India Shawn
Subject to Change
(VANTA Music)
R&B singer-songwriter India Shawn is back with her first major body of work in four years, and let’s just say it was well worth the wait! Executive produced by the legendary D’Mile, the six-track project serves as a fluid, emotional expedition through life’s transitions. Shawn shifts seamlessly between different sonic worlds, from the bright, 1970s-inspired vibe of “Marmalade” to darker, melancholic territories.
Word from the studio is that Shawn noted the project is completely inspired by the concept that “nothing is fixed, everything is in flux.” The highlight for many fans is the sultry duet “Cotton Candy Blvd” featuring Lucky Daye, which adds an extra layer of magic to an already dazzling R&B comeback.
Isaiah Rashad
It’s Been Awful
(Top Dawg Entertainment)
It’s been five years since The House Is Burning, but Isaiah Rashad has finally returned to set the rap game on fire with his third studio album. The Tennessee native delivers a deeply introspective 16-track project that leans heavily into his trademark vulnerable lyricism and chilled-out cadence. Fans are already obsessing over the SZA-assisted “Boy In Red” which acts as an emotional anchor for the entire record.
In the creative process, Rashad kept fans on the edge of their seats by dropping an intense album trailer in mid-April. He celebrated this drop with a sold-out release show in Los Angeles where labelmates ScHoolboy Q, Doechii, and SiR showed up in full force to support the release.
Asake
M$NEY
(YBNL Nation / EMPIRE)
Afrobeats powerhouse Asake has returned with his fourth studio album, bringing a massive, high-energy project that fuses global rhythms and Pan-African flair. Known for keeping his rollouts as unique as his sound, the creative process saw Asake documenting the creation of a stunning, life-sized marble sculpture by Iraqi-Dutch artist Arthar Jabar to represent the album’s cover.
Collabs are huge on this project, featuring French producer DJ Snake on “WORSHIP,” Tiakola on “BADMAN GANGSTA,” and amapiano star Kabza De Small on “Asambe.” It’s a high-octane 35 minutes that blends Asake’s distinctive vocals with infectious, thumping percussion that is guaranteed to take over festival stages all summer.
Durand Bernarr
BERNARR.
(DSING RECORDS / Create Music Group Inc.)
Durand Bernarr is in his most thrillingly assured form with his new self-titled album, serving up a spectacular, kaleidoscopic R&B experience. Following the massive success of Bloom, Durand continues to expand his soulful, gospel-informed sound with splashy flourishes of P-Funk, yacht rock, and Miami bass.
Anecdotes from the studio sessions highlight Durand’s playful energy and meticulous attention to detail, resulting in an album that feels both instantly familiar and wonderfully eccentric. The record is stacked with impressive collaborations, featuring heavy hitters like Khalid on “soft.,” Big Sean on “Waiting,” and James Fauntleroy on “Wild Ride.”
Another Taste
Another Taste II
(Space Grapes)
Another Taste is back with their follow-up album, and they’ve fully immersed us into their retro, neon-lit funk universe. The eight-track collection was recorded live to tape and gives listeners the ultimate 70s-style boogie and disco experience. The album highlights the full collective including Barend Lippens and Bob Roche playing with a real communal groove.
The inside scoop is that the band’s tracks are inspired by a fictional universe they built, taking the listener on a late-night cab ride with the radio dialed to pure groove. They are also joined on the track “Peace Call” by Arp Frique and the Perpetual Singers, along with a full-blown, stellar brass section that makes the whole project pop.
Gabrielle Cavassa
Diavola
(Blue Note Records)
Gabrielle Cavassa announces herself to the jazz world in a massive way with her Blue Note debut. Co-produced by Joshua Redman and Don Was, the album explores the coexistence of opposing forces—the angel and the devil, possession and surrender. It’s an incredibly striking project that cements Cavassa not just as a vocalist but as a top-tier bandleader and storyteller.
Behind the curtain, the co-producers brought together a formidable backing cast, including Jeff Parker on guitar, Brian Blade on drums, and Joshua Redman himself on tenor sax. Cavassa’s interpretation of these tracks spans original songs and luminous covers, including her distinctive take on the standard “Prisoner of Love.”
duendita
existential thottie
(10k Global)
Duendita brings a deeply personal, diary-like alt-R&B and leftfield soul project that was produced completely from “head 2 toe” by the artist herself. Beginning her creative process late at night in her bedroom with just a Digitakt, duendita crafts a hybrid of jazz, piano, and dance textures that reflect on her experiences with community, identity, and mental health.
Throughout the production, collaborators are brought in to flesh out the arrangements with live drums, harps, and bass, adding depth to the record’s raw emotional honesty. The project is all about being ridiculous, vulnerable, and honest, highlighted by the hazy, infectious single “super sad!” and the intricate rhythm of “roasting that ass.”
Jay Worthy
Once Upon A Time: The Soundtrack
(GDF)
Jay Worthy returns with another slick, laid-back delivery that perfectly captures his signature street-reporting style. The 16-track soundtrack for Once Upon A Time pairs the artist’s relaxed cadence with production that pays homage to the funkiest, most mellow ends of the 70s and 80s R&B.
It is packed with features from the West Coast underground and beyond, blending street-level narratives with cinematic energy. The studio vibe of the recording sessions reflects a pure, unbothered West Coast aesthetic, where Worthy proves why he is one of the hardest-working and most consistent names in modern hip-hop.
DC the Don
the rumors are true – EP
(Rostrum Records)
DC the Don drops his latest EP, an 8-track project that shows off his relentless energy and genre-blending style. The Milwaukee-raised, Los Angeles-based artist effortlessly jumps from emo-tinged rap ballads to high-octane alternative rock drums. It is an exploration of heartbreak, deceit, and his fast-paced lifestyle.
In the studio, DC has been recording out of the Los Angeles studios, bringing his eccentric flair and wild melodies that draw comparison to the experimental edge of artists like Lil Uzi Vert. The project boasts high-profile production and features, including his recent breakout singles like “good luck!” and “Selena & The Weeknd”.
Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa
Roofless Records For Drop Tops: Disc 1
(Taylor Gang Entertainment)
The ultimate stoner duo is back to their old tricks, bringing us the first disc of Roofless Records For Drop Tops. The tape is essentially what happens when two of rap’s biggest potheads team up to trade bars about beautiful women, fast cars, and, of course, the best weed in the world. Cardo handles much of the production, laying down the smoothest, most smoked-out beats imaginable.
The chemistry between the two in the studio is completely off the charts; Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa trade verses with a contagious joie de vivre. On the track “Jet Life Taylor,” the two rappers reference their respective labels, showing that after all these years, their collaborative brotherhood is as strong as ever.
The post NEW MUSIC MONDAYS…A Stellar consortium of NEW works from India Shawn, Isaiah Rashad, Asake, Durand Bernarr, Another Taste, Gabrielle Cavassa, duendita, JAy Worthy, DC THE DON, Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa appeared first on HYFIN.