Week of April 24th, 2026
Credit: The Hollywood Reporter
“Heyyy… currently writing this New Music Friday Review article on the train right after a four-hour no break session of writing my English essay that’s still only finished to the first body paragraph (don’t ask me how it’s taken so long—I spent too much time analyzing Faith Ringgold and being burnt out) when this whole essay is worth 25% of my grade and I am not stressed out here” is how I would start this article if I weren’t totally overbooked, theoretically… But, with this in mind, this week’s NMF review will be short and time-conscious for my own mental sake. So, let’s get right into it! This week came with a lot of country-style music. A new album from Noah Kahan after two years. An exclusive collaboration between Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley (that, don’t come for me, felt somewhat too redundant and not representative of the two singers’ individual qualities for my liking.) A song from Shaboozey and a (harsh to say but I must) ‘don’t listen to’ song by Meghan Trainor. More on the best of the best below!
1. Most Streamed Song of the Week – “Doors” by Noah Kahan (7.5/10)
A perfect harmony between Noah Kahan’s typical folk mixed with acoustic-heavy country music, “Doors” is one of the new songs off of Kahan’s highly anticipated album, “The Great Divide,” already breaking the Top 50 US Spotify chart in a day since the album’s release. The song is heartwrenching and feels grueling, like haunting, when Kahan’s desperate and pained voice calls out to a lover that seems temporary and ready to leave the relationship at any moment. Especially exciting, and what frankly makes the song most worthwhile, is the insane buildup from the beginning to the second verse, starting with an almost yelling like question, “have you ever stared directly at the sun”, a mechanism for determining the empathy that exists within the room: has my lover ever understood the pain of self-inflicted pain, because I do; I let you in my life. The lyrics are solid, and the simplicity within the songwriting and instrumentals is precisely what keeps Noah a special artist within an oversaturated market (in some concentrations). While it’s hard for Noah to top his songwriting success with “Stick Season,” this top-streamed song is pretty good, and it can be said that it deserves its place as No.1 on the Spotify Top 50 Chart.
2. Lyrical and Sonic Standout – “Door” by Conan Gray (9.5/10)
Yes, also called “Door”—be careful, this is SINGULAR, yes, there’s only ONE door, no more than one—Conan Gray releases the deluxe version of his career-defining album “Wishbone.” If you’ve ever known him for hits like “Heather,” “Maniac,” or “The Cut That Always Bleeds,” I think that I can trust you in understanding that of all skills you could highlight from Gray’s artistic toolbox, his lyricism is one that seems to be a prevalent anomaly in that it is very good. Like, really good. But, even with the visible talents from his earlier music, the “Wishbone” album, and now this deluxe, shows a new angle of Conan and highlights a grown sense of maturity and precision with the lyrics he writes when putting pen to paper. He is truly able to create feelings of a sorrowful household where the relationship seems toxic to the point it was never fair; not a good feeling, and an even harder feeling to portray without clearly stating it. But Conan internalizes the phrase “Show don’t tell,” and crafts this solid track.
3. Sonic Standout - “Shoulda Never” by Kehlani feat. USHER (8.75/10)
Okayyy Kehlani—! Off her new Self-Titled Album following her massive success with her breakthrough single, “Folded,” Kehlani doesn’t hesitate with the reinforcement of her album with strong collaborations with many reputable artists in the game: Lil Wayne, Brandy, Missy Elliot, Big Sean, Cardi B, Leon Thomas, and USHER, as seen in this song, “Shoulda Never.” What makes this song a special melodic hype-you-up track is that it hits the right ratio of how much USHER-club-iconic soundscape and Kehlani-angelic instrumentals and R&B voice to let the audience indulge in. In other words, the song truly honors what makes each of the artists special and keeps the preservation of each artist’s identities, which can be a hard feat to accomplish at any musical level, so props to Kehlani, USHER, and her producers for being honorable and inspiring of each other, and making real art. In truth, my favorite song from the album (from what I had time to listen to) would have to be “You Got It”, but all the songs seem worthwhile, and the album should be on your to-listen-to-bucket list if you liked anything about “Folded”.
4. Personal Favorite – “I Saw Your Face” by Malcolm Todd (7.75/10)
Nice job, Mac! Hitting over 2 million streams within its first day of streaming (an impressive feat for an artist who is only now starting to see more massive debut results—formerly a ‘nicher’ artist about two to three years ago), “I Saw Your Face” is the rumored second single that will be part of Todd’s upcoming third studio album. As a big fan of Malcolm Todd, I’m happy to announce that the song meets expectations and is accompanied by a music video that truly attunes Malcolm’s audience to his sense of humor (for example, we can watch Malcolm sweating it out after pumping pink teddy-bear weights). What’s nice about “I Saw Your Face” is that it sounds distinctively like a Malcolm Todd song composed with a dreamy indie sound with heavy reliance on soft synths and bass that make you know that the song has the Sweet Boy’s signature on it. But it’s a clear representation of Malcolm’s preference for trying out new styles of production and lyricism, even within his niche “Steve Lacy Style” category of music. More whispers, spoken rap-medly lines, for example, hit your ears in the new version of Malcolm, but without the tarring of his pillow-like voice. With his recent successes for resurfaced songs “Earrings” (giving him his highest Billboard Hot 100 Ranking) and “Breathe,” it’s hard not to feel proud of his journey to stardom.
