#Repost Billboard x Spotify: Ed Sheeran, Lorde, Coldplay, Khalid & Gryffin Are Spotify Editors' Picks for New Music Friday

Every week, Spotify updates their "New Music Friday" playlist, featuring 50 of the freshest new tracks hitting the service that week.

On the heels of Billboard's partnership with the streaming giant, we'll be tapping Spotify's editors to sift through the soon-to-be-hits and highlight the best of the bunch.

Check out the picks and listen to the entire "New Music Friday" playlist below.

Ed Sheeran - Divide (album) - "Dive," "What Do I Know," "Hearts Don't Break Around Here Anymore"

After tiding fans over with singles such as "Castle on the Hill," "Shape of You" and "How Would You Feel (Paean)" Ed Sheeran has finally released his highly anticipated third studio album, Divide. With roughly an hour of new material to digest, the beloved English singer-songwriter shows us the several different sides that make up him and his artistry, both in the sense of his musical direction and in his storytelling lyrics alike. With tracks like "Dive" detailing his hesitancies to open up his heart to someone for the first time contrasting with tracks like “Perfect,” a tear-jerking ballad likely dedicated to his girlfriend, he soundtracks various milestones as he himself directly experiences them, adding to the 26-year-old's undeniable charm. After taking a self-imposed sabbatical away from social media and releasing music, Divide humbly proves that the personal decision to take a hiatus worked in his favor, resulting in some of his best work to date. With radio-friendly pop singles such as "Shape of You" balanced with intimate acoustic tunes such as "Hearts Don't Break Around Here," Sheeran covers a lot of ground on this project, with each song highlighting a wide variety of moods, impeccable instrumentation and smart risk-taking. With the album creating an array of powerful and impassioned moments, Ed Sheeran’s Divide is poised to be one of his most celebrated releases to date. Despite what he sings on "What Do I Know," he's much more than "just a boy with a one-man show."

Lorde - "Green Light"

At the age of 16, Ella Yelich-O'Connor, an artist more commonly known as Lorde, had her dreams start coming true to fruition at an unpredictably rapid pace when her debut single, "Royals," went on to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest solo artist to climb to the top of the chart since 1987. As she garnered impressive international success and arguably became a household name five years before she can even legally drink alcohol in the United States, the New Zealand-born singer has handled her time maturing in the spotlight exceptionally well. Now that she's 20, all eyes are on her ability to come into her own through her artistry. With the release of the lead single from her forthcoming sophomore album, Melodrama, she continues to build a sound argument that she is a prolific songwriter in the making. Her debut album, Pure Heroine, helped spark a movement of dark pop, going on to influence artists such as Tove Lo, Alessia Cara and The Weeknd, and now that she's readying her follow-up studio album, she's taking her signature sound to new heights. With "Green Light," Lorde opens the track with her distinctive voice leading the way over a looming melody, with the song going on to invite all sorts of drama as it progresses. When it comes to composition, Lorde is consistently masterful in her abilities to orchestrate multidimensional and theatric art, creating a song that is as intriguing as it is complex and one that interestingly and subtly appears to evolve with each listen. Enlisting a backing chorus to help plump her vocals before the song's euphoric nature goes on to erupt into infectious chanting, "Green Light" is another solid offering for Lorde, jam packed with nuanced emotions, such as vulnerability, heartache, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. In her own words, Lorde shares that the single is "the first chapter of a story I'm gonna tell you, the story of the last 2 wild, fluorescent years of my life. This is where we begin."

Khalid - "American Teen"

Back in January, Khalid, a rising 19-year-old recording artist, declared March 3rd a day that will change his life forever, and now that this fated day has now arrived, it's clear just how point-on his manifested prediction was. Today releasing his debut album, American Teen, the soul singer has been building up to this moment for years, an impressive feat considering he's a recent high school graduate. His lyrics directly reflect his personal story, as he croons, "I've been waiting all year / To get the hell up out of here / And throw away my fears." Throughout the ambitious 15-track collection, the El Paso native details a glorious assortment of relatable themes such as rising above the life he knew in his hometown, not wanting to fall in love based solely off of social media's illusions and not letting all-too-familiar teenage angst bring him down. With eyes on his future, Khalid takes listeners along for his ride towards self-discovery. From stealing the attention of Kylie Jenner, who infamously recorded herself lip-synching along to his loose single "Location" last summer, to signing to RCA, his come-up has been an exciting journey to cheer on from the sidelines. As we get to know him better through his music, with American Teen marking his first official collection of tracks that weren't released as singles, it's clear that, much like his bright-eyed lyricism suggests, the best is yet to come.

Coldplay - "Hypnotised"

Less than one week after collaborating with the likes of the Chainsmokers, Coldplay has returned with yet another new offering, further proving that the veteran rock group still has a ton of significant music left in them to create. Pairing their new single, "Hypnotised," a whimsical anthem with an appropriately fitting title, with the confirmation regarding their forthcoming 5-track EP being released this summer, Coldplay's latest news ended up doubling as a perfect birthday celebration for frontman Chris Martin's 40th lap around the sun. Much like other singles found in Coldplay's vast, celebrated catalog, "Hypnotised" brilliantly combines that dreary, rainy day type of a feeling with curious optimism as it unfolds, a trademark quality Coldplay has been honing for years in its aesthetic, such as found within 2011's "Paradise." Expertly creating the contrast between light and dark, Coldplay finds success lyrically detailing these familiar parallels, while the melody majestically weaves in and out of those conflicting themes. With lyrics such as "Been rusting in the rubble, running to a faint/Need a brand new coat of paint," helping to add some scenery to the track's melancholy, pensive nature, Coldplay's minimalist narrative is then further strengthened by an exciting accompanying visual film by Mary Wigmore. As the track transforms from a soothing lullaby to a mysteriously uplifting anthem, the thoughtfulness and tact behind this effort is one that listeners can't help but find themselves in awe of. Well done, Coldplay, well done.

Gryffin x Daya x Illenium - "Feel Good"

After emerging in the electronic music scene as a trailblazer to absolutely keep on your radar and playlists alike, Gryffin continues to solidify himself as one of the most impactful dance music producers, remixers and DJs in recent memory. With each conscious and tactfully crafted release, Gryffin wins over new audiences and as exemplified by his latest single, "Feel Good," his talents are further enhanced whenever he collaborates. For "Feel Good," he wisely links up with fellow producer and remixer Illenium, as well as enlists the vocal talents of singer-songwriter Daya, and together the three musicians play off of each other's respective areas of expertise. With Daya fresh off of winning a Grammy for her involvement on the Chainsmoker's multi-platinum track "Don't Let Me Down," her vocals find a happy home over the production of Gryffin and Illenium, as the song balances a big-room cinematic feel with soulful, intimate details. Musically, Gryffin's background as a guitarist and classically trained pianist is exemplified in the fringes of the song's foundation, crafting a swirling, hypnotic soundscape that builds expertly alongside Daya's stunning voice. With the song traveling through peaks and valleys, Gryffin utilizes different synths from the unknown depths of his toolbox, creating a song that is able to have moments of intensity without steering too far from the over "Feel Good" vibe the title suggests.

#Repost BET.com: Stormzy’s Empowering Debut ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’ Is a Grime Epic for the Ages

Originally published here via BET.com.

When tracing the timeline, stacking receipts and evaluating his raw talent, it's undeniable that U.K. rapper Stormzy was destined to become an heir to the throne of grime, a genre of music emerging out of East London in the early aughts, influenced by various sounds and styles found in U.K. electronic music, Jamaican dancehall and traditional hip-hop alike. That time for Stormzy to step up has now officially arrived on his terms and his terms only.

Although the 23-year-old's earliest rhymes can be curiously traced back to when he was of a single-digit age, something happened following his 10th birthday that shook the culture of grime music forever and not just in his native England. With the release of Dizzee Rascal's album Boy in da Corner, a 15-track opus that received universal acclaim, the power behind the U.K.-bred genre finally garnered mainstream exposure overseas and elevated Dizzee's career to unprecedented heights as he went on to become the U.K.'s first internationally recognized emcee. Watching the heroes of his beloved homegrown genre rise to international acclaim for the first time was the definition of inspiration, something that Stormzy, born Michael Omari, allowed himself to be captivated by from the start, diving in headfirst and making sense of it later.

Grime music, much like any musically driven culture born out of the underground, has gone through phases of evolution over the years, all while staying true to the defining sounds found at its core. With the scene's veteran leaders, such as Skepta, Wiley and Kano, continuing to reign supreme, each releasing milestone albums in the past year, the time has come for the spotlight to shine on the next generation. Though a seemingly daunting torch, Stormzy has now extended a wise-but-eager hand to grasp hold of it. As signified by the Last Supper-inspired cover art of his highly anticipated debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, Stormzy not only accepts his role as the new leader of the lively, studio-hungry pack, but he knew this day would come.

Stormzy has been consciously and carefully setting up the pieces for his arrival since putting out YouTube videos in 2011, allowing his "Wicked Skengman" freestyles to chart independently, along with his previous biggest single to date "Shut Up," which also appears on Gang Signs & Prayer. It isn't a coincidence that his debut album received a worthy co-sign from the likes of Adele. He's put in that work, turning the dial up for the past 18 months and perfecting every detail of his glorious come-up. Although Gang Signs & Prayer is technically his first album, it certainly doesn't feel that way. The towering 6-foot-5 rapper revealed himself in bits and pieces over the years and his self-awareness only strengthens his project, giving him plenty of room to surprise everyone and dive as deep as he sees fit.

While the biggest front-running single from the project, "Big for Your Boots," has an infectious big-room quality that demands it be played on repeat, it is not representative of the album as a whole. With the ferocious battle cry of a track doubling as the very tune his diehard grime-eyed fans wanted him to make along with "Cold," "Shut Up" and "Bad Boys," he utilizes the remaining minutes of the project to flex his creativity, expose pieces of his soul and epically remind everyone that he was the chosen one. The album includes a snippet of a phone call from legendary grime emcee Crazy Titch referring to him as “#TheProblem” and charmingly singing his praises for a full two minutes. In turn, the project's collection of sixteen tracks is beautifully balanced, creating sixteen sound arguments that Stormzy is a legend in the making and this is merely the first chapter.

The project's first tune, a fitting introduction produced by Mura Masa, is a brilliant way to kick things off, with Stormzy spitting, "Like, alright, first things first, I've been putting in the work / I'm a rebel with a cause (with a cause)." Throughout the track, he details an autobiographical retelling of his challenges, including canceling his tours to the delight of his haters, finding God and battling his inner demons, with the line, "You was fighting with your girl when I was fighting my depression.” He weaves in his hero Adele for the first time, admits he wasn't yet ready for the spotlight and goes on to divulge that before he could "shine bright" he had to take some time to get his mind right. This is exactly the type of tune that will universally win over audiences for the first time, laying the foundation and introducing the clear street-meets-spiritual theme, "Before we said our prayers, there was gang signs."

Stormzy's unapologetic perspective and personality remain a consistent and massive ingredient aiding in his musical successes, helping make Gang Signs & Prayer so accomplished. His trials become triumphs and he lays it all out in the music with wit and intense passion, with his rough-around-the-edges nature smoothed out by the fact that he not only can sing himself, but expertly knows when to enlist the likes of someone like Kehlani to add her magic into the mix. With their collaboration "Cigarettes & Cush," Stormzy reveals his romantic side, but doesn't sacrifice any of his realness along the way. His chemistry with Kehlani marks one of the album's strongest offerings, a song that organically has crossover appeal without trying too hard and is able to call Stormzy’s debut album its home without anyone finding the need to raise an eyebrow. That same creative risk-taking proves it'd be an ignorant mistake to write off the project as solely the work of a grime emcee, with tracks such as the two part gospel-leaning "Blinded by Your Grace," the "Dear Mum"-style anthem "100 Bags" and the flip of NAO's "Velvet," proving that his music deserves the same respect as both Frank Ocean and Skepta — and in Stormyz's own words, Adele too.

The album's inspirational nature is not without genuine intent, with Stormzy himself stating that his driving force behind creating this project over the course of the past 18 months was empowerment. During an interview with The Guardian, he shared passionately that he feels compelled to act as an example to inspire, saying, "So I need to talk to my young Black kings, because I’m one of you, we who are always last. And I say to them, ‘You are sick, you’re nang, you can do this. You’re better than anything anyone’s ever told you that you are. You’re just as powerful as me.'"

Considering the magnitude of the tracks found on Gang Signs & Prayer,  which effectively merges grime, gospel and R&B, the project is more appropriately labeled an ambitious victory than it is an introduction. With his debut album perfectly timed, existing as a way to maintain through the madness found around the world and on an individual scale, Stormzy has a fire deep in his belly and a vision to match, proving that he knows he's bigger than a movement previously said to be bigger than him. It’s safe to say a storm is coming to America once again, perhaps even the biggest since Dizzee Rascal shook things up the first time in 2003. Get ready for it.

#Repost: Billboard x Spotify The Chainsmokers, Future, Calvin Harris & More Are Spotify Editors' Picks for New Music Friday

Originally published here via Billboard.com.

Every week, Spotify updates their "New Music Friday" playlist, featuring 50 of the freshest new tracks hitting the service that week.

On the heels of Billboard's partnership with the streaming giant, we'll be tapping Spotify's editors to sift through the soon-to-be-hits and highlight the best of the bunch.

Check out the picks and listen to the entire "New Music Friday" playlist below.

The Chainsmokers x Coldplay - "Something Just Like This"

After spending a prolific chunk of 2016 atop the charts with their record-breaking single, "Closer," The Chainsmokers have officially begun the countdown to their highly anticipated debut album, Memories... Do Not Open, which is slated for an April 7 release. To further demonstrate that the hitmaking DJs aren't in the least bit playing around these days, the pair has this week shared their latest collaboration, happily enlisting none other than the likes of the veteran rock group fondly known as Coldplay. While such a partnership may be surprising or unpredictable by nature, what doesn't come as much of a shock is how well the musicians actually pull it off in the end. Interestingly enough, the track sounds as much as a signature Coldplay song as it does a beloved Chainsmokers concoction, proving that their talents merge beautifully without much compromise in the studio. Hours after unveiling the out-of-left-field surprise track to fans online, the two entities joined forces on stage at the 2017 Brit Awards to perform their brand new creation together live, with Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin even leaping into the crowd at one point during the lively rendition. "Something Just Like This" balances the production duo's specialty for crafting delectable electronic drops with Coldplay's knack for big room sound, making for a favorable collaboration destined to win over fans of both artists respectably.

Zedd x Alessia Cara - "Stay"

Alessia Cara and Zedd have graciously teamed up to create the perfect song to soundtrack hanging onto those blissful moments you want to make last forever. Their collaboration, "Stay," marks the 20-year-old alternative R&B singer's first major foray into club banger territory, and needless to say, with the expert guidance of Zedd, she adapts with relative ease. While her breakout single "Here" was dedicated to everyone who secretly hates parties, this new direction has the singer warming up to the idea that sometimes sticking around is the preferable move, especially when you're in the best of company. Of the track, the mastermind producer words it best himself, saying, "I think this song is right in the middle between where Alessia is musically and where I am and that’s what’s so exciting about it." Naturally, the singer echoed his sentiments, sharing, "Zedd was really hands on and made sure I was involved in every part of the process. It still feels like me, just an elevated pop sound. I don’t know that I would be in this bold on my own stuff so it’s cool to try these things with collaborators." You can say that again, Miss Cara. Cheers to new adventures and new collaborations, especially to those that are welcoming summer vibes such as this feel-good feat does.

Future - HNDRXX

The year is 2017 and man like Future is out here taking no prisoners. Just last week he released his first studio album of the new year, a self-titled 17-track collection of pure fire, only to announce a few days later he's got even more planned for this month in the form of dropping yet another album. As a result of this bold move, the 33-year-old is currently in the running for what would be an unprecedented achievement if he successfully pulls it off, with his back-to-back projects strong contenders to mark the first time in history an artist scored two No. 1 debuts in successive weeks. While the jury is still out regarding if Future will secure such an unbelievably impressive milestone, one thing not up for debate is the too-dope reality that his new material is seriously something special. While it's relatively unusual for an artist to release full-length projects so close together for a variety of reasons, Future is playing by his own rules, with his second album picking up where the first left off, intentionally declaring, "If U purchased #FUTURE u will understand #HNDRXX." With each album representing the various facets that make up the prolific Atlanta heavyweight, his intense work ethic has made such a feat of releasing back-to-back projects appear effortless, conscious and polished, as opposed to what could have been, by design, a haphazard effort scrapping together 34 assorted tracks from his never-ending archive. Instead, each 17-track project stands exceptionally strong on its own, with HNDRXX chock-full of the artist's tried-and-true Autotune treatment FUTURE was curiously absent of. With Future himself stating that HNDRXX was "The album [he] always wanted to make," there's no ceilings in sight with this one, creating a diverse offering sculpted by unexpected risk-taking and two guest features from Rihanna and the Weeknd, further signifying Future is unapologetically continuing to evolve in his artistry and calling his own shots along the way. There's no escaping it or fighting it: Future season is 100% in full swing. No better time than now than to embrace it.

Calvin Harris x Frank Ocean x Migos - "Slide"

At this point in Calvin Harris' storied career, it is irrefutable he has an intrinsic gift for piecing together top-tier compositions of music that not only get you moving on the dance floor, but speak directly to your soul as well. Although the Scottish DJ-producer has long proven himself as an innovative force in the world of electronic dance music, today his winning streak continues with the release of his latest collaboration, "Slide." The 33-year-old's impeccable ear for music pairings, combined with astute timing, has brought together a relatively unlikely collaboration intro fruition, enlisting the first official offering from elusive singer Frank Ocean since 2016's Endless and Blonde alongside the recent chart-topping ambassadors of culture, Migos, with each trading vocals over a sultry happy-go-lucky groove. Taking to Twitter, Harris declared, "All my songs in 2017 have been sonically designed to make you feel f***ing incredible," an objective he's well on his way to achieving as exemplified by his new surefire masterpiece. With a lone piano intro developing into a beat comprised of infectious handclaps and bursts of echoing electronic-tinged seasoning, the song features drippy vocals masterfully treated to inspire a bit of a spiritual experience for those looking to get lost in the lavish and lustful vibe Harris is curating. All in all, this track definitely hits the spot and hopefully will encourage future collaboration possibilities for these three.

THEY. - Nü Religion: HYENA

Building an empire isn't possible without putting time in to lay a solid foundation first. This is a life lesson that R&B duo THEY. learned early on in their budding careers, making sure they each more than honed their respective crafts in the studio before choosing to step out and establish a lane uniquely their own. While the pair, comprised of producer Dante Jones and vocalist Drew Love, has racked up their own impressive accolades as individuals over the years, each working with some of music's top artists and finding success behind the scenes, the next step organically revealed itself that the two were really onto something when they combined forces, leading to the curious conception of THEY. After receiving guidance from mentor Timbaland and collaborating with the likes of Skrillex, as well as touring with PARTYNEXTDOOR, Jeremih and Bryson Tiller, the collaborators are finally ready to unleash their debut album, Nü Religion: HYENA. The 14-track collection also comes with the announcement of the group's first-ever headlining tour, a much deserved opportunity that already has the pair eager to give back by way of offering local artists the opportunity to join them on stage throughout the 20-city run. Considering their first EP has already racked up millions of streams on Spotify, fans have not only been eager to digest THEY.'s genre-bending tendencies but have been championing the group as the next pioneers of forward-thinking alternative R&B full of 808s, trap beats and thrashing guitars. With many shouting that the group has got next, THEY. are more than ready to accept carrying the torch, adding that they are grateful to become a part of a bigger movement and inspire others to follow their own creative callings as well.