10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of July 28, 2023

Post Malone has truly outdone himself with his vulnerable, guitar-driven new album Austin, and while we can't stop listening, it's far from the only incredible new music we were graced with this week.

The last seven days also gave us an unexpectedly brilliant collaboration between Dream and Yung Gravy, new magic from Steve Lacy and a tease of Mitski's upcoming album—and that was just the start of it. For the inside scoop on everything we loved best, keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of July 28, 2023.

1. Big Trash Celebrate Their Own Brash Confidence With 'BOMB DIGGY'

Kevan Kenney is perhaps best known for hosting MTV's MTV Fresh Out, but his band, Big Trash, also deserves attention. With their fresh nu metal sound, the band is definitely turning heads—especially with their confident sophomore single, "BOMB DIGGY." "For our second single, 'BOMB DIGGY,' we wanted to write a self-empowerment anthem that you could turn up to and let all your pent-up energy out to," Kevan shared with Sweety High. "Everybody's got their own bomb diggy. 'BOMB DIGGY' is whatever makes you you. So blast it in the gym, on your way to school or work. It's a song meant to pick you up when you might be feeling low or to remind you of the bad*** you are when you need to hear it most."

 

2. Yueku Shows Us What He's Made of With the Little Less Noise EP

Christian Koo, aka Yueku, is a rising artist who should be on everyone's radars in 2023. The Nashville-based indie singer-songwriter has never dropped a song we didn't adore, and his new EP, Little Less Noise, consists of his six best tracks to date. With songs ranging from folksy and whimsical to vibey, upbeat and anthemic, each one shows off the artist's incredible versatility and honey-like vocals, making it nearly impossible to pick a single favorite. "Started writing these songs at the end of 2020," Yueku shared in a post on Instagram. "It's wild to think how long ago that was. I wrote them with a lot of friends during a period where my mind felt generally at peace. A time when things didn't feel so loud up there. It's a true labor of love and I hope that these songs make you want to dance, scream or go into the other room and give your person a big hug. Couldn't do this without the people listed below. I love them and I love you. Thank you for being here when you could be anywhere else."

 

Also read about: Echosmith's Sydney Sierota on Getting Realer Than Ever on the Brand's New Self-Titled Album

 

3. Olive Louise Faces the Fear of New Love in 'Swallow the Ocean'

If you've ever found yourself terrified by the prospect of new love, we think you'll relate to Olive Louise's soaring new ballad, "Swallow the Ocean." The New York-based singer-songwriter dropped the track earlier this week, showcasing her vulnerability and fears in the face of a new love, with a voice that's equally powerful in the song's whispery verses as it is in its belted-out choruses. "Almost immediately after getting into a relationship, I started to push the person away because I was scared that if they decided to leave me one day, I would essentially be emotionally destroyed and never get over them," Olive revealed in a press release. "Deep down it's about fear getting the better of me. The odd thing is, that feeling of falling in love, it's addicting, but when I found myself actually in it, it felt like danger." We're also infatuated with the song's music video, showing Olive wading in a body of water, her dress billowing as she croons.

 

4. Caroline Romano Tells Her Own Not-Quite-Love Story in A Brief Epic

We've adored 21-year-old alt-pop singer-songwriter Caroline Romano since her teenage days, and her latest body of work, A Brief Epic, shows just how far the Nashville-based artist has come. The six-track narrative tells Caroline's own story of a relationship that was never quite love, taking us through her feelings from infatuation to self-doubt and overthinking before the relationship ends, and she must learn to process what's lost and finally move on. The EP features some of our all-time favorites from Caroline, including "Guts" and "Mississippi Air," and if you're not yet a fan, this is the perfect place to start. "Until last year, I had little to no understanding as to why people lost their minds over other people," Caroline shared in a press release. "I had no references to understand those classic love stories. I use the phrase 'love story' loosely—carelessly, really—as I don't think this situation was one of those at all. It's something that falls far short of such a title, but it carries the weight. It's a brief epic."

 

Also read about: Caroline Romano Talks Feeling Like the Odd One Out and Her Debut Album Oddities and Prodigies

 

5. Kate Peytavin Fears Losing Those She Loves in 'Big White Light'

We don't know how we're just now discovering the music of Kate Peytavin, but with her new single, "Big White Light," she's quickly become an artist we'll be watching very closely in 2023. The new track is her third single, showcasing her angelic vocals, with a nostalgic and dreamy country-pop feel that highlights the desperation and hope within its lyrics. "This song means everything to me," Kate revealed in a post on Instagram. "I've gotten multiple questions asking what the meaning is/what is big white light. For those wondering, BWL is the fear of losing my dad and brother to cancer. They have a rare genetic mutation called Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) that greatly increases their risk of cancer, my dad has been battling prostate cancer since 2013, and luckily my brother has remained healthy. No words can express the feelings of guilt I felt when my brother's test results came back positive and mine negative for inheriting the mutation. This song touches a dark place I don't bring up often. Thank you all for your support, I hope you listen."

 

6. Holly Humberstone and d4vd Join Forces to Bask Under the 'Superbloodmoon'

A super blood moon only occurs during a total lunar eclipse, when the sky and moon go red, and this rare and somewhat random occurrence was the inspiration behind Holly Humerstone's newest single. "Superbloodmoon," featuring  d4vd, was written by the duo within the span of just a few hours, about two people who are able to share a cosmic moment together under the super blood moon, even from opposite ends of the world. Perfectly soulful duets like this are just as rare, and we especially love the spacey synths that close out the track. "I had been a huge fan of d4vd's work for about a year and was lucky enough to catch him whilst he was in London," Holly shared in a press release. "We went into the studio and wrote 'Superbloodmoon.' It came pretty naturally as we had both been touring for what seemed like forever, and wanted to write about the feelings that come with leaving your home and the people you love behind. I had the title for the song on my notes, and it just stemmed from there. We wrote about witnessing the same thing from opposite sides of the world and feeling lonely but connected through that experience at the same time. I love the song and I'm so grateful to d4vd for bringing it to life with me." "Superbloodmoon' will also appear on Holly's upcoming debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black, dropping Oct. 13.

 

7. Mitski Analyzes Her Vices in 'Bug Like an Angel'

Mitski's seventh studio album, The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, is set to drop on Sep. 15, and we just got out first taste in the form of the gorgeously painful single, "Bug Like an Angel." With a quiet and dreamy sound, the track looks at addiction, and how falling back on vices can feel comforting and right, when it's actually destroying us. There's a choral, almost religious quality at the end of each verse that further drives that powerful point home. "My song 'Bug Like an Angel' is basically about addiction, so if you relate to it, this song is for you, and if you don't, that's great, too," Mistki explained in a video on Instagram. "Either way, I really appreciate you giving it a chance."

 

Also read about: Use These Deep Lyrics From Post Malone's Twelve Carat Toothache as Your Next Instagram Captions

 

8. Steve Lacy Sets Out to Protect His Heart in 'Helmet'

Earlier this month, Steve Lacy released his critically acclaimed second album, Gemini Rights, and if you missed it, you cannot skip the new music video for "Helmet." With lush harmonies and a confident sound that effortlessly melds rock, R&B and funk, the track looks back on a relationship that's fallen apart as Steve does his best to protect his heart and move on from a bad situation. It's a fabulous distillation of Steve's unique sound, and if you adore the track, you'll also love the other nine on offer with Gemini Rights. "Gemini Rights is outttt," Steve wrote in an Instagram post. This feels so surreal. I can't explain it. It's a new feeling. I think I'll be able to tell you about it in a couple months. But for now, I'll enjoy this newness. Thank you guys for all the love and support—I promise it doesn't go unnoticed."

 

9. Minecraft Sensation Dream Teams Up With Yung Gravy for the Wonderfully Unpredictable 'Everest'

Never in a million years would we have predicted a collaboration between Minecraft streaming sensation Dream and rap phenom Yung Gravy, and "Everest" has defied every one of our expectations. Yung Gravy famously rejected Dream's offer to collab last week (in exchange for Dream teaching him how to play Minecraft), but it now seems it was all in jest, and the resulting track is surprisingly catchy and refreshing, combining yearning vocals with playful and quirky rap bars over lo-fi synths. "I wanted to write a song that captures the feeling of being high on life," Dream said in a press release. "I've never actually been high, but I can imagine what it feels like. Being at the top of Everest is like being on top of the world, and I've had moments where I've felt that way. I've also had moments where I've felt pretty down on myself. But at the end of the day, my main obligation in life is to be true to myself, to find my Everest, and to climb it every day." Dream's debut EP, to whoever wants to hear, will arrive on Aug. 25, and we're setting our expectations high as Everest.

 

10. Post Malone Redefines His Sound With Self-Titled Album, Austin

At this point, Post Malone is one of the biggest and best-known artists in the world, and though his fifth album, Austin, is a major redefinition of the artist's sound, we firmly believe it's primed to satisfy his existing fans, as well as win him many new ones. Austin is self-titled, referring to Post's real first name, with a guitar-driven, pop-rock sound that still echoes the hip-hop sensibilities that put him on the map. The album consists of a whopping 17 tracks, and yet not a single song feels like filler. Every instrument on the album was performed live, and as he puts a whole new side of his musicality on display, we're fully on board for this new era of Post. He's also currently in the middle of his If Ya'll Weren't Here, I'd Be Crying Tour across North America, backed by a full live band for the very first time, and no doubt putting on the shows of a lifetime.

 

Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of July 21, 2023.