TGIF: The Most Exciting New Music Releases to Listen to in February 2020
Welcome to TGIF, our series in which our music insider Felicity Cain shares the most exciting new releases to listen to each month. From your favorite artists' latest projects to up-and-coming names you should know, we're here to keep your playlist feeling fresh.
Looking for March new music? Click here for the latest releases.
Welcome back, friends. Did you miss me? No? Rude. February is turning out to be quite the month for hot new music releases. Did someone say Justin Bieber? How about a little bit of the nostalgia factor with Green Day dropping a new album? Maybe, just maybe, if we think about it hard enough, a Lady Gaga release? (Update: It happened!). Anyway, without further ado, here’s this month’s TGIF, so you can keep track of all the best new music for February 2020.
UPDATE: Manifesting works. "Stupid Love" dropped today, along with an accompanying video. You're welcome.
We're going to throw this onto TGIF despite the fact that it remains an unknown. "Stupid Love" leaked earlier this year, but Gaga refuses to be peer pressured. Good for her principles, bad for our ears. But for now, we're going to try manifesting. Here's to hoping this song officially drops this month.
Kayden! You might not know his name, but you definitely should. The young Californian creates relatable bops—all produced in his bedroom. He recently hit a million streams on Spotify and released his album, so much has changed, earlier this year. Now, he's already at it again with his new single, "but you love it." I implore you to check him out; you’ll be doing yourself a favor.
So this Snoh Aalegra track isn’t technically a new song so much as it is updated with a feature from none other than the musical genius that is Pharrell. Okay, we see you, Snoh. The song dropped on Valentine’s Day, and Ms. Aalegra then performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert four days later, which we highly recommend watching.
I won’t lie, I haven’t listened to Green Day since like, 2011, but for some reason, I feel excited about their new music. It could just be the middle school nostalgia talking, but whatever. It’s still been almost four years since the band’s last LP, and what better way to kick off the new decade than with a new (the band’s 13th(!)) album? The album, Father of All Motherfuckers, is out now.
Another late addition, "This Is Us" dropped on February 21st; it’s such a bop we had to include it in our February round-up update. Jimmie Allen paired up with Noah Cyrus, giving the new country song some hints of pop. We are definitely here for this duo.
Thrilled to include this song on this list. Love a good Sean Paul moment. Sean Paul and Tove Lo’s single “Calling On Me” drops today, as well as the accompanying new music video. Paul, who has 23 million monthly Spotify listeners, released his last album in 2014 and has been featured on a handful of hit singles with the likes of Sia, Dua Lipa, and Clean Bandit.
English alt-pop duo Oh Wonder (Anthony West and Josephine Vander Gucht) are back with their third album, No One Else Can Wear Your Crown. The pair wrote and recorded the album in their in-home London studio. In the two and a half years since their last album, the band hit a billion streams worldwide, and they’ve moved into new territory: going from bandmates to being in a relationship. Catch the album, out (!) now (!)!
Australian princess Jack River is back! Her debut album, Sugar Mountain, came out in June 2018, and now her second EP, Stranger Heart, is almost here. The EP is set to drop on Valentine’s Day, so cancel your plans, there’s new music that needs to be listened to.
PLS&TY has dropped a new single today with none other than Sean Kingston. The up and coming DJ/producer is one of the highest played artists on SoundCloud with over 30 million plays, so we suggest you keep an eye on him. Plus, who doesn’t love Sean Kingston? What more could you ask for? Check out the new single, "Very Special," now.
Singer/songwriter/model Cailin Russo’s sophomore EP, The Drama, is slated for release on Valentine’s Day. Lucky for us, two of the songs off of the EP (“FADE” and “Declaration”) are already out, so that should hold us over for the week while we eagerly await the rest of the EP. For you LA people, Russo will be headlining an EP release show at The Moroccan that same day.
Never fear, Tame Impala is here. The Australian psychedelic rock group has been relatively quiet in the almost four years since they released their last LP, but now they’re back, with their fourth studio album, The Slow Rush, slated for release on February 14th. Happy Valentine’s Day!
22-year-old Jeremy Zucker makes relatable jams. That’s just how it is. Zucker has over 2 billion streams on Spotify, and is set to release his debut album early this year. Thank God for that. While we wait, enjoy his new single, “always, i’ll care,” which dropped today.
All right, Bieber. I’m willing to look past “Yummy” and give you the benefit of the doubt that there will be some bangers on this new album. Do not let me down. Purpose was stacked with bops, and it’s been five years, so I have pretty high expectations. Catch me eagerly awaiting this one’s drop on Valentine’s Day.