First Listen Fridays – New Music To Know – 18th July 2025

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Ready for another round of First Listen Fridays? Every week, IndustryMe Editors and hard-core music fans Tom and Kloe agree on their top ten fresh releases. Whether it’s the melodic tones of BINA., club ready anthems by FKA twigs, or the exciting return of Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs – this week has plenty to unpack. Check out these incredible tunes below and thank us later.

Tom’s Picks

Jim Legxacy FT. Dave – 3x

From the highly anticipated ‘black british music (2025)‘, this is a collab that meets expectations. The acoustic production with the background-chipmunked vocals alongside Jim’s melancholic delivery sets things up perfectly. The inclusion of the kick drums and the bassy synths brings the energy, before a clean Dave verse. A nice combo from the new-gen and the previous gen, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the project.

BINA. – Tracy Beaker

Her first solo release since the fantastic ‘Chaos Is Her Name‘, this artist’s return is certainly welcome. The melodic and soulful beat really has that summer feeling, with BINA.’s equally soulful vocals hitting. The storytelling and those high notes on the chorus showcase this singer’s many talents. Great stuff, and if a new project is on the way, I certainly won’t be complaining.

Novelist – Everybody Cares

With diss track season here once again and the debate about which side of the Atlantic is better, this has been the standout so far. That erratic beat that has the 140 BPM energy needed, alongside Nov putting Joyner Lucas back in his place, makes for a good send. Proving the U.K.’s best qualities, this is the song to show why he is one of the best candidates for this task.

FKA twigs – Perfectly

It has not been long since ‘EUSEXUA‘ dropped, but twigs has some new club-ready material. The bouncy house beat, the warbly synths, and the deep notes on the keyboard create a gorgeous beat. On the vocal front, she is emphasising the end of each line and giving us an emotive performance. It gets even more vibey on the second half of the track, with the ending reaching a booming climax. This is another sad-girl-noughties-inspired dancefloor hit and I’m hoping we get more like this on a potential deluxe.

Nectar Woode –When The Rain Stops

My final pick comes from the new EP of this brilliant artist. Those vocals are shining over this mesmerising beat that just has you at ease and in a sense of fulfillment. The chorus is just terrific with the ad-libs, rising production, and sensational performance from Woode. A truly lovely cut from ‘it’s like I never left‘, the lyrics may be ‘bittersweet’, but what is going into my ears certainly is not.

Kloe’s Picks

The Alchemist and Freddie Gibbs – 1995

Earlier this year I prophesied that a new project from this dynamic duo was coming. Boy, am I glad I was right. In this highly anticipated follow up to their impressive ‘Alfredo‘ project, of which I recently celebrated in an IndustryMe anniversary piece, the pair offer up luscious sounds and bar heavy lyricism as expected. This is a sequel to their lead ‘Alfredo‘ single ‘1985‘. The full project drops later this month and I can’t wait.

Mae Muller – Hello Kitty

For that moment you want to let go on the dance-floor and make bad decisions – this is your anthem. I hear this track as a salute to the likes of Charli XCX and even with a certain Madonna quality, as Muller drops a dance-pop banger that feels self-destructive but so delicious.

JayO – Turning Me On

British-Nigerian singer-songwriter JayO has dropped an uplifting gem. The North London musician tells the timeless tale of being hypnotised by a beautiful woman in this chilled, feel good Afrobeats track. Yet another addition to JayO’s growing discography of hits, this is a welcome return for his many fans.

Leigh-Anne – Been A Minute

Leigh-Anne’s voice hypnotises me. Her seamless blend of pop and R&B is uniquely her own and this is evidenced in her new single ‘Been a Minute‘. With a strong Caribbean influence throughout, the former Little Mix star delivers an energetic, sultry single with high demands.

Sainté FT. Wiz Khalifa – DSM

To round off a real mixed bag of tunes this week, is this fresh track from Leicester rapper Sainté. His new EP ‘4L‘ just dropped, featuring essential listening in the form of a collab with Wiz Khalifa. This is a simple, melodic rap that is sure to chill you out and set the tone for a great weekend.

Follow IndustryMe on Instagram, Threads, X, or YouTube. Press play on our First Listen Fridays playlist below to enjoy all our top picks. Read last week’s picks here.

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