New Music Friday: Drake drops three albums, Julieta Venegas, Avalanches, Alcalá Norte and more

A Friday that does not hold back

May 15 arrives with an unusual level of activity. The headline, at least numerically, belongs to Drake, who according to jenesaispop.com is releasing not one but three albums on the same day: ICEMAN, MAID OF HONOUR, and HABIBTI. The focus track comes from the first of the three.

Album releases worth noting

Beyond Drake, the day brings full-length records from a diverse set of artists. Julieta Venegas and Triángulo de Amor Bizarro both have new albums out, as do Kevin Morby, Maluma, Porches, Rostam, and Laaza. The day also includes releases from Dua Saleh, Genesis Owusu, and Emilia Pardo y Bazán.

The surprise of the day goes to SALEM, who dropped an unannounced album with no prior notice.

Singles and comebacks

On the singles front, Tove Lo, Avalanches, Gracie Abrams, and Overmono all make returns, joined by new tracks from Eartheater, Sondre Lerche, Bloc Party, and The Mountain Goats.

Alcalá Norte and The Strokes each share the second single from their respective upcoming albums, a small but telling sign that both rollouts are moving forward.

Collaborations

The day is particularly rich in collaborative work. Belén Aguilera, Cupido with l0rna, Maria Escarmiento with RUSLANA, Rakky Ripper with SIMONA, and the project Helado Tropical (Helado Negro and Reyna Tropical) all feature. Shakira and Burna Boy also appear together, as does French artist Rémi Fa alongside Rigoberta Bandini.

Rounding out the playlist

Further additions to the weekly playlist include Sofia and the Antoinettes, Gala Nell, bb trickz, Jorja Smith, Dinamarca, Toundra, Noga Erez, Mafalda Criminal, Giveon, and Muyaio. Madonna closes the day with a remix of I Feel So Free handled by Peggy Gou.