Fresh Music Friday: Ariana Grande, BTS, Megan Thee Stallion… and MORE!

Welcome to Fresh Music Friday, where every week we at The Honey POP will be giving you the lowdown on this week’s sweetest releases! Here’s your chance to see what your faves have been up to as well as discover some new music which you can easily fall in love with.

BE – BTS

BTS are back with what is arguably their most sentimental album to date. When the pandemic brought the world to a halt at the beginning of the year, even the biggest boy band on the planet felt the hit of uncertainty and fear. The time that would have been spent with their fans as they toured the world was instead swapped for the time in the studio to produce the intimate record that is BE. This is the most involved the septet has been with their music, completely taking control, right down to the design of the cover and directing of the music video.

BE feels like a hug for ARMY from their boys as they share their thoughts and feelings throughout one of the most challenging years and reminding them they’re not alone. ‘Life Goes On’ is a chilled yet captivating title track that sings about hope and carrying on, while the juxtaposing ‘Telepathy’ is a funky 70’s-infused dancefloor track in which the members share their message for missing their beloved fans and the strong connection they have. Overall the album offers an array of thoughts many of us have experienced throughout this past year but doesn’t forget to preach the message of perseverance and to have hope that we will get through this and be together again someday. We at Fresh Music Friday are in love and can’t wait until the sweet day we get to witness these songs live in person.

Listen to the album here

’34+35′ – Ariana Grande

Back with the second single of her new album Positions, Ariana serves us the saucy ’34+35,’ a song full of lust-filled thoughts and about having a high libido. Taking the string-heavy instrumental, which alone could easily be featured in a fairytale film, Ari has added some trap beats and created a more fun and energetic track, and honestly, we at Fresh Music Friday are here for it. Following in the footsteps of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP, hearing women in music confidently sing about their sexuality in the way men have for years is a whole vibe that we can’t help but applaud.

Listen to the single here

Good News – Megan Thee Stallion

Good News! Megan Thee Stallion has released a full-length album, and it’s everything we never knew we needed. Or did we? She’s one of the baddest to ever do it, and this album has smash after smash. Features like DaBaby, City Girls, and Lil Durk? Yes, please. Did you think she was finished? We hope not! Filled with more killer features than we can count, with singles like ‘Girls in The Hood,’ and songs like ‘Shots Fired,’ Meg has quite possibly outdone herself. Good News is real Hot Girl shit, and we at Fresh Music Friday recommend you get on it right now.

Listen to the album here

‘Prisoner’ – Miley Cyrus ft Dua Lipa

In the run-up to Miley’s rock album, this has been a collab we’ve been counting down the days to, and it hasn’t disappointed. ‘Prisoner’ effortlessly fuses 80’s disco with a rock ‘n’ roll groove, and we’re so in love with the harmonies from Miley and Dua too! If you’re looking for a track that’s just dripping with talent, then this is the one for you. You’ll even get bonus points if you blast it full volume while strutting down the sidewalk like the main character in a movie!

Listen to the single here

‘Better’ – TWICE

Not even a month after their Korean comeback, TWICE are here to serve their new Japanese single – this powerhouse never seems to stop! ‘Better’ harbors the sounds of sophistication and post-disco that we witnessed prior to Eyes Wide Open. At the chorus, we truly experience the song flourish as the production centers more on the beat. It’s a club-friendly track that we at Fresh Music Friday are ready to request at every party!

Listen to the single here

‘Monster’ – Justin Bieber & Shawn Mendes

Pop kings Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber have teamed up to produce the collaboration of our dreams. ‘Monster’ is a deliciously smooth and sweet ballad that we can’t get out of our heads! The lyrics are bursting with honesty about the hidden lows of their metaphorical rises to fame. They’re just so meaningful, and we hope you give them a good hard listen when you hear this track for the first time. The melodies are also just as packed with talent, and we at Fresh Music Friday can’t wait to hear more music from both of them!

Listen to the single here

Superbloom: A Live Experience – Ashton Irwin

We’re all missing live shows, and it seems like Ashton Irwin is too. This week he’s treated us to a complete live play-through of his debut album Superbloom, and it’s everything we could have wanted and more! It’s a kaleidoscope of color and sound that has us just craving to be back in a crowd with our friends dancing around. If you loved his record, then you’ll fall even deeper in love with his musicianship and artistry with this!

Listen to the album here

‘Star’ – LOONA

‘Star’ is serving as the latest single from LOONA’s album [12:00] and fits perfectly into the revived retro trend we’re hearing a lot of this year. The electro-pop bop is oozing with 80s’ resemblance, and though English versions of K-Pop songs don’t usually sound as good as the original, we have to admit this song still seriously slaps! If you’ve been wanting to get into K-Pop but are overwhelmed by the language barrier, maybe start with this song to ease you into it – we promise you won’t regret it!

Listen to the single here

‘My Head & My Heart’ – Ava Max

Ava Max has taken a page out of Vine this week with her track revolving around the melody from ATC’s tune ‘Around The World (la la la la la la la la).’ We’ve lost our own heads and hearts over her latest single that her voice fits perfectly with. This is a track meant to party to, but please remember to keep dancing in your own home until things go back to normal! ‘My Head & My Heart’ will only further propel Ava to the forefront of pop, and we’ll be here every step of the way!

Listen to the single here

‘The Lighthouse Keeper’ – Sam Smith

Hot off the back of their latest album, Sam Smith has just dropped another hit single, ‘The Lighthouse Keeper.’ Soft and powerful melodies are the backbone of this track, coupled with Smith’s unique voice to create a beautiful cinematic song. If you’re looking for Disney lullaby vibes, then this track has them in abundance!

Listen to the single here

Hunger – Mali-Koa

It’s no secret that at Fresh Music Friday, we’re giant simps for Mali-Koa. So it’s no surprise that we are obsessed with her debut album Hunger. It’s a record we’ve been looking forward to for as long as we can remember, and oh my god, are we not disappointed! Mali has one of this generation’s most divine voices, and we’re just too busy indulging in her vocals on this record to hear anyone who disagrees.

One of our other fave things about this queen is her relatable and beautiful songwriting, which this record has in abundance! From cinematically grand songs like ‘Hearts,’ ‘Revolution,’ and ‘Dancer,’ to more stripped-back soulful tracks like ‘The Art of Letting Go,’ this is a record dripping with tunes you’re sure to love. We can’t wait to play this on repeat all weekend!

Listen to the album here

‘Black Mamba’ – æspa

Introducing SM Entertainment’s first girl group in over six years, æspa lit up the room with their entrance. Full of gritty bass and trap beats, the girls’ debut single is nothing short of fierce, with colossal drum beats as the song progresses, topped with soaring vocals throughout. We may only have one song from them right now, but we’re ready to stan and can’t wait to see what comes next from the girls!

Listen to the single here

‘I’ll Be Home For Christmas’ – Mabel

Mabel has joined the Christmas hype train this week with a brand new Christmas tune, ‘I’ll be Home For Christmas.’ It’s full of soft dulcet tones and a smooth, laid-back guitar melody line that has us feeling super warm and cozy inside. After all, if Christmas isn’t a time to get all snuggly, then we don’t know when the ideal time for that is!

Listen to the single here

Coping Mechanisms – Tayla Parx

Genre-bending queen Tayla Parx has a new album out, and we at Fresh Music Friday are beside ourselves with glee. Coping Mechanisms is a record that will give you all the good energy you need to see through the rest of 2020! Some tunes will have you showing up to the dance floor like ‘System’ and ‘Stare,’ to more soulful mellow songs like ‘Justified,’ and ‘Nevermind.’ It doesn’t matter if you’re a long time Tayla stan or have never heard of her music, there’s a track on this record for you! It’s one of the reasons we love her so much, and because of that, we’ll be keeping this record playing for weeks to come.

Listen to the album here

‘Christmas Isn’t Christmas’ – Dan + Shay

“Another Dan + Shay holiday song?” We hear you cry! ‘Christmas Isn’t Christmas’ is the second festive-themed tune Dan + Shay have released this month, but we’re here for the Christmasy content. This latest track is full of melancholy love, but what really gives it its shine is the instrumental and their perfect harmonies. We literally can’t get enough from this duo and can’t wait for them to keep the Christmas tracks coming!

Listen to the single here

‘Two Words’ – Wendy (Red Velvet)

Red Velvet‘s Wendy is the latest to lend her voice to a new ballad for the Netflix series Start-Up and and ‘Two Words’ is a sterling tear-jerker which reflects on dejection and emotional pain from unrequited affections. If you’ve ever had feelings for someone who didn’t reciprocate, proceed with caution and tissues as you listen to this bitter-sweet song.

Listen to the single here

‘I Won’t Be Home For Christmas’ – Poppy

All you emos better listen up! It turns out that Poppy wasn’t kidding when she said she’d be dropping a bunch of Christmas tunes to spice up your festive playlists. The first track, ‘I Won’t Be Home For Christmas’ is a hauntingly soft and delicate track that will have you up in your feels. It might not be the hardcore Poppy we all know and love, but it’s a touching song after the 2020 we’ve all had. But if heavier music is your kind of jam, you can pre-order A Very Poppy Christmas, which is due to be released on December 1st!

Listen to the single here

Hot In The Hive: Editors’ Choice

Find out what we love at THP HQ! Our editors are sharing with you their choice of music that you need on your playlists. Discover some on the rise artists, old faves, and hidden gems right here!

Sweet Releases

Craving even more music? Discover some new gems with our Sweet Releases – you may just find yourself a new fave!

Are you loving the new releases from this week’s Fresh Music Friday? Which songs are worthy of your playlist? Let us know down in the comments below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP!

Writers: Jazmin Williams, Sophie McCarthy, Dani King

Featured Image Source: Dave Myers | Courtesy of BigHit Entertainment | Marcelo Cantu