New Music Friday Featuring Taylor Swift, Devin Kennedy, Tim Halperin, ALITA, Jack Conway, and More

It’s New Music Friday, and we can’t hold back our excitement! Earlier today, Taylor Swift left the industry shook with the surprise release of folklore, which we highly recommend you give a listen to. She’s one of the many artists blessing our ears this week, and we’ve put together a list that’s sure to get your weekend off on the right foot! Take a look below and let us know who you’re jamming to in the comments section.

Devin Kennedy’s “Deep Shit”

Here at Pop Culturalist.com, we’re huge fans of singer, songwriter, and producer Devin Kennedy. He’s brought us some of our favorite songs in recent years, including “No Worries, “Something Bout That Feeling,” and “No Parachute.” This week, he drops “Deep Shit,” a summer anthem you’ll have on repeat. Devin told us, “‘Deep Shit’ is for the carefree spirit that we all have within us. Telling someone how you feel can be terrifying. This song is about taking that leap of faith and letting that person know, regardless of the outcome.”

We recently caught up with Devin, who brought us inside his studio to tell us how he made the track.

Tim Halperin’s “Heaven Down”

There are a lot of emotions that come with welcoming your first child, especially during this pandemic. Singer-songwriter Tim Halperin experienced that firsthand when he and his wife gave birth to daughter Elliott. “Bringing our daughter Elliott into the world has been a ray of hope in the midst of these uncertain times,” Tim told us. That moment inspired the Nashville-based artist to team up with his fans to create an inspiring video that is giving us all the feels!

ALITA’s “Bodies”

Seattle-based singer-songwriter ALITA is bringing the sensuality with her fourth release of 2020: “Bodies.” The single is a celebration of femininity and empowerment and finds ALITA showing a new side to her craft. “I’m almost always the only woman in the room when I’m writing music,” she said. “I love and value my male collaborators, but there’s a different energy and camaraderie that comes from female collaboration, and I was craving that. I’d wanted to write a song like ‘Bodies’ for a long time but felt like the unconscious biases in the room would affect my writing and my openness…I was worried the heart of it would get lost in translation. Eventually I realized that I had all of the instinct to explore it by myself, so I did.”

YB’s Provision

Earlier this year, we introduced you to Bold Records artist YB. The talented singer-songwriter shared how he’s overcome everything that life has thrown at him with grace, his faith, and hard work. He’s channeled those experiences with his God-given talent in his latest EP, Provision. “In my life, I’ve seen more valleys than I have mountaintops,” he said, “but by the Grace of God, I’m still here today with a vision to go out and be somebody, and in 2020, that’s huge! When I look back over my life, at every moment where I could have experienced a dead end, God opened a new door. So Provision, to me, is this fire to own the race set out before me because I’m only a small piece to a much greater story at hand.”

Josh Killacky’s “Workin'”

Josh Killacky has danced his way into our hearts on TV shows like The X Factor, Dancing with the Stars, and World of Dance. But that’s just one side to his incredible artistry. Josh is also a talented actor, director, and musician who is making his debut as a solo artist with his new single, “Workin.” Featuring Kangfrvr of the Future Kings, “Workin” is a fun, upbeat track that will undoubtedly have you up on your feet! Josh told us, “It’s a rough time in the world right now, so my intention is always about bringing fun energy to motivate everyone to get active!”

Jack Conway’s “Night Light”

Emerging artist Jack Conway is back with his fourth release of 2020, continuing an impressive track record of pop hits that we can’t get enough of. His new single, “Night Light,” is a playful and uptempo classic that you’ll have on repeat. The singer-songwriter also dropped a music video to go with the single, which spreads some much-needed positivity into the world. “The ‘Night Light’ video is about women empowerment,” he said. “Additionally, people empowerment and self-empowerment! You’ve got to always try to remember that you are valuable and you are worth it, and that’s something you’ve got to try to never forget.”

Stephen’s “Delilah”

LA-based alternative artist Stephen gives us the first glimpse of his upcoming album Akrasia with the release of “Delilah.” The single is an exposed portrayal of Stephen’s ego through the Jungian perspective, which he grapples with in different capacities throughout Akrasia. Stephen told us, “The point of stepping into ‘Delilah’ is to show that through your darkness and full ability to be vulnerable and explore all sides of yourself, you can find your way to the light. This goes for people struggling with addiction, sexuality, and more. An extremely relatable topic that many of us are struggling with in this very moment.”