With so much good music being released all the time, it can be hard to determine what to listen to first. Every week, Pitchfork offers a run-down of significant new releases available on streaming services. This week’s batch includes new albums from Young Thug, the late Arthur Russell, Big Freedia, Blue Lake, Militarie Gun, Rrose, and Destiny Bond. Subscribe to Pitchfork’s New Music Friday newsletter to get our recommendations in your inbox every week. (All releases featured here are independently selected by our editors. When you buy something through our affiliate links, however, Pitchfork earns an affiliate commission.)
Young Thug: Business Is Business [Young Stoner Life/300 Entertainment]
Business Is Business is the first new LP from Young Thug since his arrest last year as part of a sweeping grand jury indictment. The Atlanta rapper is joined by a number of prominent rappers on the Punk follow-up, including Drake, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, and more; Metro Boomin executive produced the project, and there’s additional production from Wheezy, Southside, FNZ, and more.
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Arthur Russell: Picture of Bunny Rabbit [Audika]
Art-pop experimenter Arthur Russell died more than 30 years ago, yet Steve Knutson has continued to excavate recordings from Russell’s personal archive, working closely with the musician’s former partner to give the material new life in the public sphere. Picture of Bunny Rabbit is the latest of these releases on Knutson’s Audika label, compiling material that Russell recorded around the same time as his 1986 album, World of Echo. “I think we’ve reached a place where—I don’t want to say this is the last one, but I would probably say it might be the last major project. This one I’m most proud of, though,” Knutson told Pitchfork.
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Big Freedia: Central City [Queen Diva Music]
Big Freedia, New Orleans’ queen of bounce, is back with Central City, her first new LP in nearly a decade. Lil Wayne and Ciara make guest appearances, as do Faith Evans, Kelly Price, Kamaiyah, and others. Between full-lengths, Freedia has stayed booked and busy with singles and EPs, and she was memorably sampled by Beyoncé on “Break My Soul.”
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Blue Lake: Sun Arcs [Tonal Union]
Born in the United States and currently based in Copenhagen, Jason Dungan operates under the alias Blue Lake, making airy, wordless compositions on instruments he built himself. He developed some of his new album, Sun Arcs, during a weeklong stay in a rural Swedish cabin, completing the LP back in Copenhagen. Dungan layers slices of guitar, drum machines, clarinet, and zither together for the eight gentle pieces on Sun Arcs.
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Militarie Gun: Life Under the Gun [Loma Vista]
After last year’s All Roads Lead to the Gun (Deluxe) compilation, Los Angeles hardcore band Militarie Gun have released their studio debut, Life Under the Gun. Frontman Ian Shelton produced the album with engineer Taylor Young.
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Rrose: Please Touch [Eaux]
Please Touch is the second Rrose album from DJ, composer, and producer Seth Horvitz. Horvitz previewed the electronic album with the single “Spore.” Revisit Pitchfork’s review of Rrose’s 2019 debut, Hymn to Moisture.
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Destiny Bond: Be My Vengeance [Convulse]
Vocalist Cloe Madonna, guitarists Amos Helvey and Emily Armitage, bassist Rio Wolf, and drummer Adam Croft are Destiny Bond. Be My Vengeance is the Denver-based hardcore group’s debut LP. Helvy produced the album, which is released via Croft’s label, Convulse Records.
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