9 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Brittany Howard, Helado Negro, Little Simz, and More

With so much good music being released all the time, it can be hard to determine what to listen to first. Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services. This week’s batch includes new releases from Brittany Howard, Helado Negro, Little Simz, Madi Diaz, David Nance & Mowed Sound, Itasca, Pouty, Amiture, and Mk.Gee. Subscribe to Pitchfork’s New Music Friday newsletter to get our recommendations in your inbox every week. (All releases featured here are independently selected by our editors. When you buy something through our affiliate links, however, Pitchfork earns an affiliate commission.)

Brittany Howard: What Now [Island]

The title of Brittany Howard’s second solo album is double-edged, the Alabama Shakes frontperson said in press materials: “Everything seems to be getting more extreme and everyone keeps wondering, ‘What now? What’s next?’ By the same coin, the only constant on this record is you never know what’s going to happen next: Every song is its own aquarium, its own little miniature world built around whatever I was feeling and thinking at the time.” She introduced the Jaime follow-up with the title track, a “sharply detailed portrait of the singer-songwriter in conflicted contemplation,” as Allison Hussey wrote in her track review.

Listen on Apple Music
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Buy at Rough Trade

Helado Negro: Phasor [4AD]