Oui Oui: Megan Thee Stallion, “Girls in the Hood” - After blessing the world with Suga, Megan Thee Stallion strengthens her hot girl empire with “Girls in the Hood,” her take on Eazy-E’s “Boyz-N-The-Hood.” It’s Megan’s first song after her hit “Savage” remix, featuring Beyoncé, and a reminder that she’s a star even without an A-list feature. And can we talk about how perfect “I don’t stand outside because I’m too outstanding” is? —Hazel Cills
YES, DUH: BLACKPINK, “How You Like That” - Thank goodness BLACKPINK is back in our area. Their comeback single, “How You Like That,” is spiritually similar to their hit, “DDU-DU DDU-DU” in that I strongly suggest parents equal parts curious about K-pop and sick of their children repeating “Baby Shark” press play immediately. This will fill you and your kids with hook-heavy joy, compete with onomatopoeia worth singing along to.
Also, when Lisa chants, “Look at you, now look at me,” I have never felt uglier, which means their glorious dismissal of negative forces is effective. Now, where’s that album? —Maria Sherman
It’s great: Widowspeak, “Money” - All new Widowspeak songs seem to be acutely worried about financial stability (see “Breadwinner” from a few weeks ago) and if their forthcoming record is a romantic, socialist ode, I cannot wait. “Money” is wonderful, and it doesn’t grow on trees. —MS
Y: Uniform, “Delco” - If you, like me, are attracted to pummeling sounds at what so often feels like the end of the world, look no further than Uniform’s “Delco” (named after Delaware County, which feels especially unsettling somehow—it’s not where I’d like to see the end of days). “You are what you’ve done,” singer Michael Berdan screams on the song, as if naming a new rallying cry for those suburban Philadelphians who know a very peculiar pain, “You are what’s been done to you.” —MS
You know it: Prince, “Witness 4 the Prosecution (Version 1)” - With this, Prince’s estate offers the first listen of its forthcoming behemoth box set reissue of Prince’s landmark 1987 album Sign o’ the Times. “Witness” is among the 45 previously unofficially released tracks unearthed from Prince’s vault, and one of two versions of this very song (the second one, which I prefer, has a more electronic, stripped-down, Camille-esque vibe). This one, which was cut in 1986, has a full-band horny vibe in line with the work he’d go on to do with the New Power Generation in the ’90s. Prince diehards have long been familiar with its filthy strut via bootlegs, but now we have it in pristine audio quality, which alone is cause for celebration. —Rich Juzwiak
No, thank you: G-Eazy, “All the Things You’re Searching For” - I have no real interest in the music of G-Eazy, but this People headline alerting me to the fact that his former paramour Ashley Benson, aka Hannah, the best thing about Pretty Little Liars, was featured on the song, which is ostensibly about their sex life, my interest was piqued. My understanding of G-Eazy’s music is that he is a rapper? But on this song, he is doing something akin to singing. There is a chorus that features handclaps. Ashley Benson sings on this song at some point. I cannot help my unfortunate attraction to G-Eazy, a tall white man from Oakland, but even if my loins are stirred by him as a concept, I do not like his music. Oh well! —Megan Reynolds
DISCUSSION
C’mon, Megan — you got your own income, you don’t need his!