10 Big Things That Happened in Music the Week of April 4, 2025
We love the moments of buzzy anticipation leading up to game-changing albums, and this week was especially thrilling with teases from both Ed Sheeran and Miley Cyrus on their next releases.
With Miley's Something Beautiful scheduled to release next month and Ed's Play set to hit sometime later this year, it's clear that 2025 will be a historical year for music. Of course, they weren't the only ones celebrating unforgettable new tracks this week. Keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of April 4, 2025.
(Something Beautiful via Columbia)
1. Rachel Chinouriri Celebrates Love and the Future With Her Little House EP
Rachel Chinouriri's 2024 breakout album, What a Devastating Turn of Events, served as a powerful reflection on struggle and heartache—with a witty and thoughtful twist—but this year, it's clear she's turned a new leaf. She's about to wrap up supporting Sabrina Carpenter on the Short n' Sweet UK and Europe arena tour, next embarking on her first-ever U.S. headline tour, and her new EP, Little House, takes a more lighthearted and optimistic spin on life. It consists of four tracks—"Can We Talk About Isaac?," "23:42," "Judas" and "Indigo"—celebrating the joy of loving someone and being loved in return. Truly, we love to see it.
"I wrote an EP about my dreams of maybe having a little house with my future partner," Rachel shared in a press release. "A dream of having a small house, lots of land and having animals is a dream of mine and has been something I've wanted to achieve since I was a child. The moment I met my partner though, I realized he'd make the vision complete. I didn't realist that me not wanting a partner was maybe me protecting myself from future pain and I don't know what I'd do without him because he's definitely fixed a broken-hearted girl and I've blossomed into a woman."
Also read about: 33 Vulnerable Lyrics From Rachel Chinouriri's What a Devastating Turn of Events as IG Captions
2. sombr Shares a Heartbreaking New Video for 'back to friends'
19-year-old artist and producer sombr ended 2024 with a bang, releasing one of his biggest songs to date, "back to friends." The track has since taken on a life of its own, racking up more than 71 million streams and even debuting on three Billboard charts last month, and it's about to get even bigger with the release of a new music video. The MV stars model Charlotte D'Alessio, illustrating the heartache of losing someone you love, becoming mere friends again and watching them move on with their life from afar.
Also read about: sombr's Live Vocals Shook the Troubadour on Last U.S. Tour Stop
3. Hayes Warner Recognizes the Pitfalls of Masking Her True Self in 'Threw Me Away'
New York City pop singer-songwriter Hayes Warner had a stellar year in 2024 with hits including "Dead to Me," "Predator" and her new take on "Just a Girl" with Billy B, and she's showing zero signs of slowing down this year. After dropping"Oh!" at the start of 2025, she's back with the soaring indie-pop anthem "Threw Me Away." The song is a vulnerable analysis of the mask she put up to be the ideal partner, only to realize how miserable it's made her.
"'Threw Me Away' is about the raw and truthful realizations I felt when trying to be what someone else wanted," Hayes shared in a press release. "It's meant to be a direct response to everything I said in my last single 'Oh!'—a deeper look at what happens when you sacrifice too much for someone."
She's also celebrating the release with a performance tonight at The Stranger in NYC where she'll be teasing new songs from her upcoming debut EP for the very first time. If you happen to be in New York, click HERE to nab tickets.
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About 'Dead to Me' Singer-Songwriter Hayes Warner
4. CHUNG HA and Etham Reflect on Broken Hearts in 'Find Love'
After going viral around the globe, but especially in South Korea, with his breakout hit "12:45," English singer-songwriter Etham has been attracting plenty of fans, including K-pop superstar Chung Ha. This week, the two teamed up for the heartfelt new single "Find Love." The pop-R&B collaborative track is romantic yet bittersweet as both artists reflect on a relationship that didn't work out, but will forever leave a lasting impact.
5. Djo Evokes the '60s and '70s With New Album The Crux
Djo is the musical moniker of Stranger Things actor Joe Keery, and it times, it seems almost unfair how talented he also is as a producer and singer-songwriter. He's a coveted talent, recently kicking off a world tour (which is fully sold out in North America) before he stops at Coachella, Glastonbury and Lollapalooza this year, and he just released his third album, The Crux. The album moves away from Joe's typical synth-driven bedroom pop style for something more lushly produced with a '60s and '70s-inspired pop vibe. It consists of 12 tracks, but our favorite might just be "Charlie's Garden," a Paul McCartney-esque bop featuring his Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton.
6. The Marías Share New Single 'Back to Me' With a Surprise B-Side
It's a very exciting time for Grammy-nominated band The Marías. They were recently featured on Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco's album on "Ojos Tristes," and later this month, they make their thrilling return to Coachella. This week, however, we can't get enough of their new single, "Back to Me," and its surprise B-side, "Nobody New." "Back to Me" is a yearning love song with atmospheric, hazy and dark synth sounds, capturing the feelings of loneliness and angst that can appear when your former love moves on with someone new.
"'Back to me' was written a couple months after Submarine was complete," singer María Zardoya said in a press release. "We were jamming in the studio as a band, and the guys were experimenting with some new synth sounds and ominous chords. I immediately went into the vocal booth, and the melody and lyrics came to me faster than any other song. It felt like divine intervention. After finishing it, it felt like the start of a new era beyond Submarine. Consider it an introduction to a new world. Submarine dealt with the raw emotions of going through a heartbreak right after it happened. 'Back to me' is what comes—the breakup actually happens when an ex moves on to someone new. It deals with the emotions that come along with that. Even though in the end you may not want them back at all, in the moment, that's all you want to relieve the pain"
7. Viral Sensation Brittany Broski Showcases Her Vocal Talents With Debut Single, 'The Sun'
Brittany Broski is undoubtedly one of the most influential social media creators of today, inspiring countless memes and becoming a viral sensation with her Royal Court talk show series and The Broski Report podcast. We shouldn't have been surprised that she's also a powerhouse vocalist. After her recent cover of Harry Styles' "Adore You" racked up millions of streams, she just released her debut single, "The Sun," and it's positively stunning. The dark, brooding track perfectly showcases the richness and soul of Brittany's vocals as she sings about loving someone deeply and giving them everything, but not being loved in return.
'The Sun' is my proverbial offering at the altar of all my muses," Brittany explained in a press release. "Whimsical, bluesy, soulful and gritty yet sung from a place of deep feminine softness; a melody that gives voice to the angst and confusion of unrequited love."
8. Pinkpantheress Gives Us a Taste of Next Mixtape With 'Tonight'
"Anti-pop" artist Pinkpantheress knows how to properly tease her fans, and ahead of the announcement of a yet-untitled mixtape, out May 9, she just dropped her latest single, "Tonight." The evocative and sexy track is effortlessly pulse-pumping and danceable as she beckons listeners to let go of their inhibitions and give in to desire. The new music video also comes alive with a Bridgerton-worthy ballroom dance party, with Pinkpantheress breaking all the rules.
"I'm so excited to finally bring out the first single of my new project," Pinkpantheress said in a press release. "I hope everyone has as much fun listening to it as I do."
Also read about: 28 Yearning Lyrics From PinkPantheress's Heaven knows to Use as Instagram Captions
9. Ed Sheeran Steps Into His Play Era With 'Azizam'
Ed Sheeran has officially concluded his Mathematics Era, and he's here to show us a new side of his artistry with the release of new single "Azizam."
The title gets its name from a Persian term of endearment meaning "my beloved," with the song combining the influences of Persian and Irish folk music to create a unique sound that drives the fun and lighthearted love song. It's a brand new approach from the hitmaker, making us very curious to see what other sounds he pans to bring to the table with his next album Play, out later this year.
"Even though it's completely different to anything that I've ever done before, 'Azizam' feels familiar to me," Ed revealed in a press release. "I wanted to create a party atmosphere in a song and Ilya Salmanzadeh, who I worked with on the track, helped bring that to life. He was so inspiring to work with."
Also read about: 34 Wistful Lyrics From Ed Sheeran's Autumn Variations to Use as Instagram Captions
10. Miley Cyrus Teases Upcoming Album Something Beautiful With 2 Sizzling New Releases
Miley Cyrus doesn't do anything halfway, and after announcing her next album, Something Beautiful, back in November, she gave us not one, but three songs from the album this week—"Prelude," "Something Beautiful" and "End of the World." We're not exaggerating when we say these are already some of her all-time greatest songs, and we're eager to hear the rest of what Something Beautiful has to offer when it drops on May 30—as well as the accompanying visual film, releasing in June.
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of March 28, 2025.