Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to New Music Friday’s most essential releases each week — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
Last week, we featured Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, Jack White and more.
This week: British singer-songwriter Myles Smith releases his debut studio album, My Mess, My Heart, My Life; FKA twigs and Lil Yachty team up for a summer smash; and Kashus Culpepper follows his debut with a new five-song EP…plus much more. Check out all of this week’s picks below:
FKA twigs & Lil Yachty, “On Your Mind”
FKA twigs’ first release since winning the 2026 best dance/electronic album Grammy for her stunning Eusexua is the punchy, crunchy Lil Yachty collab “On Your Mind.” The song extends the dance world output of the Eusexua era, but brightens it and speeds it up, reaching hyperpop mode over its thrilling three and a half minutes. “On Your Mind” was first teased during the recent European leg of twigs’ Body High tour, with the artist sharing its backstory earlier this week while announcing the song.
“i wrote this song with yachty in the evening after a long dance rehearsal when i had found out that my previous manager and production team had not got [my] visas in time to go to coachella and complete my headline EUSEXUA USA tour. i stayed late in the dance studio manically practicing in the hopes that the news was not true, and in denial that somehow i would still make it across the sea to perform for my amazing and loyal fans if i just practiced a bit more. it never ceases to amaze me how pain can manifest into the hardest and most euphoric sonics. i think making songs like this keeps me on my toes and reminds me that i am not in control.
“i am giving this back story,” she continues, “because after completing my first arena tour of the USA and EU it feels like the perfect time to release it in celebration of what as artists we can overcome when we believe in ourselves and others believe in us. i feel so full, thank you for coming to see BODY HIGH, thank you for continuing to grow with me. thank you for what we are building next. everything happens for a reason and my reason for making music and art will always be you” — KATIE BAIN
Coco & Breezy & Gavin Turek, “Tonight”
Twin DJ duo Coco & Breezy link with the always-a-pleasure-to-hear Gavin Turek for the slinky “Tonight.” Together, they deliver a groovy summer house heater that gives hints of “All For You”-era Jacket Jackson, with the trio keeping the production simultaneously relaxed, feminine and tightly orchestrated. Coco & Breezy are on the road all summer, with shows across North America and Europe, including Ibiza dates at Cova Santa, Club Chinois and more. — K.B.
Myles Smith, My Mess, My Heart, My Life
Two years after scoring a breakout hit with the euphoric “Stargazing” and after releasing three EPs, singer-songwriter Myles Smith is finally releasing his debut album, My Mess, My Heart, My Life. The full-length delivers on the all-encompassing title, as Smith reflects on the messy matters of love and life as they naturally entwine. The album includes “Stargazing,” as well as already-released hits including “Nice To Meet You” and his Niall Horan collab “Drive Safe,” among others. Smith is currently on tour opening for Ed Sheeran ahead of his own headlining trek that ends at London’s The O2. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Ruth B. “Didn’t I”
Rising artist Ruth B. shares her latest with the downtempo and downtrodden “Didn’t I.” Throughout the track, she makes clear the ways in which she pulled her weight in a relationship, prodding her partner to prove her wrong. “I tried to tell you once and I tried to tell you twice/ Not trying to be a victim, but I tried to play it nice/ I tried to keep it cool, so I hid the pain inside/ I carried all your problems and I carried all your pride/ Didn’t I?” she sings, begging for an answer that never comes. — L.H.
PJ Morton, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
From touring the world with his Maroon 5 bandmates to recording an entire album across four different countries in just 30 days, PJ Morton has seemingly done it all. So, it makes sense that the six-time winner went back to his roots for his gorgeous new double album, Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. Split into R&B (Saturday Night) and gospel (Sunday Morning) sides, the new record is the musical encapsulation of Morton’s career-long oscillation between sacred and secular spaces. From the lilting reggae groove of “Don’t Give Up on Us” to the scripture-rooted lyricism of “Close Enough,” Saturday Night, Sunday Morning immediately makes its case for inclusion in the contemporary double-LP pantheon. — KYLE DENIS
Masego, “Breathe”
Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist and R&B star Masego is back with an arresting new single titled “Breathe.” Built around the concept of having no choice but to work through grief before it’s truly sunk in, “Breathe” finds Masego conjuring a lush soundscape anchored by his own quietly restrained vocal and choir-led chorus. “Can I breathe?/ Can I live?/ Can I grieve?/ Get a minute?” he asks at the onset, immediately forcing his audience to contend with their own demands of artists who are trying to make sense of the human experience just like them. Marking his first solo musical offering of the year, Masego is back in top form with “Breathe.” — K.D.
Kashus Culpepper, Act I: Summer Nights
Kashus Culpepper extends his previously-released debut album, Act I, with this five-song EP. The set opens with a luminous take on Glen Campbell’s “Southern Nights,” and includes the ‘70s-inflected groove of “Let Me Show You Love,” while the heartbreak of “’Til The Sun Goes Down” highlights Culpepper’s strong, silken vocal. Overall, this set is filled with burnished rhythms and polished textures that exude a charm meant to soundtrack summer evenings. — JESSICA NICHOLSON
Braxton Keith and Tyla Rodrigues, “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind”
Keith and Rodrigues team up for a gorgeous version of this Dolly Parton classic. Rodrigues brings a refined, lilting vocal that is complemented nicely by Keith’s earthy twang. Shimmering guitar and a timeless, catchy rhythm enhance this graceful reimagining, further evincing the song’s timeless appeal. — J.N.
Hamilton, “Beso a Beso”
Hamilton steered away from his characteristic “afro rockstar” persona to deliver the vulnerable “Beso a Beso.” The romantic tune—still true to his sensual afrobeats sound—captures a man who’s drawn to a woman’s energy. Powered by his velvety vocals, the Colombian newcomer—one of Billboard’s Latin Artists to Watch in 2026—chants about reading her signals and desiring a mutual chemistry. — JESSICA ROIZ
Danny Ocean, babylona blue
In a surprise EP dubbed babylona blue, Danny Ocean presents eight new tracks that he produced entirely himself with the help of artificial intelligence. Demonstrating how AI can fuel his creativity, the set features futuristic reggae, afrobeats and pop fusions that can easily become the ideal summer soundtrack. Additionally, babylona blue features two notable collaborations: “Desahógate” with Ryan Castro and “Don’t Stop” featuring Timbaland. — J.R.
