New Music Friday delivers seven essential albums this week, led by Blood Orange’s long-awaited “Essex Honey,” Westside Gunn’s “Heels Have Eyes 2,” and a star-studded big-band set from Christian McBride. This week’s new music releases span hip-hop, Afrobeats, jazz, and alternative R&B, with fresh New Orleans brass, a live-wired drummer’s showcase, and a Roy Ayers reworks EP in the mix.. Curated by HYFIN—your trusted source for Black music and culture—save your favorites and dig in.
Best New Hip-Hop Albums This Week
Westside Gunn — “Heels. Have Eyes 2” (Griselda/Roc Nation Distribution)
Buffalo’s Westside Gunn extends his cinematic Griselda universe with “Heels. Have Eyes 2,” sharpening his eye for fashion, wrestling lore, and fly-talk into tight, sample-rich scenes. Issued via Griselda under exclusive license to Roc Nation Distribution, it arrives as a surprise drop to cap the summer. Features from Benny the Butcher, Stove God Cooks, Skyzoo, and MIKE underline Gunn’s curator role as much as his flair for ad-libbed detail.
The production roster balances grit and gloss—Harry Fraud, DJ Muggs, Cee Gee, Mr. Green, and Denny LaFlare among them—leaving Gunn ample negative space to paint in commas and couture. “POWER HOUSE HOBBS” (with Benny) hits hard, while “BRIKOLAI VOLKOFF” pairs Stove God’s hook with a grimy loop; “BLOW HENDRY” finds MIKE sliding into Gunn’s boom-bap frame.
Essential R&B, Afrobeats & Soul Releases
Tiwa Savage — “This One Is Personal” (Universal Music Nigeria)
Tiwa Savage’s fourth studio album is framed as her most vulnerable, written over two years across Nashville, London, San Francisco, and Lagos. Limiting guests to Skepta, Taves, and James Fauntleroy, she centers voice and story, reflecting on love, faith, and recovery after a five-year gap between full-lengths.
Musically, the set leans into mid-tempo Afrobeats, R&B, and acoustic textures. “On the Low” with Skepta threads smoky cadence through palm-wine guitar; “Change” brings Fauntleroy’s pen and harmonies into a reflective sway; “Addicted” with Taves plays like a late-night confession.
Breakthrough Pop & Alternative
Blood Orange — “Essex Honey” (RCA Records)
Dev Hynes returns with his first Blood Orange album since 2019, a self-written, self-produced suite that processes grief while tracing formative memories of Essex. The record arrives via RCA and carries an expansive guest list—Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Daniel Caesar, Mustafa, The Durutti Column, and author Zadie Smith among them.
The songs toggle between chamber-soft motifs and clipped drum programming. “The Field” threads The Durutti Column’s guitar atmospheres through Hynes’ soft-focus melody; “Mind Loaded” stacks Lorde, Polachek, and Mustafa in a hushed call-and-response; “Somewhere in Between” serves as a hinge between memory and motion. It’s reflective, economical writing with precise arrangements.
Must-Hear Jazz Releases This Week
Christian McBride Big Band — “Without Further Ado, Vol. 1” (Mack Avenue)
Nine-time GRAMMY winner Christian McBride reconvenes his big band for a high-craft set of standards and classics, produced with Mack Avenue’s polish and a marquee vocal lineup: Sting and Andy Summers, Jeffrey Osborne, Samara Joy, José James, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dianne Reeves, and Antoinette Henry. Mack Avenue’s release hub and press confirm the date and guests.
Track list highlights underline McBride’s arranger’s ear: “Murder by Numbers” (Sting/Andy Summers) reframes a Police staple for brass and bite; “Old Folks” lets Samara Joy float over warm voicings; “Moanin’” pairs James’ baritone with roaring sections; while “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” gives Reeves a slow, luminous canvas. Vinyl editions include McBride’s track-by-track notes.
Nate Smith — “LIVE-ACTION” (Naïve/Waterbaby Music)
The drummer-composer’s new set is a studio-forged “live-action” reel of his pocket: concise forms, heavy feel, and collaborative sparks. Recorded and mixed at Spacebomb Studios (Richmond, Va.) by Alex De Jong, the album features Lalah Hathaway, Lionel Loueke, Michael League, Kiefer, CARRTOONS, Josh Johnson, Marquis Hill, Ben Williams, DJ Harrison, and more. Bandcamp credits list the personnel and Naïve as the label.
Two cuts tell the story: “AUTOMATIC” puts Hathaway’s velvet lead over Smith’s drum-first arrangement; “MAGIC DANCE” braids Loueke’s guitar and League’s bass into a buoyant shuffle. Elsewhere “COUGH DROP” (with Kiefer and CARRTOONS) is Rhodes-and-bass balm, and “UNDEFEATED” taps MC JSWISS against Smith’s stuttering keys.
Trombone Shorty & New Breed Brass Band — “Second Line Sunday” (Treme Records)
Shorty links with family—nephew Jenard Andrews’ New Breed Brass Band—for a studio tribute to New Orleans street tradition. Produced and arranged by Shorty at Buckjump Studios, it lands on the 20th anniversary week of Hurricane Katrina and turns second-line pulse into song-form narratives. Label, date, and details are confirmed via Shore Fire’s press material.
The opener “Line Em Up” cues parasols at the top of the parade; “6th Ward” flips the usual snare-lead by spotlighting the bass drum; “Rock the Boat” folds singing and rapping into a brass-band chassis. It’s community music built for movement.
Archival Discoveries & Reissues
Roy Ayers — “Roy Ayers Delfonic Reworked #1” (BBE Music)
Berlin DJ/producer Delfonic launches a sanctioned rework series with BBE, pulling from Ayers’ “Virgin Ubiquity” vaults and issuing four edits on 12-inch and digital. It’s a respectful, dance-floor-tuned conversation with a vibraphone legend’s deep cuts. Bandcamp and label-adjacent outlets confirm the concept and date.
The EP’s spine is clear: “What’s the T?” (with Merry Clayton) becomes a rolling floor driver; “Green and Gold” snaps into a pocket; “Sugar” (with Carla Vaughan) stretches into extended groove; “Oh What a Lonely Feeling” leans on Delfonic’s subtle percussive lift. Mastering by The Carvery keeps the warmth intact.
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