5 Best New Songs This Week: Bad Bunny, Summer Walker, KAYTRANADA & Aminé, and More

By Sara Delgado and Kaitlyn McNab

Summer, is that you I hear? New Music Friday is back again, and this week's best new songs and releases are striking the perfect chords. Time to start laying the groundwork for that summer playlist — all your friends will be begging you to get on the aux thanks to these new tracks.

Bad Bunny has released a new single with an English title, the Jersey Club-esque "Where She Goes." The music video has already made headlines for featuring stars like Euphoria's Dominic Fike, Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho, rapper Lil Uzi Vert, and some way, somehow… Frank Ocean — who you might remember was last seen (or not seen at all) at Coachella 2023. Other big releases include the long-awaited Kaytraminé and Summer Walker's Clear 2, the grand return of Jorja Smith, and VERIVERY's Liminality - EP.DREAM. Keep scrolling to find out more about this week's best new songs and releases, and get ready to smash that "add to playlist" button.

The "Where She Goes" music video is extremely dramatic, and extremely cinematic. Horses, angels, scorpios… wait, are these all Kendall Jenner references? The jury's still out on that one, but Benito's latest single is already an early contender for the summer banger.

Warning: the music video above contains scenes with strobing effects that may affect photosensitive viewers.

Summer Walker's latest project was announced just a month ago at Dreamville's music festival in North Carolina. The EP is a follow-up to 2021's Still Over It, and features production and feature collabs from the likes of J. Cole, Childish Gambino, Solange, Steve Lacy, and John Kirby. One of the standout tracks already gaining buzz is Walker's record with J. Cole, "To Summer, From Cole - Audio Hug," which is moving fans literally to tears.

Summer might not officially start until June, but Kaytranada and Aminé have already provided us with the perfect vibes for the season ahead with their joint album Kaytraminé. The newly-minted duo, also known officially as Kaytraminé, made their live debut at Coachella 2023 when Aminé joined the famed producer during his weekend one set to perform "4EVA," the lead single off the album, aided by Pharrell Williams on vocals and production.

"4EVA" might be the standout of the project — still, Kaytraminé offers plenty of other memorable moments thanks to the perfect merge of Aminé's suave bars with Kaytranada's groovy beats, as well as the inclusion of top-tier collaborators like Freddie Gibbs, Big Sean, Ghanaian singer Amaarae, and Snoop Dogg. Come for the big names, stay for the mix of rhythms — ranging from lo-fi, orchestral, R&B, and hip-hop — and witty lyrics — at times boastful, at times hilariously NSFW — with pop culture references galore.

By Kara Nesvig

By Kristi Kellogg

By Kaitlyn McNab

K-pop group VERIVERY is back with the second chapter of their Liminality series. On May 16, the seven-member group released Liminality - EP.DREAM, the continuation of their third EP, Liminality - EP.LOVE, released in 2022. Leading the project is title track "Crazy Like That," a mellow pop number with a punchy bassline loosely inspired by UK garage that serves as an excellent backdrop to spotlight Dongheon, Hoyoung, Minchan, Gyehyeon, Yeonho, Yongseung, and Kangmin's velvety vocals.

The album is completed with three more songs: "JUICY JUICY," a bubblier, more upbeat track mixing elements of hip-hop and R&B over rhythmic percussion; "Raincoat," a drum-heavy, soft-spoken song intended to lift listeners' spirits during times of hardship; and "Smile With You ( )"; a fairytale-esque ballad led by piano keys and building drums. The Jellyfish Entertainment group also included a hidden track titled "Thank you, NEXT?" for those who physically purchase the album.

British singer Jorja Smith is preparing for the next chapter of her career, and we are in for a wild ride. Two years after the release of Be Right Back, Smith is giving listeners a taste of what's to come in her third EP, Falling or Flying, slated to release on September 29.

Instead of the neo-soul vibes she has us accustomed to, Smith tries something new with "Little Things" — an upbeat yet quasi-crooning track that perfectly marries dancehall groove with bedroom R&B cadence and lyricism. In the lo-fi production, Smith's smooth, rich, sweet voice blends perfectly with jazzy piano keys, scurried percussion, and hazy synths. The flirtatious love anthem follows "Try Me," which Smith released in April, as the second offering of the upcoming project, which will include 16 tracks in total.