New Music Friday – May 16, 2025

May 16, 2025 Ben Pagani

This New Music Friday is exciting. Read on to view a complete list of top singles, EPs and albums out now. First–it’s time to discuss one of the most exciting returns music has seen this year.

The Best of New Music Friday:

Wolf Alice – “Bloom Baby Bloom”

Wolf Alice is back. This week, the mega popular English rock band shared the new track “Bloom Baby Bloom.” It’s the first time the group’s been heard from since 2022, and the song serves as the lead single for the group’s fourth studio album The Clearing, which will arrive on August 29. Wolf Alice’s most recent record Blue Weekend was released in 2021. It was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize for Best Album by a British or Irish band, the same award they won for their 2017 record Visions Of A Life. There are great expectations for Wolf Alice–and their latest single proves they’re fine with meeting such standards.

“Bloom Baby Bloom” thematically keeps up with recent English rock trends, leaning on poppy pianos to carry the track along (see: Arctic Monkeys, Black Country, New Road and The Last Dinner Party). What separates this track from the rest of the pack is singer Ellie Rowsell’s unreal vocal performance. She shows off her range throughout this song. She has an opera-like voice on the verses, and often gasps to catch her breath, leaving a wave of authenticity on this well produced song. Then Rowsell sings the choruses so gently, but not without some awesome “OW’s!” and “WOO’s!” thrown in. By the second chorus, she’s basically shrieking in a beautiful way before really getting soft for the bridge. Her voice is always high-pitched, even while whispering, cementing “Bloom Baby Bloom” as a unique chart topping song.

Instrumentally, piano’s aren’t the only hook. A four-on-the-floor drum beat, plus some sweet guitar licks even things out. This is a very complete song, and while it has clear influences, it’s very much its own thing. It’s like Wolf Alice took what other acts have done and made it their own. Along the way, they created a whole new kind of anthem.

It’s innovation and talent that have fans gripping to this group’s every move. Wolf Alice are a one-of-a-kind band. Thank god they’re back–and it appears there’s plenty more to come.

New Music Friday Top Picks:

Aminé – 13 Months of Sunshine [10K Projects]

Ava Maybee – Orange Drive EP [VERSION III]

Erin Durant – Firetrail [Ruination]

Farmer’s Wife – Faint Illusions EP [Self-released]

Lido Pimienta – La Belleza [Anti-]

Pelican – Flickering Resonance [Run for Cover]

Rico Nasty – Lethal [Fueled by Ramen]

Spill Tab – Angie [Because Music]

Triathalon – Funeral Music [Lex]

Tchotchke – “Did you Hear?” [Self-released]

Tune-Yards – Better Dreaming [4AD]

Which of these tracks from New Music Friday will you add to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram!

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Ben Pagani

Music Projects Manager at Beyond The Stage Magazine

Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS' Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as 'DJ Wearing Sunglasses' in clubs and basements across the US.