10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of November 10, 2023
Is there such a thing as too much incredible new music being released in a week?
While we don't think that's quite possible, an abundance of epic album releases, cool covers, unexpected collabs and more does make it exceedingly tricky to narrow down our favorites to just top 10 picks. We got an anniversary edition of Passenger's timeless All The Little Lights album (with Ed Sheeran popping in, for food measure), a brand new Stray Kids album and a surprise Jonas Brothers and Bailey Zimmerman team-up—and that's only scratching the surface. For everything we loved best, keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of Nov. 10, 2023.
1. Maz Covers Dinosaur Jr.'s 'Little Fury Things'
It's not every day that we hear a cover of one of our favorite deep-cut tracks that elevates the song to new heights, but alt-pop singer-songwriter Maz has done just that with her new version of Dinosaur Jr.'s "Little Fury Things." Maz takes the fuzzy, distant sound of the original and lends it an air of atmospheric spaciness, slowing things down for a floaty, cool feel that transports us to another place. "Dinosaur Jr. Is one of my all-time favorite bands, so covering a song by them has always been a dream of mine," Maz shared in a press release."One of my favorite things about Dinosaur Jr.'s sound is that it is raw, gritty and loud. In the studio, playing around with the song, I realized the depth and emotion of the lyrics and the beautiful melody that was there. I thought it would be interesting to highlight those aspects of the song. A softer, dreamier version."
2. Will Linley Explores the Depths of 'Sad-Pop' With Sophomore EP, Magic
South African artist Will Linley's bouncy pop sound is utterly irresistible, and that's especially true on the singer-songwriter's new EP, Magic. Featuring six tracks (including the standout title single), Magic is the perfect distillation of his self-described "sad-pop" ethos, combining emotionally evocative lyricism with infectiously upbeat sounds to be distinctively Will. "The Magic EP is a piece of my art," Will explained in a press release. "It represents the artist I am right now. The last two years have been incredible and humbling because getting to make music was so far from what I thought I'd be doing… this is all I ever dreamed of doing. I hope this EP captures your heart like the way it has captured mine."
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About 'miss me (when you're gone)' Singer-Songwriter Will Linley
3. flowerovlove Crushes Hard in 'a girl like me'
18-year-old English indie-pop singer-songwriter flowerovlove is one of our must-watch artists of 2023, and her latest single, "a girl like me," is sure to have you just as hooked as we are. The song has an effortlessly smooth and cool vibe as she thrusts us right into her story, exploring a budding love and the feeling-things-out stage of an undefined flirtation. "Everlasting crushes can be so splendid and passionate," flowerovlove shared in a press release. "You can become devoted almost like a golden retriever is, but it also clashes with feels of drowning in oceans of uncertainty that the person you adore may not feel the same way, so you obsess with questions like 'Would a boy like you like a girl like me?' or 'Could someone like you like someone like me?'"
4. NOTD Recruits Emei for Dancey New Single, 'Hold on Me'
As fans of both Swedish producer duo NOTD and alt-pop artist Emei, we couldn't have been more excited to hear about their new collaboration, and "Hold on Me" is giving us everything we could have wanted. It's a flawless synthesis of the guys' production talents, with a vibey, retro synth dance sound that makes us want to get on our feet, and Emei's romantic, soaring vocals as she sings about being stuck on a past love. "The first time I heard 'Hold On Me' I genuinely could not get the chorus out of my head," Emei revealed in a press release. "I walked around my apartment for days after, humming the melody and that's honestly when I knew I wanted to be on the song. I've been a fan of NOTD for a while and I'm so pumped and honored to be featuring on this record."
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About 'That Girl' Singer-Songwriter Emei
5. PinkPantheress Drops Debut Album, Heaven Knows
We've been eagerly anticipating PinkPantheress's debut album Heaven Knows since before it was even announced last month, and while we had high expectations, this 13-track album fully delivers. Including fan favorites including "Mosquito" and "Boy's a Liar Pt. 2″ with Ice Spice, the album also has features from Rema, Central Cee and Kelela as the star explores her relationships, pain and loneliness, as well as the sensation of feeling stuck in the middle. "The record is about grief for a loss but being at peace with yourself in your aloneness," PinkPantheress shared in a press release. "Journeying from hell into purgatory, but I'm okay with being there."
6. Noah Kahan Outdoes Himself Yet Again With 'Northern Attitude' Featuring Hozier
Just when we think Grammy-nominated folk-pop artist Noah Kahan has reached his peak, he's managed to surprise us and outdo himself yet again with a new version of "Northern Attitude," this time featuring Irish megastar Hozier. After a surprise performance together in Nashville last month, the two join forces on the song, sounding so natural together that it feels it was meant to be. Noah has already collaborated with Kacey Musgraves, Lizzy McAlpine and Post Malone this year, and he may have even more in store for us before 2023 is through. "If you know me at all, you know this collaboration is something very deeply special and important to me," Noah said in a press release. "I used to sit down at the table with my guitar and just try to capture a fraction of the emotion and beauty that Hozier encapsulates in each song he writes. It never quite worked, but each song was better for trying. To have one of my heroes performing this song with me is something I'll tell my grandkids, or at least my next dog."
Also read about: 20 Vulnerable Noah Kahan Lyrics to Use as Your Next Instagram Caption
7. The Kid LAROI Gives a Peek Into His Mind With Debut Album, The First Time
It feels like it's been a long time coming, witb The Kid LAROI first teasing his debut album last January, but now that The First Time is here, whopping 20 massive tracks, we can see why he was willing to take his time with the impressive body of work. The album is introspective and authentic, featuring hit singles "Too Much" and "Love Again," and collaborations with BTS's Jung Look, Central Cee, Future, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, D4vd and Robert Glasper to tell the artist's full story. "The album comes out in just a few hours and I just wanna say how grateful I am that we're finally here," The Kid LAROI wrote in a post on Instagram. "It's been two and a half years since I last dropped a project and I'm sorry about that. Been working a lot on my mental and I'm happy to say I think I'm in a better place now than I have been. As stoked as I am for this album to come out I'm even more stoked to just keep making and putting out stuff for you guys all this year and beyond. I feel so much more creative and motivated. So I'm glad I took some time off to figure it out because now we're not stopping. No breaks this year. Or for a long time. This is my most vulnerable work yet and I'm so grateful I got to make it with my friends and people I genuinely love. My little brother @auzthekid also produced a song on here which is probably what I'm most happy about. So yeah. All I can say is I hope you guys like it and thank you again for being so patient and kind with me. I love you guys more than anything. And I really mean that."
Also read about: 19 Tear-Jerking Lyrics From The Kid LAROI's Debut Album to Use as Your Next Instagram Caption
8. Bailey Zimmerman Joins the Jonas Brothers for Feel-Good Single 'Strong Enough'
If you need a little boost going into the weekend, look no further than the Jonas Brothers' new collab with rising country sensation Bailey Zimmerman, "Strong Enough." Bailey might as well be the fourth (or technically fifth?) Jonas Brother with how gorgeously the quartet of voices blend together in a sweet and uplifting anthem about the joy that comes in togetherness and recognizing your own strength. We also adore the chorus, which feels tailor-made for stadium singalongs. "I've been a fan of the Jonas Brothers for as long as I can remember," Bailey explained in a press release. "I literally grew up with them! It's been incredible to get to know Joe, Nick and Kevin, and we've already shared some memories I'll never forget. The fact that they would ask me to be on a song still blows my mind. I hope y'all like it as much as I do!"
9. Stray Kids Continue Their Year With a Bang With ROCK-STAR Mini-Album
K-pop superstars Stray Kids have been anything but quiet in 2023, and after releasing their 5-STAR album in June, they're back with an epic follow-up in the form of their ROCK-STAR mini-album. Consisting of eight tracks, written and composed entirely by the group, this mini-album perfectly demonstrates the charisma, talent and huge personalities that make the octet one of the biggest K-pop acts in the world. We cannot stop listening to both versions of "LALALALA."
10. Passenger Releases Anniversary Editio of All the Little Lights With a Little Help From Ed Sheeran
It's hard to believe that English indie-folk artist Passenger's game-changing album All the Little Lights is 10 years old, but with the new anniversary addition, the singer-songwriter breathes new life into each and every track. The entire album was re-recorded and re-imagined, bringing on artists Foy Vance, Gabrielle Aplin and Nina Nesbitt for a new take on these beloved songs, but most notably, he recruited Ed Sheeran to join him and record a new version of megahit "Let Her Go." "Where do I begin… it's a truly life-altering song," Passenger said of the track in a press release. "Four minutes of music that shifted my trajectory entirely. It's so big that I think of my career in two sections—before and after 'Let Her Go.' People often ask me if I knew I'd written a hit straight away after writing it. The honest truth is I didn't. I'd written so many songs up until that point that I had been excited by, but nothing had ever come of them, so by this stage I had genuinely stopped thinking in those terms. I vividly remember writing it. It was early 2011, and I was out on a regional tour of Australia playing tiny rooms to a handful of people each night. I remember walking into a venue dressing room, picking up my guitar and playing the opening riff like I'd written it years ago, like I'd played it before. Like it had always been there. I don't think I've had many other moments like that."
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of Nov. 3, 2023.