Every week, Spotify updates their "New Music Friday" playlist, featuring 50 of the freshest new tracks hitting the service that week.
On the heels of Billboard's partnership with the streaming giant, we'll be tapping Spotify's editors to sift through the soon-to-be-hits and highlight the best of the bunch.
Check out the picks and listen to the entire "New Music Friday" playlist below.
Zayn - "Still Got TIme" featuring PartyNextDoor
Zayn Malik has been quite a tease as of late, dropping all kinds of vague hints on social media and building up the anticipation surrounding the still-obscure details behind his currently untitled follow-up to his debut solo album, Mind of Mine. Taking to Twitter earlier this week, the former One Direction member shared that he and OVO heavyweight PartyNextDoor have officially joined forces, unveiling a 10-second taste of their recent collaboration while reassuring fans the track will be released soon. As it turns out, Zayn has since made nice on his promise, keeping his word and dropping the song merely days after initially revealing its intriguing existence. With their collaboration, "Still Got Time," the two have created quite the jovial dance-friendly tune, full of playful reminders that there's still plenty of time and ample opportunities to fall in love. The feel-good nature of the song highlights the talents of both musicians beautifully, with Zayn's buttery-smooth voice finding a happy home along with PND's honed Caribbean-influenced sound. The new track marks the first release with Zayn in the driver's seat since his 2016 solo debut and arrives after the 24-year-old lent his sharp expertise to artists such as M.I.A., Snakeships, Lil Wayne, Usher and Chris Brown over the course of the past year. While 1D fans still eagerly wait for the other members to drop individual projects of their own, Zayn is busy stretching and warming up to take his second victory lap with the release of his sophomore album fast approaching. With "Still Got Time" as any indication, Zayn’s new music is going to be well worth the wait.
Mike Will Made It - “Perfect Pint” - album Ransom 2
Mike Will Made It is certifiably plaque hungry. Except this time around, the Atlanta hitmaker is focused on further establishing his own legacy. While the esteemed producer has lent his talents to the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Rae Sremmurd, Ciara, Miley Cyrus, Juicy J, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne and a plethora of others in the past, his new album is a testament to the fact that you get back what you give, with a star-studded array of guest features now returning the favor. The impressive collection of twenty polished tracks arrives as a follow-up to his 2014 album Ransom, and this time around, the sky truly is the limit for the brilliant songwriter. With some of the industry's heaviest hitters blessing his project, including Kendrick Lamar, Future, Rihanna, Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, Pharrell, Big Sean, Migos, Young Thug, YG, 21 Savage, Lil Yachty, Chief Keef and more, Ransom 2 is gearing up to rival even the most lit of carefully curated party playlists impressively as a standalone project. In the producer's own words, the album is "the soundtrack of the culture," and now that the highly anticipated body of work has officially arrived, we fully understand what Mike Will was getting at by making such a bold declaration. With standout tracks such as "On the Come Up," "Come Down," "Nothing is Promised" and "Aries (YuGo) already on regular rotation for his ever-growing fanbase, Ransom 2 is a project not only demanding of a full top-to-bottom listen but will also likely have listeners repeatedly running it back straight through to the summer months and beyond. With his Gucci Mane, Rae Sremmurd and Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Perfect Pint” enhancing our New Music Friday playlist this week, it's without a doubt that Mike Will Made It is fully embodying what Pharrell himself advises on their uplifting and motivational collaboration: "I believe in miracles / But I don't believe in waiting for 'em / You gotta make that s**t happen."
Trey Songz - “Come Over” - album Tremaine
After a slew of devastating tragedies dominated news headlines this past week in particular, the soothing power behind Trey Songz's voice is definitely what the self-care doctor ordered. While music in general has long has been associated with inspiring introspective healing, R&B is no exception, with the genre historically gravitating towards pulling at the heartstrings and encouraging an honest embrace of various emotions at their purest, thus resulting in some of the most sensitive and soul-baring songs ever composed. With Trey Songz's seventh studio offering, Tremaine, the singer draws from the strongest plays in his trusty melodic arsenal, delivering a project of pure and unadulterated R&B carefully designed to get his fans deep in their feelings, such as with the refreshingly straightforward confessional “Come Over.” Throughout the album's fifteen tracks, the 32-year-old continues to hone his knack for crafting lustful, sensual songs that not only demonstrate his impressive vocal range but also highlight his celebrated songwriting talents and his tried-and-true ability to sing as if he's directly addressing every listener individually. Reputed as R&B's nice guy and much to the delight of his fans, Songz puts his heart on his sleeve once again, exploring the all-too-familiar themes surrounding the complicated tales of modern desires and unrequited romances. With tracks such as "Nobody Else But You" previously appearing on our New Music Friday playlist and "Playboy" already garnering over five million streams, the Grammy Award-winning singer is well on his way to stealing our full attention once again and is doing so without enlisting the help of any featured guests. With Tremaine, we are treated to Trey Songz in his most authentic form, further proving that despite baring so much of his soul in the past, the hopeless-yet-seasoned romantic still has plenty left to selflessly give.
David Guetta - "Light My Body Up" featuring Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne
With over three decades honing his talents as a record producer, remixer and songwriter, it's safe to say that at this stage in his decorated career, David Guetta knows exactly which direction to take when it comes to working with specific heavyweight artists, such as Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. While the Grammy Award-winner's latest single, "Light My Body Up," isn't his first time working closely with either artist, the collaboration does help build a spirited case that in the studio, the seemingly unlikely collaborators have a special chemistry that shines through regardless of which particular style of music Guetta happens to be experimenting with at the time. On "Light My Body Up," Minaj takes the lead over a rolling electro-fused beat, flexing her vocals both by singing and rapping, paving the way for her Young Money affiliate to weave in a short-but-sweet -- and, at times, boldly provocative -- guest verse dripping in syrupy Auto-Tune. The fierce, uptempo track is destined to be a smash in the club scene, with Guetta's expert ability to craft theatrical peaks and valleys adding to the song's intoxicating quality. As Minaj spits a coolheaded verse that is sure to have some interpreting certain lines as another subliminal blow to Remy Ma, she then goes on to further utilize her razor-sharp word play to cleverly shout out the French EDM legend, spitting, "No, she’ll never be queen, so now she got a vendetta / I ain’t talkin’ ’bout David, when I say I’ma Guetta." Considering the pair's most successful record together, 2012's "Turn Me On," peaked at the No. 4 slot on the Billboard Hot 100, this latest entry in the David-Nicki catalog just may lead them to repeating history together once again and help Minaj continue her recent winning streak atop the charts, with Weezy's contribution helping to tie the authoritative banger into a nice little bow. Talk about #SquadGoals.
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill - "Speak to a Girl"
At this point in their own respective pioneering careers, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill no longer have to prove themselves to any unconvinced critic. With their collective trophy cases filled to the brim and their individual legacies permanently secured in history, what remains is a truly rare and liberating freedom to create music entirely and genuinely from the depths of their souls. As the two have long been in the business of creating emotive, timeless ballads, the country icons are currently pouring their hearts into a project that feels immensely long overdue: their first official duets album. For the first taste of their forthcoming joint project -- a surprisingly new endeavor for the couple despite numerous collaborations over the years -- the husband-wife duo have released "Speak to a Girl," an important anthem full of necessary and timely lessons regarding how to properly treat females with the utmost respect. With Hill's powerful vocals the first to bless the song, she dives right into the nitty gritty, detailing the non-debatable reminder of how to simultaneously speak to and value a woman. As McGraw echoes her sentiments and the two trade verses, the strikingly beautiful message behind the song emerges as the essential focal point, with a no-frills melody softly building a humble foundation that particularly allows Hill to shine. While the song doesn't navigate too far from either musician's comfort zones, the passion behind their delivery is what elevates the track to an exemplary level, standing as a strong and influential addition to their ever-growing collection of undeniably celebrated collaborations. While their upcoming album currently is without a title or a release date, the veteran musicians will perform “Speak to a Girl” for the first time during the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2. Given its composition and message, and not to mention Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's incredible chemistry, this song is sure to create a moment of empowerment when performed in front of a live audience for the first time.