New Music Friday: The best releases out on June 23

The rapper and singer Coi Leray drops her sophomore full-length COI this week, a genre-hopping, sample-heavy adrenaline rush packed with hooks and swagger. We hear from a number of cuts from the record to open this week’s show, from the bluesy riff rock of “Black Rose” to sweet R&B, ’80s-flavored synth pop, Afro-fusion and more. The album leads us to a discussion of the recent trend of songs built on highly familiar samples. Do the benefits of immediate recognition outweigh the feeling that something is just a little too on-the-nose? Or are these new songs simply excavating pop music history for new audiences?

This week’s show also features the first new studio album from the Queen of New Orleans bounce, Big Freedia, in nearly a decade; a beautiful debut from singer Tommy Prine, son of the late and legendary folk artist John Prine; a divorce album from Kelly Clarkson; a posthumous collection of Arthur Russell performances and more. NPR Music’s Ann Powers joins WXPN‘s John Morrison, contributor LaTesha Harris and host Robin Hilton as they share their picks for the best albums out on June 23.

Featured Albums:

1. Coi Leray — COI
   Featured Songs: “Black Rose,” “Bops,” “Bitch Girl,” “My Body”
2. Big Freedia — Central City
   Featured Songs: “$100 Bill (feat. Ciara),” “Central City Freestyle,” “Bigfoot,” “Big Time”
3. Tommy Prine — This Far South
   Featured Songs: “Crashing Again,” “By the Way,” “Some Things”
4. Kelly Clarkson — Chemistry
   Featured Songs: “favorite kind of high,” “my mistake,” “skip this part”
5. Arthur Russell — Picture of Bunny Rabbit
   Featured Songs: “The Boy With a Smile,” “Picture of Bunny Rabbit”

Lightning Round:

• Bishop Briggs — When Everything Went Dark
• Lloyd Cole — On Pain
• Portugal. The Man — Chris Black Changed My Life
• Sleep Sinatra — Incorruptible Saints (feat. Televangel)

Other notable releases for June 23:

• Amanda Shires, Bobbie Nelson — Loving You
• Eliza Gilkyson — Home
• Jason Mraz — Mystical Magical Rhythmical Ride
• Kim Petras — Feed The Beast
• Lunice — OPEN
• M. Ward — Supernatural Thing
• Peso Pluma — Genesis
• Wallice — Mr. Big Shot
• The Watson Twins — Holler
• Wye Oak — Every Day Like the Last

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