Long time, no V! After a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, V’s New Music Roundup is back and better than ever. This week’s releases are a masterclass in the art of the feature. Part of the process of songwriting is knowing where you need help, and finding the right artist to assist the project you’re trying to create. From Anderson .Paak to GloRilla, this week’s features certainly embolden their tracks. 

Let’s get into this week’s best releases:

“Feel the Fiyaaaah” by Metro Boomin with A$AP Rocky feat. Takeoff

Metro Boomin’s new project HEROES & VILLAINS is one of the best rap albums of the year. With star-studded features abound and infectious melodic underlays, it’s clear that Metro Boomin knows how to craft a hit. Plus, a beautifully executed salute to Takeoff in his posthumous verse. 

“La Jumpa” by Arcangel feat. Bad Bunny

2022 was the year of Bad Bunny. Let’s not forget his legendary album Un Verano Sin Ti, which proliferated streams in the billions and earned him several Grammy nominations. Bad Bunny has proven his incomprehensible talent, lighting up any project he touches. His feature on Arcangel’s “La Jumpa” certainly reignites the fire. 

“Still Life” by RM feat. Anderson .Paak

With the release of his album Indigo, RM proves his individual star-power outside of BTS. The South Korean rapper certainly has a love for the craft, featuring some of the best R&B and rap names out there: Erykah Badu, Mahalia, and many, many more. Be sure to check out his utterly infectious track with Anderson .Paak. 

“white lies” by Katie Gregson-MacLeod

Bust out the tissues, it’s crying time. Something about Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s writing style makes her music so emotionally resonant, so poignant in its outlook. Just read some of her lyrics, you’ll see: “Sometimes I tell white lies / Like I will always want you / No matter the rocks above you.” 

“Players” by Coi Leray

Coi Leray is having the best time. Bringing back that ‘90s synth rap sound, Leray sounds like she’s straight of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Her flow is impressive, her choruses shine, but more than anything its whimsical and not too serious. 

“Words” by Storefront Church feat. Phoebe Bridgers

In memory of Low’s Mimi Parker, who we lost just one month ago, Storefront Church and Phoebe Bridgers created a wrenching cover of their hit “Words.” Building with power second-by-second, the cover reaches great heights with its symbol crashes and soaring strings. It’s a powerful, powerful piece. 

“Boy’s a liar” by PinkPanthress

Combining R&B and electropop sounds, PinkPanthress is reinventing genre. With its delectable hook and chill-dance vibe,  “Boy’s a liar” proves PinkPanthress’ ability to push the envelope. For those who have wondered what a modern, digital R&B would sound like, this is it. 

End of Time by Peach Tree Rascals

The buzzed about Los Angeles band release its brand new EP, End of Time. The EP chronicles the group’s creative journey since its inception in 2018–and is arguably the collective’s most intimate work to date. “This project is about us finding that peace within our own lives and experiences,” the group shares in a press release. “It’s about removing those negative energies in our lives and surrounding ourselves with love and trust. So that if the world were to come to an end right now, we would be content.”

“FTCU” by Latto feat. GloRilla & Gangsta Boo

A club banger! “FTCU” isn’t the most beautiful display of artistry; for some of that, find another Latto song. What it is, though, is a rager. It’ll make you want to tear down the night, making some horribly devious decisions. Another round of tequila shots. 

“Japan” by Wallice

Songwriting is all about telling a story. For many, it’s in bite-sized poetic snippets that stoke internal meaning. For Wallice, though, a longer-form story makes more sense. Over the course of three minutes and thirty-six seconds, Wallice takes us through her beautiful, guttural tale. She’s crafting a history. 

“Bop Bop” by Saucy Santana

Something for the material gworls. Saucy Santana is making some of the most stupid-fun rap out there, those infectious little snippets that you want to memorize word-for-word. After his success of a sophomore track “Booty,” Saucy Santana has clealry forged a path for himself. “Bop Bop” is just as entertaining, just as playful.