New music Fridays are a thrilling, yet daunting prospect for any music lover.
It's essentially a weekly holiday where fan-favorite artists and fresh faces alike drop their latest offerings for all the world to hear, flooding streaming services and digital retailers with an onslaught of aural goodies. But who has the time to sit there and listen to everything before updating their playlists? There's just too much good stuff! (And, if we're being honest, usually a few stinkers, too.)
As it turns out, we do. Welcome to The MixtapE!
Ain't it fun kicking off the weekend with new Paramore?
On Jan. 13, the band released a new single titled "C'est Comme Ça." The song title translates to, "It's like that," which is the French way of saying the expression, "That's just how it is."
"I'm trying to get un-addicted to a survival narrative," lead singer Hayley Williams said in a statement. "The idea of imminent doom is less catastrophic to me than not knowing anything about the future or my part in it. The guys and I are all in much more stable places in our lives than ever before. And somehow that is harder for me to adjust to."
What's easy to get used to is the guarantee that Fridays can lead to new music. Keep scrolling to hear the latest from Dustin Lynch, kenzie, Andy Grammer and more artists.
Dustin Lynch—"Stars Like Confetti"
Mixing nostalgia and passion into a blast of upbeat country-rock, the country singer's latest single from his fifth studio album Blue in the Sky perfectly captures the meteoric force of young love.
Paramore—"C'est Comme Ca"
After listening to a lot of Dry Cleaning and Yard Act, Hayley and the band found themselves suddenly feeling inspired. "It's just this really great treat and we had a really good time getting back into a little bit of dance punk vibes," she told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 Jan. 13. "I had been listening to a lot of artists that talk a lot over great, cool, music. So I guess I was just feeling poetic and feeling a bit critical of myself and fused all that stuff."
kenzie—"paper"
Hold onto your heart as kenzie captures the pain of watching the one you love move on. "I put a snippet of that online, and people told me how much they related to the feeling of seeing your ex with another person and automatically comparing yourself to them," she explained. "I love the way it came out because it's so organic—you can hear every breath and every break in my voice, and it just feels so real."
Noa Kirel—"Gone"
The dark yet empowering pop anthem chronicles Noa's journey to freedom from a toxic relationship. "It makes me feel empowered and I hope it helps people channel their independence and freedom," she said. "Here's to no more toxic relationships and negative energy in 2023!"
Jordan McGraw—"Much Better"
Forget about focusing on the past. Jordan is kicking off 2023 by reminding fans how important it is to savor the present. "Who needs memories? Nostalgia is so last year," he sings in his new track. "I don't care what we missed / We've got all we need right here / It doesn't get much better than this."
Andy Grammer—"These Tears"
Grab the tissues as Andy chronicles the trials and tribulations of loss in an emotional yet uplifting song. "Letting go is hard work," Andy said. "I actually thrive with most kinds of hard work...But letting go isn't something you can achieve, crush or master. It's more of a slow burn, an acceptance, a daily release in small doses. If you are letting something or someone go at the moment, I feel you, I'm with you, I wrote this song for you."
Lukas Graham & Mickey Guyton—"Home Movies"
Prepare to look at life rather than love in this special duet with the country star featured on Lukas' upcoming album, 4 (The Pink Album). "My favorite line is from the chorus, 'Everybody's got a story no one knows' and that's the truth," he said. "We all have our inglorious moments and obscure pasts to deal with and that's what makes life so beautiful; when we manage to rise above the prejudice and make something unique of ourselves."
Fritz Hager—"Caroline"
In his first single since leaving American Idol in May 2022, the Texas native showcases his growth as an artist with a meaningful track. "I like to describe ‘Caroline' as a sitcom cold open put to music," he said. "It's a story about the morning after a one-night stand and the narrator trying to find a clever way to remember her name. In real life, this guy is an a--hole for sure, but in a sitcom, the audience is rooting for him. I think that this song achieves the same thing."
Happy listening!