New Music Friday: February 14

Happy Valentine’s Day and welcome to another edition of New Music Friday! This week we have the latest from AJR, Billie Eilish, Sam Smith plus more! The sadness really complements the happiness on this V-Day holiday…

“BANG!” by AJR

After a small break in their Neotheater World Tour, the Met brothers are back with a bang, both literally and figuratively!

The new song was technically released two days ago, so fans have already been blessed to hear it early for this week’s New Music Friday!

As a hardcore AJR fan, I’m amazed at their creativity and authenticity. They’re constantly reinventing themselves and with this new single, that trend continues!

I love the intricate layers and fine details throughout this track. Ryan’s production skills are top-notch! My favorite parts would be the “here we go’s” sprinkled throughout their song as well as the lofty “metronome” part. In the accompanying music video, Jack imitates the motions of a metronome at that moment when “metronome” is uttered and in my opinion that was clever!

Based on my initial listen, I can tell they don’t feel like they’ve grown up entirely. Still 20-somethings who still get nervous over doing their taxes and living a somewhat private life in an apartment in NYC, the guys don’t want to be stuck in a plateau in life but rather instead they want to keep going out with a bang! They want to keep showing the world they still got what it takes to be a successful band no matter what the critics say or how much fame they earn.

This can apply to anyone young or young at heart who’s not as famous as them to be honest. Don’t we all want to prove ourselves in life no matter what industry you work in or whatever field you find yourself in?

I hope to hear more from AJR in 2020, a.k.a. one of my favorite bands of all time. Also hope this isn’t their retirement song as some fans have speculated on Twitter and YouTube.

A big announcement the band hinted through this cryptic post on their socials is also going to make waves today! **UPDATE 2/14/20 12:08 p.m: It’s a new summer tour collab effort, see here! **

Please share your thoughts about the song in the comments below. 💥

Download/stream the song today! Tickets and tour dates for their Neotheater World Tour Part II is available here.

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“No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish

Fresh off her appearances at this year’s Grammys where she became the youngest winner to win the major categories and the Academy Awards last Sunday where she sang her rendition of The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” for the In Memoriam segment, Eilish has finally released her theme song for the forthcoming Bond film, the 25th in the film’s illustrious franchise.

This chilling song is sure to please the critics and fans as this will likely catapult her to even more mainstream stardom and potentially an Oscar and Grammy nom/win(s) in 2021.

I love the orchestral elements in this single because it reminds me a little bit of Adele’s “Skyfall,” where that track also had a superb symphony. I’m sure Eilish’s theme song will seamlessly complement the film of the same name too.

Be on the lookout for the song in the film in theaters April 10th but meantime you’ll have plenty of time to hear Billie Eilish’s theme song out now.

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“To Die For” by Sam Smith

Another pensive song this week that will have you contemplate! Sam Smith tackles loneliness in this song. It makes you want to hug someone who’s lonely or even depressed. It will definitely hit you in the feels because not everyone in society is on cloud 9 24/7. There are people of all ages from all walks of life who struggle to smile each day, who longs for companion or a romantic relationship.

In a recent press release, Smith said this about their new song:

Releasing this song is going to be a wild one—I feel like it’s from one of the deepest parts of me. I wrote this with Jimmy Napes and Stargate in L.A. during a time of self-discovery and heartbreak. This is for all the lonely hearts out there on another Valentine’s Day xx.

This song will be included on their next album of the same name on May 1st!

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“Breathe Deeper” by Tame Impala

Tame Impala a.k.a. Kevin Parker has finally released The Slow Rush, his fourth studio album which follows his 2015 hit album, Currents. Spotify is featuring “Breathe Deeper” in this week’s playlist of new releases by the way and after checking this song out, I got to say it’s another uplifting funky track.

“Breathe Deeper” is the second to longest track off the new record at more than six minutes in duration. With that said, the whole album collectively puts you in a good mood. Highly recommended for long road trips, morning and evening commutes and casual listening sessions in between. If you loved past Tame works, you’ll love this new album for sure.

Stream and download The Slow Rush by Tame Impala today! Tickets and tour dates can be found here.

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“Honeymoon Fades” by Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter is flexing her vocal chops with this Ariana Grande-sque ballad. Carpenter best known also for her recent roles in the hit Netflix show, “Tall Girl,” and the hit Disney Channel series, “Girl Meets World,” has really emerged into a young pop star at just 20-years-old. I predict she will be a breakout artist this year and hopefully this song will be the first of many more singles to be dropped later this year.

Personally, I enjoy her song which deals with someone who wishes their relationship stays true and blissful all throughout their lifetime even when that honeymoon phase fades away. Don’t we all want to feel the love forever and ever? Carpenter paints a pretty picture as she dreams for this to be true and hopefully it stays true IRL.

Overall, this is a great easy listening tune for those who want to remain positive on this Valentine’s Day 2020 and onward! 💕

You can download and stream this heartwarming song right here.

Tune in next week for another edition of New Music Friday. Happy listening! Feel free to share what you will be listening to in the comments below.