The Archive: 7 New Projects to Listen to Right Now Featuring Kelela, The-Dream, and NE-YO.
Discover 7 essential new music projects featuring Kelela, NE-YO, The-Dream, and JORDY.
Welcome back to The Archive. We are unpacking the most essential releases dropping this week. From long-awaited sequels by R&B royalty to genre-bending underground debuts, here are the seven new projects you need to stream immediately.
7 New Projects to Listen to Right Now
Kelela — ‘New Avatar’
Kelela’s triumphant third studio album is a bold stylistic evolution. Drawing heavily on her early days in the Washington, D.C. indie scene, New Avatar leans into grunge and alternative rock textures while maintaining her signature experimental club roots. Resident Advisor perfectly summed up the record, noting that it “reconfigures shoegaze, IDM and R&B into a Black, femme sound of the future,” while Pitchfork already crowned the lead single “Idea 1” with Best New Track honors.
NE-YO — ‘Highway 79’
For his tenth studio effort, the R&B legend subtly embraces his Arkansas roots. Recorded in Nashville, Highway 79 isn’t a complete country pivot, but it heavily incorporates Americana elements. As noted by Complex, “Ne-Yo blends smooth R&B with country flair,” effortlessly mixing his famous finger-snap percussion with acoustic strum-alongs on an album named after his birth year and the interstate running through his home state.
The-Dream — ‘Love/Hate II’
Nineteen years after his gold-certified, genre-defining debut, the maestro has delivered its long-awaited sequel. Variety accurately described the 17-track epic as a “sonic progenitor” to the 2007 original. It delivers exactly what we want from The-Dream: shimmering falsettos, lush R&B production, and heavyweight features, with standout verses from T.I., Rick Ross, Pusha T, and Swizz Beatz.
Jaz Karis — ‘Twenty Something’
Following her acclaimed 2025 release Loud in the Water, the British singer-songwriter returns with an ultra-smooth 6-track mini-album. Backed by organic, soulful UK R&B production, Karis beautifully captures the uncertainty, reflection, and growing pains of navigating your twenties.
JORDY — ‘In Retrospect’
A masterclass in navigating the wreckage of the past. Apple Music described JORDY’s new 11-track project as offering “blunt reflections on sex, relationships, and jealousy with a shiny pop veneer.” Sonically, it’s an infectious, high-energy blend of early 2000s bubblegum and high-gloss modern synth-pop that serves as a manifesto on healing.
$TARFACE & Tyga — “GAVE U RACKS”
Alternative hip-hop gets a high-energy summer anthem. $TARFACE teams up with “Tyga” for a hard-hitting, three-minute standalone single that’s guaranteed to rattle trunks and dominate weekend playlists this season.
Spencer Diamond — “You’re Still On My Mind”
Spencer Diamond rounds out our list with a stunning exercise in classic soul. Smooth, nostalgic, and deeply emotive, this single proves Diamond is an artist who understands the timeless, quiet power of traditional R&B songwriting.
Current Songs on Repeat on our MP3
What the Azarian Magazine team is currently spinning.
Moth 2 A Flame — Flwr Chyld
Voices In My Head — SABRI
POR ALGUIEN MÁS — TANISHA
Life is Unfair — Jaz Karis
Just For A Moment — Sophia Galaté, Dende
BEVERLY DRIVE — Zae France
Papi Te Ama — The-Dream, Kelly Rowland
Recommend — Masego
Nobody But You — Byron Juane
Body So Tea — Coco Jones
Sunday — Baby Rose
YES — Tank
STRUT — MOONGA K.
what u want — nomi.
Wish I Didn’t Know You — Ne-Yo
Shut You Down — JACOTÉNE
outta time — Kelela & A. K. Paul
Blame Game — KDNS & Briana Maia
Perfect — The-Dream, Rick Ross
AFFECTION — $TARFACE & Tyga
CALL SPITTA — EST Gee
SAID SUMN — Zae France, K CAMP
against me — Kelela
Big Boy’s Don’t Cry — Dax
OFFLINE — Kareen Lomax
One Sided — Myles Lloyd
Kick — Future
Stuck In Sixteen — Jaz Karis
Powder Coat — The-Dream, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz
G.Y.M. — LU KALA
Best Ex of Your Life — Zolita
BAD SEX — JORDY
Faded Blue Jeans — Shania Twain, Josh Homme
If It’s Real — Kevin George
OMW — Zae France, London Monét
Feel The Love — Chloe Jane
crystalize — Kelela
Brought Me This Far — Tate Butts
The Sound Bowl
“Best Ex of Your Life” by Zolita
This week’s Sound Bowl spotlight belongs to Zolita, who just dropped what might be the pettiest (and catchiest) pop anthem of the summer. “Best Ex of Your Life” is an unapologetic, two-and-a-half-minute spiral about seeing your ex move on with someone who looks suspiciously like you. With razor-sharp lyrics (“Am I the psycho that lost it? / Still keep your bra in my closet”), it is messy in the best possible way and completely undeniable.
Keep the Rotation Spinning
The curation doesn’t stop here. Tune into a new First on Audiomack featuring Kelela. Plus, We’ve completely reloaded our exclusive Audiomack channels to lock in whatever vibe your week demands:
Liquid Vibes - Sink into a seamless stream of velvet R&B and late-night soul selections.
The A-List - Crank up the energy with the chart-topping heavy hitters dominating the culture right now.
The Check In - Ground your frequency and unwind with deep, restorative, and chill tracks.
PRISM - Stay ahead of the curve with our fresh roster of independent trailblazers and global breakout talent.
The definitive soundtrack for the week is officially set. No matter the mood or the moment, your next musical obsession is waiting for you. Head over to Audiomack, lock in, and hit play.