New Music Friday 6/9/23

Who doesn’t love Fridays? Not only is it the end of the work week, but it’s my favorite day of the week for a completely different reason: NEW MUSIC RELEASES!!!

So if you’re new here, discovering new music is practically what I LIVE for! I’m a kid in a candy store when it comes to discovering new tracks, an entire artist’s discography, or my personal favorite, new genres/sub-genres of music. So without further ado, here are my picks for the most anticipated releases of this week. Take a look:

1) Janelle Monae- The Age of Pleasure

Now, if you’ve followed Harmonious Flame from the beginning, you’ll know that I’ve always “stanned” hard for Janelle Monae. Need further proof, see “Who is Janelle Monae.” There are some people who’ve criticized her for stepping outside of the look/aesthetic of what made her popular in the first place. I am NOT one of those people. As humans should, we grow, we evolve, we have different sides to our personality. If you thought this was a complete “180” in direction, then you must not have been listening to her last few albums. She’s been a trendsetter, a rebel, a force to reckoned with….and her latest material just goes on to simply confirm that.

2) Aja Monet- When the Poems Do What They Do

This was a new discovery for me. And one that I’m glad I made. 

An Educator. A Poet. An Activist. Her work channels that of Gil Scott Heron & The Last Poets- Powerful, Emotional, & Thought-Invoking. Coming from such a real, raw, and authentic place- this album is one that reaches deep, down inside and simultaneously pulls out both the joy and pain of the African American experience.

Favorite Track: #3- Black Joy

3) Niall Horan- The Show

There are few things on this earth that I love more than a solid Pop Album. Opting for a lush production, and a much more mature sound, Niall’s songwriting prowess, shines from track to track on this album. They say, “third time’s a charm,” and in this instance, they were certainly right. Even though “Meltdown” and “Heaven,” are the two singles-to-date, the real hidden gems are in the album cuts like, “If You Leave Me,” & “Save My Life.”

4) Christine and the Queens- Paranoïa, Angels, True Love

Again, another new discovery for me. It’s wonderful to know that there are still albums that you can just lay back and get lost in. 

Favorite Track: #2- Tears can be so soft

Those are my picks for the week ahead. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!