Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to each week’s New Music Friday’s most important releases: the essential music everyone’s talking about today and dominating your playlists this weekend and beyond.
explore
Check out the latest videos, charts and news
Last week we featured Ariana Grande, Labyrinth, aespa, and more.
This week: Taylor Swift’s much-teased Toy Story 5 song “I Knew It, I Knew You” is released ahead of the movie. Niall Horan serves the main course with his new album Dinner Party. And Tinashe previews her next chapter with a new single… and more. Check out all of this week’s picks below.
Taylor Swift: “I knew it, I knew it”
Dropping a basket of Easter eggs, Taylor Swift admitted this week that fans “knew” she’d be musically involved in Toy Story 5 from the beginning. “Ever since I saw the first Toy Story movie when I was a 5-year-old kid, I’ve always dreamed of writing songs for my favorite characters,” she wrote on Instagram. And on the night of the release, she uploaded a video of herself as a younger version wearing clothes very similar to Jesse, who inspired “I Knew It, I Knew You.” The song was teased by Disney as a return to Swift’s country roots, but even though her vocals are decidedly modern, the production embraces the genre, resulting in a track that, as she writes in the caption of the Cowgirl clip, “felt like coming home at the same time as the music departed.” “Creating something for Jesse was a new challenge, but it also felt natural.”
Role model “High Hopes 3000”
This week, Role Models shared his first taste of new music after the virality of “Sally” (“Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” became his first Billboard chart hit on Adult Alternative Airplay, thanks in part to the live show’s gimmick in which a celebrity guest became the designated Sally each night, eventually reaching No. 1). After announcing his upcoming third album, Chuck Timely & the Hourglass, the artist released lead single “High Hopes 3000,” which explores the same country-inspired folk-pop landscape as his previous album, “Kansas Anymore.” The new song draws on a similar lyrical thread, with Role Model questioning her faith in finding love. “I need big hope, Lord knows I could use it… When I shoot my shots they say I’m unattractive / Come here, honey, I don’t know how to do it / Will love come or will love come?” Be sure to check it out.
Niall Horan “Taste So Good”
Niall Horan’s fourth solo album Dinner Party is released today, and as the title suggests, it provides a delicious soundtrack perfect for intimate gatherings with food and drinks. “Tastes So Good” in particular plays into the title as well as the album’s overarching theme of falling in love by describing how obsessed he is with it. “I can’t breathe without you anymore / I can’t walk down the street / No, I don’t know what you’re made of / But it tastes so good to me.” Who needs to look at a menu when there are lines like this? We’ll have what he’s got.
Tinashe: “It’s too easy.”
Tinashe is back after appearing at Coachella’s DoLab in April. And she’s letting friends and foes know about it. The bouncy “Too Easy” exudes confidence, as she sings, “If you’re mad, go to therapy/There’s no need to make it look so easy.” The clubby pop track clocks in at just under two minutes, further proof that Tinashe is truly into this song. It also sends a message to listeners because it’s really easy to press replay on a song this appealing.
Ryan Beatty “The Secret Language”
Alternative singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty was once a quiet force behind the scenes, providing backing vocals on Brockhampton’s projects, among other collaborations. But his 2023 album Calico changed his career, receiving critical acclaim and increased exposure, leading to a call from Beyoncé. Beatty co-wrote several songs on Cowboy Carter, and the project won Album of the Year in 2025, earning him his first Grammy Award. He is currently scheduled to release his fourth solo album, Sweet Fortune, later this month. Sweet and gentle lead single “Secret Language” showcases his gentle writing, hinting that his silence can say more than words.
Source link
