The 7 new albums you should stream right now

Here’s a surprise: the fourth album from Abel Tesfaye isn’t the nihilistic black hole you thought it’d be. I love evil dissociative Abel as much as anyone, but it’s strangely affecting to hear After Hours’ lucid tales of brokenheartedness and dying love. Featuring collaborations with Oneohtrix Point Never and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, After Hours touches on pleading balladry (“Scared To Live”), funky late-night confessionals (“In Your Eyes”, which features a goddamn sax solo), and, of course, a little bit of bloodiness in the form of the album’s stunning, six-minute title track. Age has softened the king of fatalist pop and, against all odds, the new look suits him quite well. — Shaad D'Souza

Stream: Spotify | Apple Music

You can gather everything you need to know about the mood of J Balvin’s new album Colores from its jaw-droppingly bright, Takashi Murakami-designed cover art: spanning 10 songs and 28 minutes, the latest record from the urbano superstar is an avalanche of screwball pop and dangerously potent low-end. Hewing closer to last year’s Bad Bunny collab album Oasis than his 2018 solo triumph Vibras, Colores is a perfect weekend pick-me-up. — SD

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It’s a given that any country star with a little bit of pop potential and a youthful fanbase will, at some point, attempt to make a crossover into the world of Top 40. Today, it’s Grammy nominee Kelsea Ballerini’s turn. Her third album kelsea is an often quite convincing synthesis of the lighter end of radio pop and earnest country balladry; on a song like “club,” which screams early Taylor, or the Halsey collab “the other girl,” I can genuinely envision a world in which Ballerini is a Top 40 staple. There’s something a little old fashioned about it, sure, but if you’ve been yearning for something comforting and entirely earnest, this is your ticket. — SD

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The debut solo album from prolific Sydney musician Nick Griffith is an endearingly strange trip. Exploring the most abject corners of post-punk and 80s-inspired pop, 7am recalls Tom Tom Club and Orange Juice both in its sound and in its earnest, beautifully romantic lyricism. Angular synths and speeding drum machines clash as Griffith waxes lyrical about life’s giddiest feelings. It’s a bold, warm-hearted debut. — SD

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Detroit's supreme shit-talker Sada Baby is one of the most prolific rappers around. Skuba Sada 2 is his second project of the year (after January's Brolik) and rounds up the loosies he has shared on YouTube this year. The set includes King Von collaboration "Pressin" and "Aktivated," a turn-up song written in response to the passing of a close friend. Sada Baby has said that this project is a clearing of the decks before his debut album proper drops later in the year. Now is the perfect time to jump aboard the Sada Baby train. — David Renshaw

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British singer-songwriter Låpsley returns with her second album four years after releasing debut Long Way Home on XL Recordings in 2016. That album saw her pick up many comparisons to label mate Adele, but Through Water suggests Låpsley favors a colder, more sparse approach to her writing. It's a mood that suits her and brings together an album that filters human emotions through elements of the natural world. Singles "Womxn" and "My Love Was Like the Rain" are immediate stand outs, while "Ligne 3" employs pitch-shifting production techniques to establish a duet-like song using just one voice. — DR

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U.K. rap duo Young T & Bugsey deliver their vibey debut project today. The mixtape includes singles "Strike A Pose" and "Don't Rush," both hits in their home country, as well as collaborations with U.K. rappers Fredo, Headie One, and Aitch. Production on the tape includes work from Jae5, J Hus's go-to producer. — DR

Stream: Spotify | Apple Music