Billboard’s First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
This week, Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi look on the bright side, Juice WRLD and Justin Bieber interweave their stories, and Polo G sends us back to the Hall of Fame. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
Ariana Grande & Kid Cudi, “Just Look Up”
Adam McKay’s upcoming star-studded film Don’t Look Up focuses on a comet approaching Earth that will destroy all of mankind; Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi, who both appear in the movie, have contributed a soundtrack single that’s presumably more hopeful than the project that inspired it. “Just Look Up” finds Grande steering some romantic balladry with a gorgeous tone and open heart, while Cudi takes a few seconds to fully deploy his croon but sounds comfortable when it arrives.
Juice WRLD & Justin Bieber, “Wandered To LA”
One week ahead of the release of Fighting Demons, the second posthumous Juice WRLD album, “Wandered To LA,” a pairing with Justin Bieber, hints at the emotional resonance and commercial appeal of the follow-up to last year’s blockbuster-streaming Legends Never Die. “Wandered To LA” combines two artists with masterful understandings of pop melodies and how they can be effectively showcased over hip-hop-leaning beats, as Juice sings about being lost in dreams before Bieber grasps at personal resolution.
Polo G, Hall of Fame 2.0
Hall of Fame 2.0 is a fitting title for the deluxe edition of Polo G’s 2021 breakthrough album — after all, there are 14 new songs to absorb and even more new stories of the complexities of fame, making the project more a fresh version than an add-on. “Don’t Play” with Lil Baby is as urgent as that team-up requires, the NLE Choppa-assisted “Unapologetic” serves as a dynamic sequel to their previous collaboration “Go Stupid,” and “Young N Dumb” is classic Polo, street-born pain delivered with unflinching honesty.
Shawn Mendes, “It’ll Be Okay”
Naturally, Shawn Mendes’ new single “It’ll Be Okay” will be viewed through the lens of the pop-rock star’s recent breakup with Camila Cabello, an artistic response to rampant tabloid speculation. Yet “It’ll Be Okay” transcends the headline-grabbing context in which it was released: heartfelt and lyrically potent (“I start to imagine a world where we don’t collide / It’s making me sick but we’ll heal and the sun will rise,” he sings), “It’ll Be Okay” gives Mendes the opportunity to sink deep into his vulnerabilities, and scoop up his best single in years.
SZA, “I Hate U”
Previously released on Soundcloud over the summer, SZA’s “I Hate U” caused notable fan fervor until it was delivered wide to streaming platforms — understandable, considering how rare solo SZA material continues to be, and how breathtaking this particular song is on impact. “I Hate U” lingers on a relationship that has been extinguished, with SZA providing copious details of what went wrong as well as showcasing the vocal power that’s made her such a captivating figure in mainstream pop and R&B.
Joshua Bassett, “Crisis”/”Secret”/”Set Me Free”
“Half the s–t you’re saying is only half true, messing with my life as a career move,” Joshua Bassett sings on “Crisis,” the first and most striking in a three-pack of new songs that will surely reignite the online chatter surrounding the singer-songwriter, his High School Musical co-star Olivia Rodrigo and the relationship rumored to be at the heart of “Drivers License.” There’s hurt congealing in these songs, but also the maturation of Bassett’s perspective as a writer and storyteller — personal growing pains that hint at an exciting professional evolution.
Ed Sheeran & Elton John, “Merry Christmas”
While Ed Sheeran returned with his = album this fall and dominated top 40 radio once again, Elton John, another British pop maestro, scored his biggest crossover hit in years with “Cold Heart.” Both singer-songwriters have a lot to be thankful for as 2021 comes t
o a close, and their holiday duet “Merry Christmas” functions as a warm-spirited victory lap, all chiming production and cozy vocal harmonies between two close stadium-conquering close friends.
