Every week, my robots scour the biggest nine New Music Friday playlists in the world to see whose getting backed hard by the big green machine. This week:
🏆 The Champ: Lana Del Ray
Lana Del Rey and her 19m Spotify followers made “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” the biggest artist to bag spots on all nine of the top markets’ New Music Fridays this week, one of only two artists with seven-figure followings to do so (alongside Martin Garrix).
🚀 The Challenger: Caroline Polachek
Caroline Polachek’s arty pop, in the form of “Welcome To My Island“, also hit the tripwires for the big nine NMFs this week, seeing this thoughtful banger make it further down the track than some far larger artists. Anyone who rates Paddy McAloon off of Prefab Sprout as their favourite lyricist is clearly someone to be respected, so it’s only right and proper this track gets the backing it deserves.
🥊 Punching Above: Cloudy June
Cloudy June’s pivot from death metal singer (no, really) to queer pop star has already garnered a ton of support from far beyond her Berlin home, and this week her latest, “Devil Is A Woman“, racked up six out of the top nine New Music Fridays, including the global version and on local lists as widely spread out as the UK, Japan, and Australia.
🧛♂️ New Blood: HoneyLuv
HoneyLuv’s took another break from spinning house and techno as a DJ (skills learned while enlisted as a US Navy drone operator FYI) to release “Sway“. Its insistent, hyperactive pace propelled her onto four of the big NMF lists this week, notable support that should broaden her growing following a good notch or two.
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📸 HoneyLuv by @nikicram