Recent events in Minneapolis have inspired swift protest songs from rock legends like Bruce Springsteen and now U2. This Ash Wednesday, the iconic Irish band unexpectedly dropped a six-track EP titled “Days of Ash,” honoring victims of political violence. This powerful release arrives in a week packed with new music, including albums from rapper Baby Keem (featuring Kendrick Lamar and Too Short), country sensation Megan Moroney, and folk-rock favorites Mumford & Sons (with contributions from Hozier, Chris Stapleton, and Gracie Abrams). Also making a comeback is former Disney star Hilary Duff, releasing her first album in a decade. Here’s a closer look at some of this week’s most talked-about new songs.
You can listen to these tracks on your preferred streaming service.
Fresh Releases
U2, ‘American Obituary’
“American Obituary” serves as a poignant memorial to Renee Good, who tragically lost her life on January 7th to an ICE agent. Bono’s lyrics, “The worst can’t kill what’s best in us / But they can try,” encapsulate the song’s somber tone. This track is part of a larger EP dedicated to individuals affected by political violence, including Sarina Esmailzadeh in Iran, Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, and an unnamed Ukrainian soldier. U2 has stated their intention to release a distinct new album in the future. While the EP’s lyrics thoughtfully explore themes of faith and balance, “American Obituary” itself is a raw, powerful track reminiscent of their earlier protest anthems like “Bullet the Blue Sky” and “Pride (in the Name of Love),” confronting pain head-on before seeking solace.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Lana Del Rey, ‘White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter’
Lana Del Rey’s highly anticipated album was rumored to delve into country music, a style known for its precise structures. However, her latest single, “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter,” seems to defy expectations. This track is a dream-like fusion, celebrating marital happiness and even playful kitchen mishaps, all backed by lush orchestral arrangements. With her signature sweet soprano, she confesses, “Whoopsy-daisy, yoo-hoo, I imagine you don’t know how absolutely bad I’m with an oven.” Co-written and co-produced with her husband, Jeremy Dufrene, and renowned producer Jack Antonoff, the song features rich jazz harmonies, subtle rapping, evocative modal orchestrations, and flowing melodies. It’s a beautifully unconventional creation.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Willow, ‘Ear to the Cocoon’
Willow Smith continues to break pop music boundaries with her new track, “Ear to the Cocoon.” As her own band, Willow crafts intricate soundscapes, layering her soaring melodies over sparse piano and dynamic, stop-start drumming. She then digitally manipulates her vocal harmonies, creating a complex yet cohesive sound. At its heart, the song carries a fundamental plea: “Shelter me, mother.”
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Foo Fighters, ‘Your Favorite Toy’
In “Your Favorite Toy,” the title track from Foo Fighters’ upcoming April 24th album, the band unleashes a raw, stomping energy, with Dave Grohl building to a powerful scream. The lyrics, perhaps an internal monologue, hint at vague frustrations and taunts: “Is the pressure hard enough / If the treasure’s not enough?” Musically, however, the track is sharply focused, delivering pure, unadorned garage-rock through a wall of noisy guitars.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Aja Monet, ‘Hollyweird’
Spoken-word artist Aja Monet delivers a fierce critique in “Hollyweird.” Against a backdrop of wailing sirens, pounding drums, and a driving 5/4 rhythm, she confronts the grim realities of Los Angeles wildfires, exposing widespread hypocrisy, oligarchy, greed, and militarism. Her biting commentary, “Nothing like disaster to shock a heart into beating,” cuts deep.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Pulp, ‘Begging for Change’
Pulp, fronted by Jarvis Cocker, has consistently woven themes of class struggle into the fabric of Britpop since the 1980s. Their new track, “Begging for Change,” set to appear on the War Child benefit album “Help (2),” pulls no punches. Cocker’s opening lines, “We are being strip-mined by the powers that be,” immediately set a defiant tone, followed by the stark observation, “You pay with your lives, they pay with their cards.” The music itself is a raw, punky drone, delivering its message of anger and frustration directly.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
New Instrumental Discoveries
Rosenau & Sanborn, ‘Walrus’
“Walrus,” from the duo Rosenau & Sanborn, is a captivating blend of folk and dizzying electronic soundscapes. Nick Sanborn, the electronic mastermind behind Sylvan Esso, and Chris Rosenau, a skilled guitarist from indie-rock acts like Volcano Choir and Collections of Colonies of Bees, reignite their collaboration, which first graced us with the 2019 album “Bluebird.” Their second album, “Two,” is set for a March 20th release. On “Walrus,” Rosenau’s relaxed acoustic guitar melodies intertwine seamlessly with Sanborn’s intricate, panning electronic sounds—pecking, swooping, and creating a truly unique sonic dialogue. It’s like witnessing two distinct musical worlds learning to converse.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Chart Toppers
Ella Langley, ‘Choosin’ Texas’
“Choosin’ Texas,” a country hit that has held a spot in the Top 10 since January, cleverly reframes a romantic dilemma as a spirited rivalry between states. Ella Langley, a co-writer and producer alongside Miranda Lambert, finds herself heartbroken in Tennessee. With a gentle, swaying beat and wistful guitar hooks, she laments, “A cowboy always finds a way to leave,” a sentiment even the comforting music can’t fully soothe.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube
Flashback: 50 Years Ago This Week
Paul Simon, ‘50 Ways to Leave Your Lover’
Fifty years ago this week, in 1976, Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” reigned supreme at No. 1. Taken from his 1975 album “Still Crazy After All These Years,” the song masterfully balances gloom with wit. It’s a playful exploration of rhymes and rhythms that addresses heartbreak, yet concludes with a surprising twist: the woman offering breakup advice ends up kissing him goodnight. Anchoring the track is the distinctive, stuttering beat by the legendary studio drummer Steve Gadd, which immediately elevates Simon’s melancholic melody and becomes more dynamic as he rattles off names and their rhyming escape strategies.
▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube