New This Week: Lana Del Rey, Meek Mill, Tyler, the Creator, and More
Searching for something to listen to this weekend? Yahoo Music has you covered with a rundown of some of this week’s biggest and buzzing releases, including Lana Del Rey, Meek Mill, Tyler, the Creator, and more. Check back every Friday for a fresh list of albums to help fuel your weekend playlists.
Lana Del Rey: Lust For Life (Interscope). This is the eagerly awaited follow-up to 2015’s Honeymoon, and Del Rey has fueled anticipation by sharing five cuts all the way up to release (plus some leaked material she didn’t authorize). Is the twisted, fluttering pop-oriented result worth all the chatter? Fans can debate, but it’s not for lack of star power: In addition to her own (immediately recognizable by ear) talents, her ultra-A+ guest list includes Stevie Nicks, the Weeknd, Sean Ono Lennon, A$AP Rocky, and Playboi Carti.
Meek Mill: Wins and Losses (MMG/Atlantic). Rapper Meek Mill takes a highly personal journey on this set, chronicling the ups and downs of his life to date. The title hints at loss, but guests The-Dream, Future, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ign, Chris Brown, Lil Uzi Vert, and Young Thug all contribute to make this a win all the way.
Tyler, the Creator: Flower Boy (Columbia). This album began garnering attention before release due to its confessional lyrics (and NSFW title, which is edited here); but on the musical side of things, Tyler is ambitious as well. Fans may be surprised at the amount of singing vs. rapping he does on the set. Of course, nothing but good could come of guest appearances from Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis, Estelle, Roy Ayers, Lil Wayne, and Jaden Smith, too.
Steve Aoki: Steve Aoki presents KOLONY (Ultra). Aoki is already well-established for his majestic ability to make EDM shine and shimmer; here, he mixes things up with a liberal dose of hip-hop, pairing with Migos, Lil’ Yachty, Gucci Mane, Lil’ Uzi Vert, and 2-Chainz. The result is satisfying, to say the least.
Hans Zimmer: Dunkirk (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (WaterTower Music). Academy, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award-winning composer Zimmer seamlessly crafts a visceral, thrilling score to twist and curve about this film chronicling the Battle of France during WWII. As a side note, fellow musician Harry Styles makes his acting debut in this production, which isn’t a point essential to Zimmer’s soundtrack, but is certainly a point of interest for this project overall.
Sara Evans: Words (Born to Fly). Evans’s latest work is affecting and highly personal, touching on her 9-year marriage as well as family events such as her oldest child entering his final year of high school. Adding to the intimacy, her daughter Olivia adds vocals to lead single “Marquee Sign.”
Foster the People: Sacred Hearts Club (Columbia). Those looking for some glimmer of the infectious success of 2011’s hit “Pumped Up Kicks” — especially following the band’s uneven sophomore effort — will be disappointed further in their third release. While a viable attempt to branch out sonically, the set comes across overall as yet again not quite hitting a uniform vibe.
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley: Stony Hill (Tuff Gong/Universal). Reggae is alive and well, and being nicely advanced, by the legendary Bob Marley’s youngest son. On this set, his first in a decade, Marley plays with the format’s stereotypical lyrical directions (e.g., social commentary, marijuana) but manages to make things sound fresh and updated for 2017.
Chris Robinson Brotherhood: Barefoot in the Head (Silver Arrow). What started out as a side project for Robinson in 2011 has turned into a serious endeavor, with a prolific flow of material emerging over its six-year existence. On the latest, the former Black Crowes frontman provides a not surprising but still pleasant mix of psychedelic-tinged blues, rock, country, and soul.
Nicole Atkins: Goodnight Rhonda Lee (Single Lock). New Jersey-bred, Nashville-based Atkins’s fourth album finds the singer-songwriter tackling personal struggles (sobriety, relationships) but keeps things from becoming overly dirgey by using an unusually vibrant range. She utilizes everything from dark humor to big-ballad sounds to allow listeners into the life lessons she’s learned to date.
Romeo Santos: Golden (Sony Music Latin). Santos, known the King Of Bachata, takes things into high gear on his third album, melding and molding his Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican heritage into tunes ranging from playful to sensuous. Julio Iglesias, Swizz Beatz, Daddy Yankee, Juan Luis Guerra, Ozuna, Jessie Reyez, and Nicky Jam all join to make the set further gleam.
Billy Ocean: Here You Are: The Music of My Life (Legacy Recordings). Ocean is well-known as a vocal powerhouse hitmaker from the ’80s; this collection is his tribute to songs that influenced his career over the years. He covers classics such artists as Sam Cooke and Bob Marley, and also includes his own five biggest hits: “Caribbean Queen,” “Suddenly,” “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car,” “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going,” and “There Will Be Sad Songs (to Make You Cry).”
Goldfinger: The Knife (Rise). This marks the beloved punk/ska band’s first album since 2008, and it’s a sure bet to delight fans of this particular era of music. Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, 311’s Nick Hexum, and the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones’ Nate Albert all appear on the record; as well as next-gen era stars Josh Dun from twenty one pilots, and ONE OK ROCK’s Takahiro Moriuchi.
Parmalee: 27861 (Stoney Creek).The title of this record refers to the band’s hometown zip code (Parmele, North Carolina), and true to that down-home feeling, the album is filled with lots of heartland flavor. This is a big-feeling project: Big hooks, big melodies, and an overall endless southern summer vibe.
