It’s New Music Friday and this week is headlined by one of pop’s all-time biggest superstar groups. Read on to view a complete list of the most highly-anticipated singles, EPs and albums out now..
The Best of New Music Friday:
BTS – Arirang
BTS have just released their first new album in six years. A lot could be said about what temporarily prevented them from sharing music since their 2020 record Be, but it’s arguably more important to note how much the world has missed them. The band’s not even performed in four years, a lot of the why is out of their control. While the empty space left by BTS in the K-Pop world could never be truly replaced by acts like HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, the genre has seen substantial growth and popularity in the last few years.
And here BTS are, picking up musically where they left off. Songs like “Hooligan” show dynamic pop writing. The boy-band relies on hard, heavy beats and deep-sounding vocal performances along with catchy replicable laughter, making for a fun song with an attitude. The record starts off with “Body to Body,” which is a quintessential 2020s pop song, from its electronic backing vocals to its bellowing emotional choruses.
In just a few hours since release, the band’s YouTube channel comments are filled with tens of thousands of comments and millions of views. It’s really hard to understand how popular the group is on a global scale, especially in this social media era. There’s hardly been an act admired in the same way BTS is.
What happens now is perhaps more important. The band will embark on an 82-date world tour, including a free show on streaming Saturday, March 21 in South Korea to kick off the whole thing. It’s a new BTS era, and it’s both fun to remember what the last ones had been like and to look forward to how this one will unfold.
New Music Friday Top Picks:
Grace Ives – Girlfriend [True Panther/Capitol]
Hurray for the Riff Raff – Live Forever [Nonesuch]
Ladytron – Paradises [Nettwerk]
Mclusky – i sure am getting sick of this bowling alley [Ipecac Recordings]
More Eaze – Sentence Structure in the Country [Thrill Jockey]
Underscores – U [Mom + Pop]
Which of these tracks from New Music Friday will you add to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram!
Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS’ Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as ‘DJ Wearing Sunglasses’ in clubs and basements across the US.