10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of November 1, 2024
With Halloween officially behind us, it's beginning to really feel like the end of the year—especially with the way New Music Friday is picking up, with our favorite artists bringing their A game before 2024 comes to a close.
The last seven days gave us a little bit of everything, from a collaborative new album from indie pop superstars Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler to K-pop girl group BABYMONSTER's epic debut album and yet another taste of Shawn Mendes's eagerly anticipated fifth album, Shawn—and that's just the tip of this week's musical iceberg. To discover everything we loved best, keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Nov. 1, 2024.
('Heart of Gold' via Island Records)
1. HAYLA Wears Her Heart on Her Sleeve for Debut Album, DUSK
HAYLA is one of the biggest vocalists in the EDM scene, lending her voice to megahits by John Summit, KYGO, deadmau5 and more, but with the release of her debut solo album, DUSK, we get a purer taste of what HAYLA is all about. Its features 10 energetic dance tracks with her voice as the most important instrument as she pours out her art and soul, telling us her story thus far. "Dusk is my favorite time of the day—it's the ending of something and the start of something new," HAYLA shared in an interview with Sweety High. "The title track 'DUSK' I have had the most anxiety and anticipation about. It's the first track that I've ever recorded, produced and written by myself so it has been a real 'feel the fear and do it anyway' exercise. I'm so glad that I decided to add this to the album as I've been able to show a different side of myself and lean into something that I was initially nervous about sharing. My reasoning for placing that track at the end of the album symbolizes the start of something new both musically and mentally."
Also read about: How HAYLA Captured the Start of a New Musical Era With Her Experimental Debut Album, DUSK
2. Jimmy Sotos Captures Coffee Shop Energy With 'Kaffeestube (I'm So Tired)'
Producer Jimmy Sotos has a one-of-a-kind sound and unique approach to his artistry, and that's evident on his latest track, "Kaffeestube (I'm So Tired)." "Kaffeestube" translates to "coffee shop" in German, and the infectious Euro trance track captures unique vibe of the process of getting your caffeine fix at the café. It actually starts with real sounds from a coffee shop before the sound transforms with a hip-hop beat before transitioning into a full, fast-paced rave song and then slowing down again, punctuating with a woman's voice repeating the relatable refrain of "I'm so tired."
3. Julia Raye Mourns Lost Love in 'Wish You Stayed'
Up-and-coming pop artist Julia Raye has wowed us with each and every single so far, but her latest, "Wish You Stayed," is our favorite yet. It's a laidback guitar-driven track, with just a hint of country twang, serving as the perfect backdrop to Julia's soulful, opera-trained vocals as she looks back on a relationship she believed was going to last. "I wrote this song in the midst of mourning a relationship, so I took inspiration from all of the texts I sent to friends and the little notes I'd written down on my phone," Julia shared in a press release. "Ultimately, it's about cherishing and reflecting on the good moments, even when you know it's time to let go."
Also read about: How Julia Raye Navigated Feeling Stuck in a Situationship With 'Expectations'
4. Jess Antonette Sings a Song of Love and Loss With 'Grave'
We adore pop-country artist Jess Antonette for her harmonic and relatable songwriting, and her newest release, "Grave," is her most poignant and devastating track to date. The stirring, folksy track was written to celebrate the life of her grandmother who's battling cancer, told from a future perspective of what it might be like to lose her biggest cheerleader and the family matriarch. "While I'm proud of the production, this one is the most painful songs I've written," Jess shared with us. "It's inspired by my grandmother's current terminal battle with stage 4 lung cancer. I wrote it from the perspective of what I imagine it will be like when she's no longer here."
5. Alisa Xayalith Celebrates Uncomplicated Romance With 'Ordinary Love'
If you're not yet familiar with New Zealand-born, L.A.-based pop artist Alisa Xayalith, her romantic new track "Ordinary Love"is bound to put her on your radar, fast. The track is dreamy and lusciously layered as Alisa celebrates the magic of uncomplicated love when past romances have always been anything but. It comes complete with a beautiful music video capturing a collage of gorgeous moments that feel infused with the emotion of young love. "'Ordinary love' feels like my own kind of coming-of-age story," Alisa shared in a press release. "The unfolding of something very real and feeling confused by how uncomplicated it can be when I've mostly known and lived the opposite."
6. RIMON Isn't Afraid to Treat Herself With 'Make Money' Featuring Mereba
Eritrean born, Amsterdam-based artist RIMON is one to watch, especially with her debut album, Children of the Night, releasing on Nov. 15. She just shared her latest single from the album, "Make Money" featuring Mereba, serving as a playful yet empowering R&B track about spending your hard-earned cash however you please. "So grateful for this video, so grateful for my tribe to show up that day and create this together and for the wonderful crew of course, this one for the culture fr and I'm proud to share it with the world, elelelelelelele," RIMON shared in a post on Instagram.
7. Inhaler Teases New Album With Rousing new Track, 'Your House'
Irish rock band Inhaler just announced that their third album, Open Wide, is set to release on Feb. 27, 2025, and thanks to their new single "Your House," it just became one of our most eagerly anticipated releases of the year. The new track is irresistible with its '70s stadium rock vibes, showcasing their experimentation with bigger, bolder sounds—and just how much that risk has paid off. It juxtaposes almost bored-sounding verses with rousing choruses featuring the House Gospel Choir as they sing about being trapped in a cycle of self-destruction. "We're an ambitious band that wants to create anthemic music, particularly when things feel so destructive," Inhaler frontman Elijah Hewson explained in a press release. "'Your House' is about belonging to someone or something that's bad for you. The verse is blasé, but the chorus feels spiritual. I love that contrast."
8. Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler Join Forces for New Album, brent iii
Jeremy Zucker and Chelsea Cutler are two of the most influential indie-pop artists of today, and they're somehow even more powerful when they join forces—especially with their collaborative new album, brent iii—the third in their fan-favorite brent series. The two have been friends for a decade now, and it shows in how effortlessly they work together to share their stunning stories over 11 tracks. "I don't think either of us could create anything like brent on our own," Chelsea shared in a press release. "It's such a unique chemical reaction between who we are as artists. I'm constantly spewing melodies and ideas, and Jeremy is so good at sifting through those and piecing them together. There's something bizarrely special about our working relationship."
Also read about: Chelsea Cutler Tells Us All About Performing at Coachella
9. BABYMONSTER Defy Genres With Debut Album, DRIP
After making their big debut last year, K-pop sensations BABYMONSTER have dropped their debut album, DRIP, serving as a powerful showcase as the seven members' versatility as singers and performers. It's a genre-defying project featuring seven bold tracks, including "BATTER UP," "SHEESH," "LIKE THAT" and "CLIK CLAK," ranging from pure pop to R&B, EDM and hip-hop and proving that these girls show no sign of slowing down.
10. Shawn Mendes Explores Grief With New Single 'Heart of Gold'
The release of Shawn Mendes's fifth album, Shawn, on Nov. 15 is one of the biggest reasons we're so excited that it's November, and we're even more hyped with the release of his new single, "Heart of Gold." The stirring and acoustic guitar-driven track features twangy country notes as Shawn looks back at the life of a childhood friend who's passed away and intimately and honestly explores his emotions associated with his death. "Grief is a really, really difficult thing to deal with and a huge part of what has helped me has been celebrating that person," Shawn explained in a press release. "I would just like to dedicate this song to anyone out there who has lost someone—some who has passed or someone who's alive— whichever way. This is for them."
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Oct. 25, 2024.