New Music Friday Releases: The Weeknd, Bring Me The Horizon, Will Smith ft. Big Sean and more

Welcome to New Music Friday, your one place to discover the biggest new song, album and DVD releases.

First, let’s talk albums. 

The Weeknd returns with his sixth studio LP Hurry Up Tomorrow. Preceded by three Top 20 singles – Dancing In The Flames, Playboi Carti collab Timeless and Anitta team-up São Paulo – Hurry Up Tomorrow was originally scheduled for release last week, but was postponed due to the LA wildfires. 

To date, The Weeknd boasts three UK Number 1 albums: 2015’s Beauty Behind The Madness, 2020’s After Hours and 2022’s Dawn FM. Can he earn another next week? 

Lil Durk will be hoping to net a third UK Top 10 album with ninth studio collection Deep Thoughts. The Englewood rap export features on Central Cee’s CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS cut Truth In The Lies; expected to make its Official Singles Chart debut this week.       

Kim Wilde, the most-charted British female solo artist of the 1980s, delivers Closer; her first full-length work in seven years. Meanwhile, fellow ‘80s legend Gary Kemp releases his third solo collection, This Destination. 

Everyone Says Hi offer up their eponymous debut LP this week. The band, led by former Kaiser Chiefs drummer Nick Hodgson, also comprises drummer Tom Dawson, bassist Pete Denton, Glenn Moule on drums and keyboardist Ben Gordon (ex-members of The Kooks, Howling Bells and Liverpool's The Dead 60s respectively.)       

Rumer returns with In Session, a collaborative project with the London-based Redtenbacher’s Funkestra, as British funk outfit Cymande serve up Renascence; their first studio record in a decade.         

Now, let’s turn our attention to singles. 

Big Willie Style’s all in it! Will Smith recruits Big Sean and OBanga on brand-new track Beautiful Scars. It serves as the latest track lifted from Will's first album, Based On A True Story, released this March.

Teasing his new musical era last year, Will said: “The theme of the music I’ve been working on is ‘Dance in your Darkest Moments.’ Over the past couple of years I’ve had to learn a different way to be with adversity - a different way to face hard times.” 

Look out for Beautiful Scars’ accompanying music video, which sees Will confront one of his ‘biggest career regrets;’ turning down the role of Neo in 1999 movie The Matrix. 

Fresh from his Christmas Number 1 fight, Tom Grennan is already back in the ring with Shadowboxing; the first cut lifted from his upcoming third studio album.

Spotify's Singles series serves up some iconic covers this week, including Bring Me The Horizon's Liam Gallagher-approved take on Oasis's Wonderwall and Damiano David's version of Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus's Nothing Breaks Like A Heart.

As they announce forthcoming LP Obsession, THE DRIVER ERA (also known as brothers Ross and Rocky Lynch) drop Same Old Story, while James Bay joins forces with Jon Batiste on optimistic anthem Sunshine In The Room.

Other big new releases this week come courtesy of The Kooks (Never Know), Stereophonics (There's Always Gonna Be Something), Snow Patrol (But I'll Keep Trying) and Jessie Reyez (GOLIATH).

New Music Friday: Song, album and DVD releases for January 31 2025