The week’s top albums feature selections from Yebba, María Isabel, Jazz Cartier, Baby Keem, and more.

This week was another insane one in the music space, but thankfully we did all of the digging for you ahead of New Music Friday. Our editor-approved selections fresh off of our long, well-deserved Labor Day weekend should carry you through the next few weeks. 

It’d be criminal if we didn’t start this list off by mentioning Aaliyah’s self-titled album finally hitting streamers (it dropped at midnight). We’re sure stans are looking forward to having this release on their phones for the first time ever. Also leading this week’s roll-outs is Yebba’s debut album Dawn, this drop is pivotal to the neo-soul canon, emotionally driven, and sonically it’s one of the best projects you will hear this year (we received it in advance). 

For the R&B lovers, we recommend María Isabel’s I Hope You’re Very Unhappy Without Me. It’s a project that thoroughly introduces the rising California-based singer. Eric Bellinger also unleashes a new album New Light with features from Brandy and Sevyn Streeter. 

Additional options worth giving a spin include Common’s A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2, Jazz Cartier’s The Fleur Print (the production on this release is nuts). AZ’s comeback album Doe or Die II, Paul Wall’s Hall of Fame Hustler, and then there’s Twista’s Shooter Ready. 

Beyond the few call-outs we shared above, the list is also stacked with releases from Tony Seltzer, Yeat, Spencer., Aurora Anthony, and Tommy Genesis. 

Aaliyah — Aaliyah

Yebba — Dawn

Common — A Beautiful Revolution (Pt 2)

AZ — Doe or Die II

Baby Keem — The Melodic Blue

María Isabel — I Hope You’re Very Unhappy Without Me

Jazz Cartier — The Fleur Print

Tony Seltzer — Hey Tony

Yeat – Up 2 Më

Spencer. —  Are U Down?

Aurora Anthony — TUNDE

Tommy Genesis - goldilocks x

Alana Maria — LALA

Kevin George — Everybody’s in My Ear

Paul Wall — Hall of Fame Hustler

Twista — Shooter Ready

Eric Bellinger — New Light

Armani White — Things We Lost In The Fire