New Music Releases

Sorry the 2nd post is later this week; I didn't manage to get it finished yesterday. :) 

It's been a while since I've written a New Music Releases post. I wrote my annual New Year music posts at the beginning of the year the last one was in July 2025! So now as we're shifting into a new season, here's some new music for the coming autumn (or spring, depending on your location)!

 

JENNIE- Less than a Lover

Korean singer and rapper JENNIE  (member of popular K-pop girl group BLACKPINK) is releasing more solo music. Last month she released Less than a Lover, the lead single from her debut digital EP Fallen Angel. The EP follows JENNIE's debut studio album Ruby, which came out in March last year. :)

Fallen Angel was released on Friday (28th August). It consists of 3 tracks- title track FALLEN ANGEL, HEAVEN and Less Than a Lover and is described as coming "from a very personal place with the truest self-expression" and as a gift from JENNIE  to her fans. The title track was released alongside the EP.

Less than a Lover is JENNIE's first solo single since last year (apart from the singles from Ruby, her most recent one was the remix of Dracula with project group Tame Impala, released last September). BLACKPINK made a comeback earlier this year, so the members had been concentrating on group music.

Released on 24th July, Less than a Lover is an alternative pop song. It was co-written by JENNIE and several others, including Norwegian DJ and music producer Cashmere Cat (who has worked with artists such as Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, The Weeknd and The Kid LAROI) and German singer and songwriter Bibi Bourelly.

The music video was filmed along the coast of Spain during a summer heatwave (as in the UK, mainland Europe had a record breaking summer but the temperatures got higher than here). 

The video is a film by JENNIE and as she explains at the beginning of the video, it's about a girl who wants to avoid love and responsibilities but despite being confused, knows what she wants- just to enjoy summer. It's a good video to watch as we come to the end of summer! 

 

There's also a performance version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-aHli06wc0

Watch the video for the new single FALLEN ANGEL here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s466YCiHfKw

And visit this link stream/buy the Fallen Angel EP: https://jennie.lnk.to/FallenAngel

 

Mariah Carey feat. Rochelle Jordan- Didn't Mean To Turn You On (Rochelle Jordan Remix)

My favourite singer Mariah Carey is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her 8th studio album Glitter. It was released in August 2001 and was also the soundtrack of the film of the same name (released a month later). The lead single was Loverboy, which came out in June 2001 (the release of which was involved in controversy, due to the sample used).

Glitter didn't do well at the time and hasn’t been seen as a very good film. I saw it years ago and didn't think it was that bad! The album wasn’t very successful either but I liked it and still do. My favourite song is If We featuring the late Nate Dogg and Ja Rule (No. 8 in my Top 10 Mariah Carey Songs post!). 

Mariah also had a difficult time in general then, going through a breakdown and checked into hospital that summer. She was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, which she only felt ready to speak about publicly several years later.

However, in recent years, attitudes to both have changed. In November 2018 (in the lead up to the release of Mariah's 15th album Caution), there was even a fan campaign called #JusticeForGlitter which led to the album reaching No.1 on the iTunes charts in the US and some other places! If you haven't seen or heard Glitter, keep an open mind! :)

Now MC is reissuing the Glitter soundtrack to to mark the anniversary.  It will be released on vinyl for the first time in October and a digital edition with unreleased recordings is also set for release. This the latest album anniversary that Mariah has celebrating in recent years, coming after the 25th anniversary of Butterfly in 2022, the 20th anniversary of The Emancipation of Mimi last year and the recent 30th anniversary of Daydream.

The original Didn't Mean To Turn You On was a cover of the 1984 single by American singer Cherrelle (title I Didn't Mean To Turn You On). It was also covered by British singer Robert Palmer in 1986. Mariah's version was produced by the original producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and she sang over the original instrumental.

The first song from the Glitter reissue to be revealed is a remix of Didn't Mean You To Turn You On. It features British Jamaican/Canadian singer Rochelle Jordan, who was born in the UK but has spent the majority of her life in Canada. The remix was produced by KLSH who has often worked with Rochelle and sees the original song changed from an 80s synth track into a 90s R'n'B one.

The Didn't Mean To Turn You On remix came out on 20th August. This is the official lyric video. 

 

 

Listen to the original Didn't Mean To Turn You On audio here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSVAlEcJDw&list=RDvTSVAlEcJDw&start_radio=1

And visit this link to pre save/pre add the 25th anniversary edition of Glitter: https://mariahcarey.lnk.to/Glitter25th

The Kid LAROI- SLEEP

And finally, Australian singer and rapper The Kid LAROI just released a new single. It's called SLEEP and came out on 28th August.

In January, LAROI released his 2nd studio album BEFORE I FORGET, with a deluxe edition following in April. He brought out several singles from the album, with the most recent being PIECES (released on the same day as the deluxe edition).

LAROI had originally planned for his 2nd album to be called WATCH THIS! and then LOVE LIKE MINE, and recorded songs for it, several of which were released as singles (see my New Music for 2026 post for more about it). However, he ultimately decided to scrap the album and recorded a new one, which became BEFORE I FORGET (largely inspired  by his break-up with girlfriend Canadian singer Tate McRae last summer). 

In an Instagram post, LAROI said that while he felt that LOVE LIKE MINE/WATCH THIS wasn't clicking for him, there are a couple of songs that he loves. One of those is SLEEP and so he decided to release it as a single. It's a chilled out R'n'B/pop song with a reflective, slightly melancholy vibe.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the post! :) I know it's only 3 songs this time but I'll keep a eye out for more new releases to feature. :) What new music have you been listening to lately?