New Music Mondays: Victoria Monét, Drake, Yung Miami & More

Mondays are hard enough as it is, so we put together a roundup of new music that recently dropped in an effort to start off your week with a little harmony.

Ushering in a new era, singer Victoria Monét gets back into her groove with the release of her sophomore effort, Frequency of Love. The serenading vocals that shaped her 2023 debut after a decade of finding her voice behind the scenes feels fully formed this time around. She delivers a perfect balance of soft ballads (“Come Back To You”), ’90s nostalgia (“For You”), explicit forwardness (“Almost”) and more than a few to rock your hips to, mainly the dance-heavy lead single, “Reach Out.”

You also find that she reserves some of the best moments on features, which include Chlöe Bailey, Bryson Tiller, Bruno Mars, Lucky Dave, a banger alongside SZA and standout with Leon Thomas and toddler daughter Hazel.

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Rap’s summer breakout star Yung Miami is capping off a successful season with her hit single, “Spend Dat,” by giving us two more bangers ahead of the release of her solo debut album, Watch Dis. With “2008” and “F You,” the Miami-bred emcee establishes herself as a star in her own right with a fine knowledge of those who came before her and a clear understanding of how she wants her music to sound.

The lyrics to both songs, not to mention her promotional efforts for both, prove that she at least knows how to not take herself too seriously.

Drake keeps the momentum going from his three-peat comeback earlier this year by offering a deluxe edition to HABIBTI, the more R&B-leaning release of the trifecta. The four additional tracks, particularly with “Solar Eclipse” featuring Don Toliver and its catchy flip on “Choosin’ Texas”, make a fair argument for Drizzy’s hold on pop culture. The accompanying “film” that released a few ago is just an added cinematic bonus.

We also included some deluxe material from Ari Lennox, the new album by Quavo produced entirely by Pharrell Williams, an inspirational comeback single from Lil Nas X, Philly rap newcomer 2Rare joining with Amerie for a flip on her signature song, New Orleans rapper Rob49 with an anthem for the ladies, a resurgence of boy band era pop from Building The Band stars Soulidified and the latest offering from Bruno Mars’ chart-topping album, The Romantic.

Keep scrolling for the full selection of albums and singles in this week’s “New Music Mondays” roundup:

ALBUM: Victoria Monét — Frequency of Love