What’s Hot in Music November: New Albums, Local Concerts
A much anticipated drop from Lil Uzi Vert, a new era for Linkin Park, and dance-worthy shows from Tinashe and Latto
What’s Hot in Music This Month: New Albums, Local Concerts
A much anticipated drop from Lil Uzi Vert, a new era for Linkin Park, and dance-worthy shows from Tinashe and Latto
Welcome back, Terriers, to our monthly column, What’s Hot in Music This Month.
Last month was a chill one for music, with some mellow new album drops and relaxing local concerts. But this month, November, the lineup is looking quite different. From Lil Uzi Vert’s much-anticipated sequel to 2020’s Eternal Atake (which Lil Uzi Vert has been teasing for nearly two years) to Linkin Park’s momentous new album, featuring a brand-new vocalist, this month’s new albums see some of our favorite artists putting everything on the line. We’ve also got viral acts like Tinashe and Latto coming to Boston, in what promise to be energetic, dance-worthy performances. Plus, if you’re looking for a true hardcore mosh pit, don’t miss Machine Girl at Big Night Live.
New releases
Eternal Atake 2, Lil Uzi Vert
It’s hard to explain just how much hype surrounded the release of Lil Uzi Vert’s 2020 album, Eternal Atake. Fresh off a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 2018, and after years of delays and countless teasers, the record, when it finally dropped, blew expectations out of the water. The Philadelphia native, whose fans call them Uzi, has revolutionized trap music with unique punk influences, inspired by the likes of Marilyn Manson, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and the All-American Rejects. They are known for repeatedly one-upping themself and testing the limits of their niche emo rap sound with each subsequent record, so it’s fair to say the bar is high for Eternal Atake 2. With little but the tracklist available as of this writing, the new album is set to be a complete surprise when it drops on November 1.
Songs of a Lost World, The Cure
Formed in 1976, English rock band The Cure made its mark at the forefront of the UK’s new wave movement, an era when the country’s relatively niche punk culture erupted into mainstream rock, often referred to as post-punk. In the face of extensive personnel changes, the band’s success was, and still is, unprecedented, with 14 studio albums, 6 live albums, 2 remix albums, and 7 compilation albums making up their discography. The Cure’s upcoming eight-track album, Songs Of A Lost World, featuring prereleased singles “Alone” and “A Fragile Thing,” offers fans the same melancholy and despair that they have come to expect. As the adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Songs of a Lost World will be released on November 1.
From Zero, Linkin Park
The road to From Zero, alt rock mainstay Linkin Park’s upcoming eighth studio album, has undoubtedly been tragic. In 2017, the band lost its iconic lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, to suicide—a tragedy that led the band to take a hiatus until just last month, when they announced that Emily Armstrong, formerly of Dead Sara, will be their new vocalist. The decision was met with mixed reactions from fans—some found Armstrong’s addition disrespectful to Bennington’s legacy, others found it exciting, a change that would launch the act in a new direction. But with the prerelease of three singles off the band’s new album, From Zero, as well as an ongoing nine-date world tour, it seems Linkin Park is on a mission to prove their skeptics wrong. From Zero drops on November 15.
Petrichor, 070 Shake
Although she’s managed to keep her personal life relatively under the radar, 070 Shake has been making waves in hip-hop since she signed to Kanye West’s GOOD music label and subsequently appeared on two of his most popular tracks, “Ghost Town” and “Violent Crimes.” Despite being a notoriously private artist, 070 Shake appears with partner Lily Rose Depp (daughter of Hollywood icon Johnny Depp) in the music video for “Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues,” the first single off Petrichor, her first studio project since 2022. The song serves as something of a preamble to the rest of the album, a subversive play on the classic holiday jingle, with 070 Shake’s playful lyricism and mesmerizing voice on full display. Listen to Petrichor when it drops November 15.
Mahashmashana, Father John Misty
You may remember Father John Misty from his 2016 single “Real Love Baby,” a track that made the already popular folk rock artist a mainstream name, worthy of a collaboration with none other than Lana Del Rey on last year’s hit “Let the Light in.” “Real Love Baby,” most likely a tribute to FJM’s longtime muse and wife, Emma Elizabeth Garr, is blissfully introspective, enveloping listeners in a warm hug with its lyrics: “I’m in love, I’m alive/I belong to the stars and sky/Let’s forget who we are for one night.” FJM brings that same lyrical prowess to his sixth album, Mahashmashana, an eight-track record that is decidedly rock-influenced. The album’s first single, “She Cleans Up,” is an exciting preview for what could be the peak of FJM’s career, filled with guitar riffs and growly vocals. Mahashmashana drops on November 22.
Upcoming concerts
Machine Girl
If you’ve listened to music from Machine Girl before, you know their sound can be a bit hard to describe. The digital hardcore duo became a partnership in 2015 when founder Matt Stephenson recruited percussionist Sean Kelly. Machine Girl’s style is best described by Pitchfork: “relentlessly smashing together bits of punk, grindcore, rave, industrial, and more.” Machine Girl’s latest album, MG Ultra, released in late October under a new label, is more sophisticated than the duo’s previous five albums, with a more polished and refined sound. For an unforgettable concert experience, check out Machine Girl on November 2 at Big Night Live.
Leon Bridges
It didn’t take long for R&B/soul artist Leon Bridges to cement himself as a pioneer of a new wave of soul music. The Texas native released his debut album, Coming Home, in 2015, which subsequently peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album. On his latest album, Leon, the artist pays tribute to his hometown of Fort Worth, Tex., in a nostalgic, genre-bending array of 13 unique tracks, opening with one of his most vulnerable singles to date, “When a Man Cries.” If you’re looking for an emotional, captivating performer, don’t miss Leon Bridges when he takes the stage at Roadrunner November 3 and 4.
Latto
Latto broke into the rap scene in 2016, after winning the first season of the TV reality show The Rap Game, where fellow rap newcomers J.I the Prince of N.Y and Flau’Jae later got their start. Latto’s newest album, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, is playfully personal and filled with A-list singer-songwriters like Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, and Ciara. With her intentional flow and catchy pop-inspired choruses, Latto makes it clear that this record is intentional—each song multidimensional in its own right, while contributing to a cohesive hip-hop record. Catch Latto perform her newest album at MGM Music Hall November 4.
Tinashe
In August 2024, we wrote about Tinashe’s seventh studio album, Quantum Baby, a sexy new record from a star who’s been around the block quite a few times, but just this year has finally broken into the limelight. Now, the former child star is on tour and set to bring her Match My Freak World Tour to the MGM stage on November 6. Fans can expect Tinashe to perform viral hits off Quantum Baby, like “No Broke Boys” and “Nasty,” as she takes over the stage with a troupe of sultry dancers.
Coco & Clair Clair
Clair Clair (Claire Marie Toothill) met Coco (Taylor Rose Nave) in true Gen-Z fashion: online. Shortly thereafter, they bonded at a house party over their shared love of Drake’s hit “Marvin’s Room.” The pop duo, formed in 2013, has since found their niche in hip-hop-inspired lofi beats, influenced by the rap scene in their hometown of Atlanta. Released this August, their second studio album, Girl, comprises nine tracks, described by Apple Music as “highly literate pop for the modern era.” Check out Coco & Clair Clair right here on Comm Ave when they headline the Paradise Rock Club November 6.
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