10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of August 25, 2023

Drop everything, because Selena Gomez just dropped a new track, and this late entry is very much in the running to be the song of the summer.

But while Selena's "Single Soon" is sure to dominate our weekends (and this entire transitional period between summer and fall), this week also gave us new tracks from Miley Cyrus, BLACKPINK and so many more that it was tough to narrow it down to just our favorites. Without further ado, keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Aug. 25, 2023.

1. jake minch Gets Nostalgic About Love Lost in 'strip mall'

Rising singer-songwriter jake minch certainly has a way with words, and he's more vulnerable than ever on the nostalgic new single "strip mall." The acoustic track is gentle yet yearning as jake spots his ex wearing his clothes and is instantly pulled into the memories of when they were happy together, and realizes things will never quite be the same. "I wrote 'strip mall' in my dorm in February," jake explained in a press release. "If I'm honest, I don't remember writing it. When I got to college I was working on this mini-novel/really-long-journal thing about the person I loved during high school; just as a keepsake to have when I'm older—and also as a goodbye to them I think. For the sake of convenience, I'm gonna call it a book … I will tell other people, 'You were the best thing that I've ever had,' but this song is not for them. I will love people more and I will get to do so much, but I will never write a book about anyone else, and I will never write these songs about anyone else, and nobody will encompass my hometown and my teenage years like they will do forever."

 

2. Jenny Owen Youngs Reminds Us to Live Our Lives on 'It's Later Than You Think'

We're actually most familiar with singer-songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs thanks to her Buffering the Vampire Slayer podcast (and infectious, Buffy-inspired jingles), but her non-pop culture work is just as phenomenal. Her latest folksy single, "It's Later Than You Think," is especially relevant, lamenting the time we waste scrolling on our phones rather than actually living life. It's an important—and super catchy—reflection on the scarcity of time and a reminder to not let it go to waste. "When we got together to write, I was feeling particularly preoccupied with my relationship to my phone, social media and the internet in general," Jenny said in a press release. "It was the summer of 2021 and the world still felt a ways off from returning to any semblance of social normalcy. I had also moved away from the city where most of my friends lived to a quiet coastal town on the opposite side of the country. My phone felt like my tether to life as I had known it. But scrolling is a slippery slope and it's easy to overdo it; it's engineered that way. This song is a reminder to myself that my time on this planet is finite and precious, and that I want to spend it wisely on what matters. (Most of the time.)" It's also set to appear on her upcoming album, Avalanche, which comes out Sep. 22.

 

3. Frawley Can't Help But Care in 'Figure You Out'

L.A.-based artist Frawley has been seriously proving herself as one of the masters of the pop genre—case in point, her new single, "Figure You Out." Even before the upbeat yet angsty track was released, it had already blown up on TikTok with its teaser videos racking up more than 43 million views, and in just seconds, the reason is obvious. The song's beat is instantly irresistible and made even more fun with Frawley's rhythmic vocals as she sings about remaining fully obsessed with the love guy who won't give her the time of day—and being fully willing to take him back, despite his lack of caring. "This song is about a toxic-a** situationship that I couldn't break myself free from 😭," Frawley wrote in an Instagram post. "If ur going through something like this, I hope listening brings u comfort 🫶🏼. And if u CAN'T relate to this… please teach me ur ways. I HOPE U LOVE THIS TRACK AS MUCH AS I DO!!! And remember girls… if he wanted to, HE WOULD."

 

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

 

4. Girl Named Tom Watch the Summer Fly by in 'What a View'

Girl Named Tom made history when they were the first-ever group to win The Voice in Season 21, and it turns out their songwriting chops are just as strong as their flawlessly harmonious voices. The sibling trio consists of Bekah, Joshua and Caleb Liechty, and their new single, "What a View," is made of dreamy vocals and a breezy guitar sound that feel precisely like a beautiful, blissful summer that's slipping by all too quickly. Its chorus is bound to be stuck in your head all weekend and feels destined to be the sound for recapping your favorite summer memories when fall rolls around.

 

5. corook Gets Funky With New Chapter in 'emergency contact'

When Nashville-based singer-songwriter corook sings, we listen, and their latest single, "emergency contact," feels different from anything they've released in the past. This sweet ode to love incorporates funky sounds and a jazzy bass riff to express a new, cool confidence for the artist as they find themself and their truth. It's a first taste of their upcoming EP, serious person (part 2), which releases on Sep. 22. "'emergency contact' is the introduction to a new funky character-driven corner of corook," corook shared in a press release. "The song itself plays like a conversation between me and my whimsical friends cheering me on to go for the girl of my dreams. It's about the time in my adulthood that I started prioritizing myself and my happiness. I finally trusted myself to pick a partner that was good to me and for me and thus began my journey to find my emergency contact. It is the first single off of my EP, serious person (part 2), which will lean more into the bouncy and energetic side of corook while still covering serious topics."

 

Also read about: corook Talks New EP serious person (part 1), Touring and the Power of 'if i were a fish'

 

6. Tai Verdes Daydreams of Love in 'All White'

Artist and producer Tai Verdes may have started as a viral TikTok artist, but he's transcended to become a true pop-R&B star, and his new single "All White" encapsulates everything that's special about his work. Bathed in an atmospheric haze and driven by twinkling piano and a groovy base, it's an unusual look at love, overthinking about the person that makes you want to give them your everything and dreaming about marriage. "Everything put out in the world is for the music," Tai said of the song in  press release. "The art keeps me coming back."

 

7. Gabi Sklar Moves Forward From Toxicity in 'Thank God'

This year, 23-year-old rising pop artist Gabi Sklar has been dropping hit after hit, and her most recent, "Thank God," just may be her best. The new track puts her stellar voice on display against a sultry R&B backdrop, with Gabi learning to put her toxic relationships behind her and finally seeing her life fall into place. "I wrote 'Thank God' about the end of two toxic relationships: one was the relationship I was in at the time, and the other was the relationship I had with myself," Gabi shared with Sweety High in an interview. "It felt like a breath of fresh air to end this period of my life, address what the reality of my situation was and begin the process of healing that relationship with myself."

 

Also read about: How Gabi Sklar Found Healing After a Toxic Relationship With New Single, 'Thank God'

 

8. BLACKPINK Expand Their Empire With New Single 'The Girls'

BLACKPINK have built an empire in the real world, and this year, they're conquering the virtual universe with a new mobile app, The Game. The video game allows Blinks to immerse themselves in the world of Rosé, Jennie, Lisa and Jisoo with dress-up games, puzzles and more. And, of course, the K-pop queens had to drop an exclusive single for the soundtrack, "The Girls."

This hard-hitting, bass-heavy hip-hop track is everything you love about BLACKPINK: oozing confidence, unapologetic femininity and powerful vocals. If they haven't made it clear enough at this point in their career, "The Girls" will tell you: "Don't mess with the girls/ Stop sign, we're burnin' it down/ Better watch out, we comin' in loud."

 

9. Miley Cyrus Reflects on Every Version of Herself in 'Used to Be Young'

Since the end of her Disney days, Miley Cyrus has seemed to be in a state of constant reinvention, and with the new song "Used to Be Young," she acknowledges that process—as well as the versions of Miley we haven't yet met. It's an epic, vocal-focused ballad looking back at her wild past while moving on from it while also looking forward to the future. The incredibly powerful music video shows Miley tearfully singing the song directly into the camera, and we dare you to look away. "This song is about honoring who we've been, loving who we are and celebrating who we will become," Miley wrote in an Instagram post. "I feel proud when reflecting on my past and joyful when thinking about the future. I am grateful to my loyal fans who make my dreams a reality daily. I am sincerely thankful for the stability of your steadfast support. This song is for you. Truly, Miley."

 

Also read about: 36 Biting Lyrics From Miley Cyrus's Endless Summer Vacation to Use as Instagram Captions

 

10. Selena Gomez Anticipates the Freedom of Being Unattached in 'Single Soon'

It's been way too long since superstar Selena Gomez last blessed us with new music, but her highly anticipated new track "Single Soon" is everything we could have wanted and more. With a pulsing dance sound, the optimistic anthem is all about looking forward to the freedom of singledom and anticipating the joy that's sure to come with it. If you've been looking for the ultimate breakup song for the season, this is it. "Y'all have been asking for new music for a while," Selena shared on Instagram last week. "Since I'm not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that's perfect for the end of summer."

 

Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Aug. 18, 2023.