10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of April 21, 2023

With the second weekend of Coachella 2023 underway, there's never been a better time to be a music lover—and this week's new releases did not disappoint.

It was another one of those weeks when narrowing down all of our favorites to just 10 picks was physically painful, thanks to unexpected singles, knockout new albums by Tiësto and BTS's SUGA, thrilling collabs featuring The Weeknd, Future, Kim Petras, Nicki Minaj and so many more. For just a taste of the latest and greatest, keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of April 21, 2023.

 

1. Jen Cloher Reminds Us We're One With the Earth in 'I Am The River, The River Is Me'

Jen Cloher's fifth studio album I Am The River, The River Is Me was released last month to critical acclaim, and if you're not yet obsessed, the title track's new music video will have you immediately entranced. The slowly building rock track has a thrumming, powerful sound and an even more potent message, with its title taken from a Māori proverb.  "It holds especially deep significance for Iwi (tribes) along the Whanganui River in the North Island of Aotearoa, NZ," Jen explained in a press release. "In 2017, they won a landmark legislation when the New Zealand government granted the Whanganui River legal personhood—a status that is in keeping with the Māori worldview that the river is a living entity. The legislation refers to the river as an 'indivisible, living whole,' conferring it 'all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities' of an individual. At the heart of this album is a remembering of our purpose as human beings. We are not of this earth, we are the earth. When we frame our dependence in this way, we remember our purpose as guardians, caretakers—as kaitiaki." The video itself features a day in the life of a Māori boy in Collingwood, and the push and pull between his culture's traditions and life in the modern world, making for an evocative narrative we won't soon forget.

 

Also read about: How Frawley Brought a True Story of Soul-Crushing Heartbreak to Life in 'Crying My Eyes Out'

 

2. Joy Oladokun Shares a Final Tease for Her Album With 'Taking Things for Granted'

Joy Oladokun's new Proof of Life album is just one week away, and her final pre-release single, "Taking Things for Granted," leaves us feeling like April 28 couldn't come sooner. It's a vibrant, rock-ringed pop confessional about learning to look at life in a different way, to demand what you need and to appreciate it for all it is. "I wrote 'Taking Things For Granted' about the way the things we've been through shape the way we grow up to see the world," Joy revealed in a press release. "Producing this song was one of my favorite moments of making this record because it was equal parts honest and experimental." Joy will also be touring with Noah Kahan on his sold-out tour this summer before her Living Proof Tour across North America kicks off this fall, and you better believe we'll be there.

 

3. corook and Olivia Barton Transform Hate Into Triumph With 'if i were a fish'

We first fell in love with corook's "if i were a fish," featuring their girlfriend Olivia Barton, when we stumbled upon it on TikTok last week, and it's absolutely exploded since then. In response to negativity around one of corook's more recent songs, the duo actually wrote the song in just minutes, channeling feelings of isolation, pain and insecurity into a triumphant celebration of joy and unconditional love. They've received more than 11.5 million views on just that video, and while sometimes, the full versions of TikTok songs don't wind up living up to the hype, this is absolutely not one of those times "I'm in a place in my adulthood where I am allowing myself to be the most me I can fathom being, and I have never felt so out of place in my life," corook revealed in a press release. "Whether it be the genre of music I make to my gender identity, I don't feel like I fit in anywhere. As I was crying about this to my girlfriend, Olivia Barton, she said 'Let's make a song to feel better, and we should make it as weird as possible.' The first thing I said was, 'If I were fish, I think people would appreciate all the things I am more.' Thus became, 'if I were a fish.' Writing that song with Olivia will go down as one of my favorite memories with her because I'd never felt more seen and loved by another human in my life. I guess it makes sense that the video capturing that memory went viral."

 

4. British Trio New Hope Club and K-Pop Sensations P1Harmony Team Up for 'Super Chic'

We never could have predicted a collab between British pop trio New Hope Club and K-pop, or how unbelievably smooth the track, "Super Chic," would turn out. The two groups actually met at a festival in South Korea last summer, and became instant friends (and soon-to-be collaborators) once they got the chance to meet each other, resulting in a funky earworm that showcases the strengths of all nine artists involved. "We wrote 'Super Chic' with P1H after we both played the same festival in Seoul," New Hope Club shared with Sweety High in an interview. "It's an upbeat funky song to dance to, which is why we thought it would be perfect to collaborate with P1H since they bring such an upbeat energy to their live performances and tracks." P1Harmony's JONGSEOB added, "'Super Chic'  was an opportunity for P1Harmony to experience new things and allow us to show a new side of ourselves that we hadn't shown in the previous albums. It is made from New Hope Club and P1Harmony's unique colors, thoughts, and harmonies. So, 'Super Chic' was a fun new challenge for us!"

 

Also read about: P1Harmony and New Hope Club Share the Story Behind New Collab, 'Super Chic'

 

5. Nathy Peluso Is Nobody's Fool in 'Tonta'

Nathy Peluso is one of our all-time favorite Latin artists, and the Argentine-born, Spain-based singer-songwriter and rapper's strengths are on full display in her newest single, "Tonta." The soaring and anthemic pop track is all about being nobody's fool and finding her strength in learning from the mistakes of her past.  We especially love the cinematic new music video, showing Nathy as she leaves behind a toxic situation to head out on her own. "The other day I got together with my ex … I put on some high-heeled black boots and, I'm sorry to disappoint you girls, but while I drank a glass of water, I said that I was very grateful because thanks to that relationship I had definitely learned what I no longer want to relive," she told Vogue Spain. "Having made a mistake in love or made a mistake as a woman makes my more human side remind me that I am an apprentice and that turns me on. I want to keep failing and surviving, ladies … After going through all that discomfort, what prevails is my learning as a woman in the world. I understand more and more what I want. My limits have been rewritten. I know better when to take a pause to protect my energy."

 

6. Tiësto Invites Us Into His Latest Era With DRIVE

Tiësto's highly anticipated new album, drive, is his first concept album since 2009's Kaleidoscope, and its singles alone qualify it as one of the biggest albums of the year. It features 12 tracks flaunting his signature sexy sounds and irresistible beats, including hits "The Business," "Don't Be Shy" featuring Karol G, "Hot in It" featuring Charlie XCX  and "10:35" featuring Tate McRae, with the pre-released singles already amassing a cumulative 4.4 billion streams. With visuals inspired by the sleek forms and high speed of Formula 1 racing and musical themes of an unforgettable night out, this album is going to be the soundtrack to our lives for the rest of 2023. "I am so beyond excited for this project to be out in the world!" Tiësto said in a press release. "This album is something anyone can enjoy on the dancefloor, in the gym, on a car ride, anywhere or anytime you are looking for incredible sonics and energy. Seeing how much everyone is loving the string of singles has been incredible, and it was amazing putting the full album all together."

 

7. Bree Runway Recruits Khalid for Love Song 'Be the One'

Bree Runway and Khalid's voices truly are a match made in heaven, and their new duet on "Be The One" makes the track an instant classic. The silky R&B-pop track tells a tale of a swoon-worthy romance, with two best friends finally confessing their true feelings for one another. They're two of the best voices in the business coming together in perfect harmony, and "Be The One" is poised to be one of the songs of the summer. "This collaboration is special to me for more than one reason; I'm obsessed with this song; our voices marry together perfectly," Bree shared in a press release. "It magically came together from a hangout in the studio; I love Khalid for his light and his incredible character, I'm really proud to call him a friend, and now musical collaborator. This release will be major, very excited for the world to hear!" Khalid also added, "I've been a supporter of Bree since long before I even met her, and I have always been a fan of her artistry. She has always been a superstar in my eyes and I'm beyond excited to share this moment and collaboration with someone who I can call a genuine friend!"

 

8. BTS's SUGA Goes Releases His Solo Debut Album, D-DAY, as Agust D

Few solo releases have been as talked about as BTS's new D-DAY solo album as Agust D, and the artist is truly using this opportunity to set himself apart from the crowd. The self-written and self-produced album concludes the story started in Agust D's previous mixtapes, with the artist carving his own path as he sets out on his own. The main track, "Haegeum," utilizes the titular traditional Korean string instrument to beautiful effect as he sings about breaking the mold, and doing all of the things that were previously against the rules.

 

9. The Weeknd and Future Join Forces for 'Double Fantasy'

This really has been a week of iconic collabs, with The Weeknd joining forces with Future for  the seductive new single, "Double Fantasy."  Featuring a vibey electronic sound over The Weeknd's stellar vocals and Future's flawless flow, it's a tale of an overpowering forbidden love that's not meant to be, and we love the way the two bring it to life. The track is also the first taste of the soundtrack of The Weeknd's upcoming HBO series, The Idol, which debuts on June 4 and will star Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye himself, opposite Lily-Rose Depp.

 

Also read about: The 20 Best The Weeknd Lyrics to Use as Instagram Captions

 

10. Kim Petras Features One of Her Biggest Inspirations, Nicki Minaj, on 'Alone'

Kim Petras has quickly become one of the biggest names in the business thanks to her undeniably catchy singles and chart-smashing collabs, and she's adding yet another blockbuster to the list in the form of "Alone," featuring one of her all-time biggest inspirations, Nicki Minaj. The sultry track, sampling Alice Deejay's instantly recognizable Eurodance hit, "Better Off Alone" is destined to become an instant club hit, with Kim and Nicki's singular talents making it one-of-a-kind.

 

Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of April 14, 2023.