First Listen Fridays – New Music to Know – 22nd August 2025

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Welcome to ‘First Listen Fridays‘, your weekly instalment of the freshest sounds of the week. This Friday, IndustryMe Editors Tom and Kloe have some new music for you to check out before they hit the mainstream. From Florence + The Machine to Jon Batiste to Teyana Taylor – what’s not to love? Dive head first into these new releases and stay ahead of the curve with some playlist enriching tunes for your weekend listening.

Tom’s Picks

Florence + The Machine – Everybody Scream

With album no. 6 on the way, we finally have the first piece of new music from this band in three years. While it’s lead has given her vocals to tracks like the new song from Everything Is Recorded, this reminds you of what made this group so special. The production starts off very whimsical before the drums and guitars kick in alongside screaming noises. Mark Bowen of IDLES‘ contributions give this a very punky edge, alongside James Ford and Aaron Dessner. The vocals are delivered full of passion and providing a showcase of Welch’s top-notch singing. This is a great first taste of the new record, and I can’t wait to hear more.

Teyana Taylor FT. Lucky Daye – Hard Part

After five long years, fans can rejoice at the release of ‘Escape Room‘ from Teyana Taylor. While the 47 minute long record will be dived into with haste, this song will peak fans interest. That piano-backed production with that gorgeous electric guitar is to die for, setting the scene nicely. Taylor’s vocals then come in sounding smooth as she details how this person letting her down has made her feel. As usual, Lucky Daye’s contribution is top-of-the-range and they harmonise excellently on the chorus. We love when two R’n’B stars come together and make music of this quality.

Yazmin Lacey – Teal Dreams

Having earned more attention off her incredible feature on Ezra Collective’s ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing‘, Lacey is preparing for her sophomore record. The title track has a punchy production that uses guitar and drums to craft a beat to have you swaying. On the vocal front, Yazmin Lacey brings feeling and confidence, with her words showcasing the same. This is a great piece of soul that will have fans old and new alike desperate for the end of October.

Carly Rae Jepsen – More

As we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of a pop classic, Carly Rae Jepsen drops some new material from the ‘Emotion‘ era. The disco-esque production from Cj Baran and Arthur Besna gives the track rhythm. Carly sounds great over this beat, giving a fun and catchy performance as she details how there could have been something with this person ‘In another life’. The track’s title is what we are wanting after hearing this and that is what fans will be getting very soon.

Joey Bada$$ – DARK AURA

It has been a busy year for Joey, including his back and forths with Ray Vaughn and Daylyt. This mafioso-sounding instrumental fits his delivery very well, as he brings a bit of braggadocio to the table. This sees the rapper making a proper-New York jam, while reflecting on recent times. Bringing plenty of emotion on the second half, this feels like the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new.

Kloe’s Picks

Ady Suleiman – Miracle

Nottingham-raised, British-Zanzibarian singer Ady Suleiman is severely underrated. Today, he returns from a break from music with a single focusing on finding ‘The light at the end of the tunnel’ after dealing with mental health battles. After stepping away from music to travel and uncover his Swahili ancestry, Ady is back and and in a better mindset than ever. This uplifting tune is full of unfiltered honesty and relatability and has a relentless feel good spirit throughout.

keiyaA – Stupid Prizes

keiyaA is Swiss army knife of musical talent – in short, she can do it all. This Chicago-born artist is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, and today she returns with an emotionally intense single that gives me goosebumps. Harmonising over lush, romantic sounds, this artist pours a lot of emotion into a track that explores her experience as a marginalised person in America. Much of her music is focused on liberation, the Black experience, and the complexities of living in such a turbulent time in the world. I truly can’t wait to hear her sophomore album which is set to drop later this year.

Buy the track here.

Jacklyn – Don’t Be A *ick

Looking for something refreshing and fun this weekend? Look no further than West London’s newest rising pop star, Jacklyn. She returns with a very simple message: ‘Don’t Be A *ick‘. Relatable to anyone who has had to deal with an ego-maniac in a relationship, the singer humbles a few big-headed boys on this one. Having previously penned hits for some of the industry’s finest stars including Jorja Smith and Majestic, this girl is now thriving on her own merit. We can’t wait to hear more from this hitmaker.

Jon Batiste FT. Andra Day – LEAN ON MY LOVE

I couldn’t let you go into the weekend without some smooth soul. Over a swelling organ, heart warming drum groove, and vocals to die for – this is the ultimate duet. “You can lean on my love when there’s no one to hold you,” these musical masters sing to one another. The chemistry between John and Andra is electric and the perfect opener to his new album ‘BIG MONEY‘ which dropped today.

Luvcat – Blushing

A few weeks ago I became obsessed with a song called ‘Vicious Delicious‘, the title track from Luvcat’s upcoming debut project. Now, I’m obsessed with the latest single. Her cool-girl vibe and mysterious allure has won me over hook, line, and sinker. Her brand new track ‘Blushing‘ explores the beauty and chaos of flirting and wanting a man all to herself. This is a teen crush anthem that feels good from the moment you press play.

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. Don’t forget to follow the playlist on Spotify below or Apple Music.

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