Is there anything better than the New Music Friday leading into a three-day weekend?
Monday is Labor Day, and we’re ready to send off summer with a stacked lineup of new releases from everyone spanning genre-bending newcomers to a certified icon making her return with a big name change.
Can’t wait to get listening right along with us? Keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Sep. 4, 2026.
(Photo credit: Mert Alas)
1. Macy Todd Reflects on What Almost Was With ‘luckiest girl alive’
Soulful country-pop singer-songwriter Macy Todd keeps her momentum going with her brand-new single “luckiest girl alive,” co-written alongside producer Jon Joseph.
The heartfelt track follows a major breakout moment for the Nashville-based artist after her song “someone to you” was featured in an Instagram post by Lana Del Rey, sending a wave of new listeners her way. Macy says the song came from a moment of looking back at everything she once wanted but never got, and finding gratitude in that realization instead of regret.
“I think everyone can relate to this feeling in one way or another,” Macy shared in a press release. “One night, I was looking back at my life and felt this huge wave of gratitude for the things I wanted so badly at one point but never got. I wrote down, ‘I’m the luckiest girl alive; I got nothing that I wanted.’ The next day, I brought that note into a writing room with a bunch of new people I was super intimidated to be working with. It felt like the room let out a collective exhale, and I knew we had something really strong. The song came pretty quickly after that.”
2. Angus & Julia Stone Head to the Karaoke Bar
The beloved sibling duo behind “Big Jet Plane” are back with their dreamy new album Karaoke Bar, out today via Virgin Music.
The record’s focus track, “The Start,” is a cosmic blend of beats and harmonies that feels almost weightless, marking a fresh, atmospheric chapter for Angus & Julia Stone.
“In the end, Karaoke Bar felt like the right title because what a karaoke bar is, but also what is can symbolize,” Julia shared in an interview with Sweety High. “It’s a place where people come together to have fun but also where the normal social barriers of everyday life can disappear for a while. By the end of a night at karaoke, you can find yourself arm in arm with someone who has completely opposite beliefs or values to you, singing a song about love or loss… something universally true for all of us… and that’s what this record means to us.”
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About Angus of Australian Folk-Pop Duo, Angus & Julia Stone
3. Medium Build Celebrates Life With King of Having Fun
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Nick Carpenter, known as Medium Build, has released his highly anticipated new album King of Having Fun via slowplay/Island Records.
The 14-track project was recorded live in-studio with his closest collaborators and moves through country, rock and indie influences, all built around the feeling of playing for bigger rooms. Carpenter makes his Grand Ole Opry debut this weekend as part of the “Opry 100″ celebration.
“This album is maybe the best and most important thing I’ve ever made,” Nick expressed in a press release. “I got all my favorite people in a room and we had fun … It’s a celebration of life.”
4. 82MAJOR Turn Up the Temperature With HEAT
K-pop group 82MAJOR are back with their second single album, HEAT, featuring the focus track “Like Fire.” The song picks up where their previous single “Sign” left off, driven by an intense beat and layered vocals that build to an explosive, addictive chorus.
The four-track project also includes a Spanish-language reimagining of fan favorite “TROPHY” and a remix of “Sign” from producer Viann, rounding out one of the group’s most adventurous releases yet.
Also read about: Getting to Know 82MAJOR: A Day Off With Each Member
5. Paris Paloma Gets Radically Vulnerable on The Fatal Flaw
English singer-songwriter Paris Paloma has released her highly anticipated second album, The Fatal Flaw.
The vulnerable and rousing record traverses love in its many forms and various contradictions, exploring romantic, familial and societal relationships, and closes out a video trilogy with the gothic Western short film “Silhouette on the Hill,” starring House of the Dragon‘s Ewan Mitchell.
“This album is about love, and about Art,” Paris explained in a press release. “There is nothing trivial or fleeting about it, they are songs for great halls, written as though you’re walking through tapestries and heavy paintings detailing battles and storms. I wrote these songs about those feelings that feel like they govern you and overwhelm you. I wrote them for everyone who has ever felt like “too much” because of how deeply they feel everything.”
Also read about: Paris Paloma Makes Sense of the Noise and Chaos in Her Mind With Debut Album, Cacophony
6. Lyn Lapid Confronts a Toxic Relationship With Music on ‘one good thing’
Gold-certified artist Lyn Lapid makes a triumphant return with “one good thing,” a dreamy, emotional track that captures the fear of fully committing to something you love.
While the song is written as if addressing a human being, Lyn says it’s actually about her complicated relationship with music itself, and the way it can feel like both a comfort and a threat to her sense of identity.
“I think my relationship with music was more than just burnout, it was simultaneously a feeling of fear and resentment that it was going to consume me as if being an artist was all that I am,” she shared in a press release. “I hadn’t known who I was outside of that for a while. I decided to write about that in ‘one good thing,’ speaking to my relationship with music and creating as if it were a person.”
Also read about: Lyn Lapid Weaves a Tale of Situationships and Heartache in to love in the 21st century
7. The Paradox Pay Homage to Punk’s Roots With ‘That’s Not Fair’
Atlanta punk-pop band The Paradox haved returned with “That’s Not Fair,” a new single from their upcoming EP Proceed With Caution, out Oct. 2.
The track channels the raw, stripped-back spirit of early punk acts like the Ramones, filtered through the band’s commanding hooks and unbridled energy. It arrives just as their first-ever headlining tour has completely sold out.
“‘‘That’s Not Fair’ was inspired by The Ramones, sonically, and it came from us talking about the funniest, messed up stuff that has happened to us throughout our lives,” said lead vocalist Eric Dangerfield in a press release. “We spent a lot of time trying to find the best verses and we’re really excited for everyone to hear it because it was so fun to make. “
8. ADÉLA Steps Into Her Power With Debut Album PRIMA
At last, ADÉLA has released her eagerly anticipated debut album, PRIMA.
The album arrives alongside a music video for the breezy R&B track “Nicole Kidman,” directed by Hannah Lux Davis and packed with references to the titular actress’s most iconic roles.
“Somehow, I got invited to a Golden Globes event,” she recalled in a press release. “I’ve never been in a movie, but I got all glammed up, put into a dress, had my hair done and I looked really good. My hair was super bouncy, and my corset was so tight that I thought, ‘I feel like Nicole Kidman right now’. I actually watched Eyes Wide Shut, and became obsessed with her. To me, she is ‘the’ movie star.”
9. TEN Launches a New Era With ‘OUTWEST’ and ‘IRL’
Thai music sensation TEN is stepping into a new chapter with his double single “OUTWEST” and “IRL,” his first musical releases since co-founding the creative company ILLIMNT.
“OUTWEST” blends hip-hop, tech house and R&B into a genre-bending dance party, while “IRL” turns inward as a bright ode of gratitude to the community that’s supported him throughout his decade-long career. TEN wrote both tracks himself, marking the first project he’s overseen from start to finish.
Also read about: 90+ Striking Miley Cyrus Lyrics to Use as Instagram Captions
10. MILEY Returns With a New Name and ‘Bass Persuades’
Grammy-winning superstar MILEY has released “Bass Persuades,” the first single from her highly anticipated 10th studio album of the same name. It arrive Sep. 18, and the single comes with an official music video directed longtime collaborator Mert Alas.
MILEY also took the moment to announce a two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 16 and 18, marking her return to the stage.
“My tenth studio album, BASS PERSUADES, is yours September 18th,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Music takes hold of us. We feel it, sing it, sometimes dance to it, let it out and carry on. It is powerful, vulnerable, sweet and strong. Heart full, heartache, every part of life in between. That’s what the title means to me. Thank you for being a part of making my wildest dreams come true. I sincerely hope you love this album. ❤️ Miley.”
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top picks for the week of August 28, 2026.
