New Music From Ariana Grande, Iggy Azalea, Kygo, & Zayn Malik

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Iggy Azalea "Team" Cover Art (Def Jam Recordings) 

This past week has been filled with hot singles dropped by some of the industry’s brightest stars. ZAYN, who left One Direction behind in 2015, has been on fire with his first solo album, dropping “LIKE I WOULD” this past week. Though the song is quicker than “PILLOWTALK”’s sensual, slow rhythm, its energy demonstrates another side to the solo artist as he steps out of the shadow of One Direction. ZAYN has always been evidently talented, but his release of the singles from his upcoming album, “Mind of Mine,” coming out March 25th has validated his talent to awaiting fans. In addition, ZAYN has released two other singles, “BeFoUr” and and “iT’s YoU” that do not carry the punch that “PILLOWTALK” or “LIKE I WOULD” do, but they are still heavy contenders in demonstrating ZAYN’s new pop artistic identity.

Another recently single lighting the charts on fire is Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman.” This single carries the same name as the title of her new album, dropping mid-May. The vibe of the song is extremely sexual and slow, creating a more mature image to the young artist as she breaks into her newest album since “My Everything” from 2014 when her star originally exploded. The single is the perfect demonstration of her growth and maturity since “Problem” and “Love Me Harder,” two hits from her original album that carry a more pop-typical feeling. “Dangerous Woman” unveils Grande’s voice as a powerful, dangerous seductress. She has also released “Be Alright” that holds a beat good for an upbeat shopping venture or jog. It is enjoyably lighthearted and fun in contrast to “Dangerous Woman.” 

Kygo also released a new single, “Fragile,” today. It is slow and includes many unique backbeats that compliment that pop/R&B genre that “Fragile” falls into. Kygo’s beautiful vocal range is shown off in the song, as well; he hits the high notes that many male singers cannot reach, which adds a level of talent to Kygo’s resume. The song is relative to what listeners hear from bands like OneRepublic. 

Iggy Azalea dropped “Team;” she also is building her next album since releasing music around the time of Ariana Grande’s last musical climax. The song’s sound is similar to the Iggy listeners hear in “Black Widow.” Her unique rap tone in combination with a pop chorus is typical to the hip-hop artist’s repertoire. “Team” is a catchy tune that could easily land a common listen on the radio, but it does not have much depth to climb out of the box of Iggy’s music that first landed her a rising star a few years ago.