Billboard’s Friday Music Guide 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, Nicki Minaj celebrates another Pink Friday, Tate McRae unfurls her new era and Guns N’ Roses are still cranking away in the studio. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday 2
In the 13 years since the release of her 2010 debut album Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj has established herself as an indispensable voice in modern hip-hop’s extended universe; Pink Friday 2, a sequel to that first full-length as well as Minaj’s first proper album since 2018, illustrates just how far she has come stylistically and thematically, while also confirming that, all this time later, she has still rap circles around her competition. Pink Friday 2 is at times reflective (opener “Are You Gone Already” finds its hushed tone within a sample of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over”) and often features Minaj confidently crooning — but few rap artists remain as adept at stuffing a blockbuster release with memorably giddy moments, and from the opulent samples to the packed guest list to the tongue-twisting bars, Pink Friday 2 is brimming with highlights.
Tate McRae, Think Later
“Greedy” was more than Tate McRae’s first top 10 hit: the TikTok sensation-turned-streaming behemoth unlocked a self-assured dance-pop sound for the singer-songwriter, who had already been scoring radio hits for a few years. New album Think Later not only boasts more rhythmic pop gems melded into a cohesive whole — McRae worked with Ryan Tedder, Amy Allen and Jasper Harris on the majority of the full-length — but also features McRae sounding more comfortable in her skin than ever before, and the project benefits from that established identity.
Guns N’ Roses, “The General”
After releasing the single “Perhaps” earlier this year, Guns N’ Roses is closing out 2023 with another unreleased rocker: “The General,” which the band performed last month at the Hollywood Bowl, sounds more acidic and bugged-out than classic GN’R, but Axl Rose’s voice and Slash’s riffing guide the track in a fresh, exciting direction. After reconnecting onstage and slaying stadiums, Guns N’ Roses’ leaders are letting their curiosities wander on a song like “The General,” and that’s always an exciting development.
Fred Again.. Featuring Baby Keem, “leavemealone”
Feeling like you need to be by yourself, but don’t want to sit still while doing so? “leavemealone,” the frenetic new collaboration between Fred Again.. and Baby Keem, combines the producer’s sleek dance soundscapes and the rapper’s microphone energy to create an anthem that lets you block out the world while moving at a breakneck pace. Chopping up Keem’s vocals from past songs “BULLIES” and “South Africa,” Fred makes the pastiche sound wholly original, and streamlines a track that he’s already been trotting out in live set.
Peso Pluma & Anitta, “BELLAKEO”
To cap off a year in which he helped establish Mexican music as a major movement in the greater Latin music industry, Peso Pluma has leapt out of his signature sound and linked up with Anitta on a sensual reggaeton track. While “BELLAKEO” sizzles with the shared chemistry between the two stars and deploys a hypnotic hook over hissing percussion, Peso Pluma showcases his range besides a total pro like Anitta — he could have ended 2023 by doubling down on his sound, and instead, he hinted at stretching out his aesthetic next year and beyond.
Editor’s Pick: Sarz feat. Asake & Gunna, “Happiness”
Producer Sarz and singer-songwriter Asake are two of the leading voices coming out of the Nigerian music industry, and by linking up with Gunna for a euphoric end-of-year jam, both artists extend their reach while also displaying their natural sonic impulses. Fans of Asake’s great 2023 album Work of Art will adore “Happiness,” and for Gunna, who’s enjoyed a huge commercial year as a lead artist himself, the single allows him to shine as a guest and snag another hit before the clock runs out on 2023.
