryson Tiller for this song on their brand new EP, 'Cold Blooded Creatures' is an expertly crafted laidback R&B track that has a surprising amount of heart and soul for a song so cold.

Ryan Ashley - 'Care for You'

https://open.spotify.com/track/7tyy53a5FzWqhHeloyrO7k

Not one for football references, however we reckon this is a hat-trick. Ryan Ashley follows up 'Shame' and 'Chest' with the incredible 'Care for You'; a stunning and (genuinely) sexy love song by one of the finest voices in music today.

Alice Chater - 'Hourglass'

https://open.spotify.com/track/0VsJsr8dCM8SRBpo3hTPbI

Future pop princess Alice Chater sends us into a sweaty trance with the dancefloor-ready 'Hourglass', and absolutely kills it in its one-take music video.

jesse saint john - ‘WHAT DO U LIKE’

https://open.spotify.com/track/2SDZOfgBqgwwCfpYAHJZZS

He's written for Britney, Camila, Charli; now, jesse saint john's own pop mission is officially underway with this sexy moment of glittery synth-pop. We stan.

HEX - 'Stunna'

https://open.spotify.com/track/3wHr6cn82nShrIFpXDk3aq

Rising star HEX's new track 'Stunna' kicks off a visual trilogy that'll showcase more of his vision, while his sound progresses to darker places, at least production-wise. 'Stunna' bangs hard, which makes its actually-quite-romantic lyrics and the lush melodies that much sweeter.

Albums

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born Soundtrack

https://open.spotify.com/album/3a3AKiS0o5qVn25cloDYII

Heartbreaking, ecstatically fun, sexy, slow, dancefloor-ready: the A Star Is Born is a surprisingly eclectic affair seamlessly tied together by its story. The music makes the film and the film makes the music, as these songs - especially 'I'll Never Love Again' (Gaga's Whitney moment) - take on whole new meanings once you've seen the movie, which is bloody incredible by the way. Well done, Gaga and Cooper.

twentyonepilots - Trench

https://open.spotify.com/album/621cXqrTSSJi1WqDMSLmbL

Their first album to arrive after being launched into the mainstream with 'Stressed Out', twentyonepilots deliver an excellent follow-up to Blurryface in Trench. The duo have worked heavily with Mutemath's Paul Meany on the fifth album, taking them in a slightly different direction, and it pays off well.

Kelela - TAKE ME A_PART, THE REMIXES

https://open.spotify.com/album/00bR0PfkGVAizXpN05DYrs

Transforming much of her discography to date with this sublime remix album, Kelela enlists the help of a wide range of talents - from CupcakKe to KAYTRANADA - to essentially give us brand new songs based upon the ones we already love. Breathing new life into her own material and bringing back the OG meaning of 'remix', Kelela continues to give us more than we deserve. Queen.

You Me At Six - VI

https://open.spotify.com/album/4nC9wWFcuI9QDWfob3fbHB

VI is the start of a new chapter for You Me At Six. Successfully incorporating R&B and hip-hop into their traditionally alternative pop-rock realm, the band sound like they're having a hell of a lot of fun on this new record, which features two of their best in years in 'I O U' and 'Predictable'.