We got an Ariana Grande verse! It’s gonna be a good weekend! This week is chock-full with great releases, from a woozy song about getting high by Kali Uchis to Monaleo’s epic storytelling in her latest track. As well as a fair share of single releases, Blake Rose has released a heartfelt and personal EP while Channel Tres has dropped an EP that was tailor-made to be danced to. See below for V’s best new music of the week. 

The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, “Die For You – Remix”

The only person who could get Ariana Grande to come out of her music hiatus while she’s filming the upcoming Wicked movie is none other than her longtime collaborator and friend, The Weeknd. Teased earlier this week on Grande’s Tik Tok account, fans were enthralled by the announcement, and the delivery from her and The Weeknd was certainly worth the wait. The two stars have an effortless bond that is evident in their music-making, with Grande acting as the perfect partner on the sexy pop-banger that is “Die For You.”

Monaleo, “Ridgemont Baby”

Monaleo’s newest release is in honor of her Texan roots, with the rapper sharing her story on how she grew up.  “Ridgemont Baby” is a great example of the way rap can be used as a form of strong storytelling, with Monaleo sharing her humble roots and how she knew that her only way out was through following her craft.

Kali Uchis, “Moonlight”

Kali Uchis is a resident expert on enlightenment. Following the release of her leading single “I Wish You Roses” off of her upcoming album Red Moon in Venus, “Moonlight” is a woozy and delectable song where Uchis describes that she’s finding peace in smoking with her lover. Floating gracefully between English and Spanish, Uchis delights in the joyous meditative practice of getting high in the moonlight with the person she loves.

Niall Horan, “Heaven”

Fresh off the heels of his January EP, Hidden Gems, Niall Horan has released single “Heaven” as the first track off of his upcoming June album, The Show. “One thing I’ve learned over the years is that society loves to pressure us into reaching certain milestones by a certain age,” shared Horan on the song. “Whether that’s getting married or anything else that really should be based on our own instincts. As I’ve gotten older I’ve tried to let go of those expectations and just follow my heart. The chorus of this song is saying that what I have in my life currently is amazing”

Halsey, “Die 4 Me”

Halsey has released “Die 4 Me,” a song that is an evolution of the singer’s verse on Post Malone’s 2019 “Die for Me.” The demo was originally worked on for Halsey’s 2020 album Manic, and today it is finally seeing the light. Halsey posted on her Instagram this week, saying “It’s been long known in my fanbase that there’s a demo of ‘Die For Me’ with just me on it. I performed my verse on the tour all summer long and since so many people have asked for it, I decided to put my full version out as ‘Die 4 Me.’” 

Em Beihold, “Roller Coasters Make Me Sad”

Em Beihold’s newest release is about the moment of looking around herself and feeling like she should be enjoying herself more than she actually is able to. The song is a pop-banger that shows an introspection on the young musician’s rise to success, specifically written about the feeling after the success of one of her earliest singles. “It’s about the experience with ‘Numb Little Bug’,” shares Beihold. “On the day it dropped, the response was insane. I should’ve been happy. Instead, I felt this pressure to keep the momentum going. I knew that everything that goes up must come down. I was bracing for the fall, because it was so unbelievably good. I couldn’t just enjoy the ride. At the same time, I do hate Roller Coasters.”

Channel Tres, Real Cultural Shit

Channel Tres’ Real Cultural Shit EP is a sonically explorative form of house music, rich in its dynamism and irresistible to dance to. “This EP is about me reminiscing on different relationships I had with my friends back in the day,” shared Tres on the creation of the project. “Being a grown-up now, some of those relationships I don’t get to have as closely as I want anymore. If I ever ran into any of those friends or called them on the phone we have words and slang that we use that only we know. I call that type of stuff ‘real cultural shit.’ It’s a statement about how I don’t have to please anybody, all I have to do is be myself, and everything will work out.”

Blake Rose, You’ll Get it When You’re Older

Blake Rose’s EP You’ll Get It When You’re Older was released today as a collection of personal songs that were inspired by an early in life conversation between the young producer/singer and his older sister. “My older sister was battling drug addiction—which she is thankfully now on the other side of,” explains Rose. “That period was pretty rough for our family. It had a subconscious impact on my life, and it manifested itself in some of these songs. When I was 14, she joined us on our big road trip, and she was in the depths of addiction. Since I was confused and trying to understand where she was coming from, we had a long conversation. We went back and forth, but it ended with her saying, ‘You’ll get it when you’re older’. Those words stuck with me the whole time. As I started writing songs, our conversation would always come up. I essentially tailored the EP around the subject matter.”