It's Monday, and that means it's time for your weekly dose of music news! It's the end of the year, and each week it seems there are new music breakouts, new albums dropping, and artists diving into new genres. While it wasn't surprising when T. Swift announced that she was officially a pop artist (formerly considered country), we have all been waiting for the announcement of Justin Timberlake to record a country record. The CMA Awards were just a taste of what JT could bring to country music, and last week his single "Drink You Away" officially hit the radio airwaves. We all went crazy, again. Not only did JT drop a country single, but we had a hip hop comeback single, Indie veterans release a new hit, and a new love song from an up-and-comer.
"Drink You Away" - Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
We can all agree that Justing Timberlake gracing the CMA stage was the highlight of the show. Did you think the buzz would stop there? Nope. I first heard our friends over at 107.5 The River play his country single the day following the awards. It had not been played on country radio until Bobby Bones premiered it on his morning show last Thursday. Bones joked that Justin Timberlake had just bumped Sam Hunt down to #2. Sorry, Sam. You still cute though.
"What a Feeling" - One Direction
Hearts were broken when the 5th direction of One Direction quit the band. Then, the band had the nerve to announce a hiatus starting in Spring 2016?! This hiatus doesn't come before the release of their new album, Made In The A.M. (which dropped on Friday the 13th) featuring only the four directions. There is a lot of chatter around the release of this album and the future of the group. My teenage heart hopes that the fate of 1D isn't the same as the beloved NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.
"WTF" (Where They From) - Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott is BACK with her first single since 2012! I must say, she can still dance just as robotically as she did back in 2008! She is a hip hop icon, and we are so excited for her return. So, we had no choice but to feature her new video, which is insanely cool. Don't miss Pharrell's cameo as a puppet!
"Adventure of a Lifetime" - Coldplay
I love Coldplay. I also love their latest single. It's a totally new sound for the group, and I must say I dig this up beat, fun tempo-ed sound! This will be a fun dance floor hit for 2016 events.
"Hollow" - Tori Kelly
Here's the newest pop love song anthem for young people everywhere! Not only is it catchy, but the lyrics can give you all kinds of feels. The lyrics are deep and relatable on many different levels. These are the songs that suck you in again and again. You'll be humming this song the rest of the day.