Billboard’s First Stream serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
This week, BTS offers an explosive new pop single, Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z ask the tough questions, and Maluma surprises the world. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:
The Song That Will Prove Impossible For The World To Resist:
BTS, “Dynamite”
For all of the global success of BTS, the group still has a few stateside accomplishments left to check off, like scoring a bonafide U.S. pop radio hit, earning a Grammy nomination, and of course, reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. With “Dynamite,” a new English-language single that leans into the recent mainstream disco-pop revival, BTS could be quickly crossing a few items off its bucket list. The song turns the group’s effective formula of incorporating all seven members into an effervescent piece of pop, with the pass-the-mic approach streamlined thanks a unifying chorus that only gains speed as the song progresses. “Dynamite” is filled with radio-friendly highlights — that late key change! That sing-along bridge! — and from the sound of its dizzying highs, BTS has just unlocked one of its biggest hits to date.
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The Song That Wraps Its Advocacy in a Killer Beat:
Pharrell Williams feat. Jay-Z, “Entrepreneur”
Pharrell Williams’ “Entrepreneur,” featuring Jay-Z, was created in conjunction with a TIME cover package titled The New American Revolution, and focuses on how Black ownership can help erode systemic racism. That’s a heavy subject for a hip-hop track by one of the genre’s most dynamic pairs ever, but thankfully, “Entrepreneur” makes its points without sounding like a magazine tie-in or sociology lesson. “Black Twitter, what’s that? When Jack gets paid, do you? / For every one Gucci, support two FUBUs,” Hov raps, after Williams sets up his verse with some meditations on the importance of Black representation. “Entrepreneur” isn’t designed to be a hit, but with two masters of the craft at the helm, the track is still a must-listen.
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The Album That Represents This Week’s Most Pleasant Surprise:
Maluma, Papi Juancho
“All I could do during lockdown in Medellin was work alone in my studio,” Maluma told Billboard of his new surprise album, Papi Juancho, which was released without warning on Friday. “That’s why this album has so much of my true essence; because I did so much of it alone.” In an era in which unexpected album releases have become something of a norm, the 22-track Papi Juancho still serves as a curveball from Maluma, who used the quarantine to strengthen his songwriting and acoustic instincts, as well as share songs with artists like Lenny Tavarez, Justin Quiles and Mandel, among others. His voice has never been more commanding, his understanding of reggaeton never more complete; Papi Juancho may have been created in relative solitude, but Maluma’s millions of followers should love the unexpected gift.
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The Song That Will Teleport You Back to the ‘90s:
Mariah Carey feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill, “Save The Day”
While it’s not uncommon for a veteran artist to revisit unreleased gems for a rarities compilation, a Mariah Carey B-sides album should not be treated as a run-of-the-mill B-sides album. Carey undoubtedly has some brilliance left in her vault, and “Save The Day,” a previously written but newly recorded track featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill’s vocals from the Fugees hit “Killing Me Softly,” demonstrates just how special The Rarities could be as a whole. Bask in the sunlit ‘90s R&B, the interplay between the piano and strings, the expertly deployed sample, Carey’s still-unstoppable voice; “Save The Day” sounds like a classic from an alternate universe, and we’re lucky to be able to enjoy it today.
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The Album That Will Make You Yearn For Live Music:
The Killers, Imploding the Mirage
How are the Killers supposed to release a new album in a world that is currently without arena shows? After all, the best projects from Brandon Flowers and co. have always made listeners want to rush out and holler the new lyrics back at the band as neon lights fill the darkness. After trying on some new styles with 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful, the group has gone back to glorious basics on Imploding the Mirage, a wonderfully bombastic collection of anthems that will no doubt sparkle live, whenever they’re able to be played live. Until then, bask in the Springsteen-toasting “Caution,” the synth-pop majesty of “My Own Soul’s Warning” and the sun-baked urgency of “Running Towards a Place,” imagining the light cues and Flowers’ in-person swagger.
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The Album That’s Brimming With TikTok-Ready Hooks:
Blackbear, Everything Means Nothing
One could say that Blackbear scored a surprise pop hit when “Hot Girl Bummer” started scaling the Hot 100, but anyone familiar with the singer-songwriter-producer’s discography understood that it was only a matter of time before one of his hummable, playlist-ready choruses to cross over. Everything Means Nothing, the latest full-length from Blackbear, supports those refrains with some major talent around him, including Marshmello (who produced the danceable “Half Alive”), Trevor Daniel and Lauv, all of whom help amplify the tales of romantic woe while Blackbear continues to showcase his casually charming vocals. Just don’t be surprised when Everything Means Nothing, which begins with “Hot Girl Bummer,” produces another hit or two.
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The EP That Will Have You Swaying In Your Bedroom Late At Night:
Troye Sivan, In a Dream EP
Troye Sivan projects are immersive: ever since he transitioned from must-subscribe YouTube star to rising pop personality, he’s allowed his followers to get lost in his thoughts and sonic instincts. In a Dream, a new six-track EP that follows 2018’s excellent sophomore album Bloom, is a satisfying check-in with one of pop’s most ambitious voices, albeit a painfully short one. The threads Sivan pulls at on the vulnerability experiment “STUD” and the ‘80s-informed “Easy” could populate entire albums, while the title track functions as the euphoric synth-pop showcase that he’s been building toward throughout his short career.
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The Album To Kick Back With During a Hot Summer Afternoon:
Tim McGraw, Here on Earth
Given how prolific he’s been as a recording artist and road warrior, it’s hard to believe that it’s been a half-decade since Tim McGraw’s last solo album. After taking a detour alongside his wife, Faith Hill, for the 2017 collaborative project The Rest of Our Life, McGraw has offered a sprawling slice-of-life full-length that updates the perspective of his best-known love and life reflections into something sturdier and wiser. The songwriting on Here on Earth helps McGraw find his footing: songs like “Hard To Stay Mad At,” “Hold You Tonight” and the affecting single “I Called Mama” are full of the straightforward turns of phrase that stick in your brain, especially when delivered in McGraw’s light, gentle croon.
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The Song That Could End Up Being Sneakily Important:
Katy Perry, “What Makes a Woman”
With one week to go before Katy Perry returns with new album Smile, we’ve gotten our fair share of uptempo pop from the album (“Never Really Over,” the happy-go-lucky title track), as well as some more contemplative fare that signals a shift in songwriting approach (lead single “Daisies,” the bonus track “Never Worn White”). However, we haven’t gotten anything similar to new track “What Makes a Woman,” a short, stripped-down slice of acoustic pop that may offer a new path for Perry’s next decade as a singer-songwriter. At only 2 minutes and change, the song showcases Perry’s vocal range, blends a folksy hook with some electronic production flourishes and never overreaches in its humble appeal; when we look back on Smile, we may view “What Makes a Woman” as a quiet turning point for the superstar.
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