New Music Friday is intense. Hundreds of songs drop from artists around the world, and you’re supposed to somehow find the best ones. It’s fun work, but it’s time-consuming — so we at Billboard Dance want to give you a hand. Each week, we sift through the streams and dig in the digital crates to present five absolute must-hears from the wide breadth of jams.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week started off with the hybrid sound of Marshmello and Svdden Death’s “Crusade,” then we upped the jump with Codes and J. Worra on “Bounce Back.” Caribou’s Dan Smith talked to us about his new album, and we took a look back at Skrillex and Diplo’s short-lived Jack U project on the five-year anniversary of its only full-length release.
But that’s all in the past now. We want the new jams. We’ve got disco, we’ve got funk, we’ve got rock ‘n’ roll. Jump into the sounds that’ll rock your weekend.
Tchami feat. Hana, “Ghosts”
It’s a big week for the Parisian priest. Not only did he co-produce Lady Gaga’s new Justice-esque jam “Stupid Love” (alongside producer-to-the-stars BloodPop), he also dropped two delicious dark house tunes as teasers for a forthcoming debut LP. “Proud” is a midnight club ballad featuring Daecolm and some sexy synths that sound like The Weeknd crying through a sampler, but today, we draw your attention to “Ghosts.” It’s certainly a spectral sound, a full shadowy mood complete celestial synths and ethereal vocals from synth pop producer-singer Hana. The song comes to glorious life in the second half, driven by a pulse of soulful house and mysterious energy. With this kind of style, Tchami’s impending album might be exactly what your chemically-addled brain begs for at 4 am. There’s no official full release date, but he just kicked off his Elevation tour with stops across North America. “Proud” and “Ghosts” are out now on his label Confessions. — KAT BEIN
Duck Sauce, “Get to Steppin”
Quack is back, and it feels so good. Six years after releasing their first (and so far, only) album, Quack, Duck Sauce returned last month with new single “Smiley Face.” The duo of A-Trak and Armand Van Helden follow that up today with “Get to Steppin.” Whereas “Smiley Face” is a wailing disco stomper, “Get to Steppin” is its more laidback, housier counterpart, lowering the energy level a smidge in favor of something smoother and groovier. Though tamer in comparison, it still bubbles with a vibrancy through its sax riffs and Modjo-recalling bassline. As their performance at Coachella 2020 pulls closer, the excitement for new Duck Sauce music only continues to build. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ
Disclosure feat. Eko Roosevelt, “Tondo”
First of all, you should know that Disclosure’s entire Ecstacy EP is an immediate national treasure – regardless of the nation you inhabit. We know this is shocking to no one, given the Lawrence brothers changed the direction of global electronic music as literal teenagers. What is shocking is how the duo’s “Expressing What Matters” is basically a cover of Boz Scagg’s 1976 soft rock classic “Lowdown.” Likewise, “Tondo” is a killer update of African disco funk master Eko Roosevelt’s “Tondoho Mba” from 1985’s Fluers Musicales Du Camerooun. You can listen to that one above, but do check out the rest of the EP, which we promise isn’t all covers, as far as we can tell. — K. Bein
Jessie Ware, “Spotlight”
Casual electronic fans might know Jessie Ware best from her 2012 Disclosure collaboration “Confess to Me” or their remix of her song “Running,” but in the last year the singer has been gunning for the title of dancefloor queen. Her last few singles — “Overtime,” “Adore You” and “Mirage (Don’t Stop)” — were produced by Bicep, Metronomy’s Joseph Mount and Benji B, respectively, with extra assistance from Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford. On her latest, “Spotlight,” Ware again links up with Ford to create midnight disco for the night after a night out: “I just wanna stay in the moonlight, this is our time in the spotlight,” she sings, almost breathless. A slow-burner, it’s sweet yet sultry, with a touch of acid to add some tension. “Spotlight” is the latest single from Ware’s upcoming fourth album, aptly titled What’s Your Pleasure? — Krystal Rodriguez
Whethan feat. Grouplove, “Upside Down”
This little Chicago bean’s debut album keeps shining brighter, and it’s not even out yet. The third Fantasy single sees Whethan collaborate with alt-rockers Grouplove, who you definitely know from 2011’s “Tongue Tied.” The 20-year-old producer has been a big fan of the band, and “Upside Down” puts their sing-song melodies through fuzzy filters and galactic shades. Its rainbow rocket comes to a soft landing on a delicious jazzy notes, a cool third flavor from the forthcoming LP which already features punk and dreamwave notes. Whethan just kicked off a series of pop-up shows, but he’s set to debut his new Fantasy live production on stage at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival. We’re staying tuned, and so should you. — K. Bein