Happy Friday, people. As September got here and went prefer it was going to occur somewhere, some amazing music hit streaming services, ending the month on a high. From superstars to the best musicians of their era, this weekend can be crammed with a strong soundtrack for you and your family members.

This week, The Weeknd collaborates with Playboi Carti on new song “Timeless,” which the 2 first performed during his one-night-only concert in Brazil earlier this month. R&B singer Mario returns with a catchy single titled “Space,” willow and Kamasi Washington collaborate on “wanted” from deluxe , and Leon Thomas releases his second studio album. Our roundup also includes music from Saweetie, Monaleo, Mickey Guyton and more.

Take a have a look at the list of new items below.

willow ft. Kamasi Washington – “Wanted”

willow includes Kamasi Washington on the only “wanted” from ceremonial contractDeluxe version enabled empathogen. Check it out HERE.

October London – “Beautiful Woman”

Singer-songwriter and Death Row member October London continues his successful 2024 with the discharge of new album ‘A Beautiful Woman’ Check it out HERE.

Leon Bridges – “This Is What I Love”

Singer-songwriter Leon Bridges releases song “That’s What I Love.” Listen to the new song HERE.

Mickey Guyton – “House on Fire”

The country music star and ESSENCE festival graduate releases her second studio album House on firestarring Kane Brown. Listen to this HERE.

Maxo Kream and Tyler, The Creator – “Cracc Era”

Maxo Kream has shared a new song “Cracc Era” featuring Tyler, the Creator. This is the second collaboration between the 2 artists after 2021’s “Big Persona”. Check out the song HERE.

BIA ft. Lil Yachty – “Pissed Off”

BIA and Lil Yachty team up within the music video for his or her new collaborative track “Pissed Off.” Watch this HERE.

Leon Thomas – “MUTT”

Multi-talented singer Leon Thomas releases his second studio album CLOWN. Stream your entire project HERE.

Mario – “Space”

R&B veteran Mario returns along with his new single “Space,” produced by BNYX and co-written by James Fauntleroy. Listen to the song HERE.

Saweetie – “Is This The Way”

While waiting for her long-awaited debut album Quite strange musicSaweetie releases “Is It the Way.” Watch the video HERE.

Monaleo – “Bow Throw”

Monaleo – “Bow Throw”

Today, rapper Monaleo gives fans an EP Throwing bowswhere you will find Sauce Walka, Kaliii, TEXAS BOYZ and more. Hear this HERE.

The Weeknd featuring Playboi Carti – “Timeless”

Today, The Weeknd and Playboi Carti collaborated on a new single, “Timeless,” their first collaboration since 2023. Listen HERE.

When you’re employed at ESSENCE, you never know who you would possibly meet in the office, but this week it’s a country singer Mickey Guyton stopped in her busy schedule preparing for her new album, just at some point away starting your trip. Within seconds of seeing the artist, her radiant energy filled the room as she excitedly shared photos of her son at college: “Look at him, he’s just too cute.”

Before she became “Mickey Guyton,” the famous superstar of today, she was just Candace, growing up in Crawford, Texas, a small and really rural town in the Lone Star State, where her friends were her siblings. Like many black artists, church attendance was routine for her family and played a significant role in her life as her parents were deacons and deaconesses. These moments introduced her to her passion and what would soon change into her profession. “We spent a lot of time in church and that was the music we sang,” Guyton tells ESSENCE. However, it was Whitney Houston’s legendary Super Bowl XXV performance of the national anthem or seeing 10-year-old LeAnn Rimes sing at a Texas Rangers game that defined the moment that Guyton decided to try singing herself.

“It was my introduction to music. A teen who appeared like an adult woman was singing. I didn’t care what genre it was. I just desired to be her. That’s what made me need to sing,” Guyton says.

Growing up in the South, country music is played in predominantly black communities and is given as much priority as hip-hop music. Because her grandmother was a Dolly Parton fan, Guyton gravitated towards a country sound. He considers songs reminiscent of “I Will Always Love You” and “Coat of Many Colors” his most important and favorites. She mentions the famous journalist Jessica Bendinger, who encouraged her to change into interested in this genre, which, nonetheless, was associated with great hesitation. She eventually left Crawford and moved to Nashville to achieve a wider network of opportunities. “I always loved it, but I just didn’t know there was anyone who could help me or who could sing country music like me, or even if black people were allowed to do it,” Guyton says. “That’s form of where it began for me. We moved to Nashville and that was the start of all of it, but then there was a long fight.

After the move, Guyton signed with Capitol Records and shares her unexpected story of performing for the Obamas on the White House in 2011 after Keith Urban couldn’t commit. Singing a version of Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” this story is true proof that her success was just across the corner. In 2014, she released her first self-titled EP, featuring the breakout hit “Better Than You Left Me”, detailing a previous relationship. However, in 2021, she re-released an EP titled “Heaven Down Here” with one other hit. The second design was heavily inspired by the events of 2020, when people needed fresh air.

“There was a lot occurring in our country, so I sang songs that helped me get through it. I used to be pregnant and living in downtown Los Angeles, so I remember the protests right outside my window. I desired to be with them but as a result of Covid-19 I had to remain home to guard my baby. There was a lot beauty in it too, because people were coming together for a cause, for Black Lives Matter, which inspired ‘Heaven Down Here,'” Guyton says.

Over the following 4 years, Guyton built an incredible resume, from being the primary black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards to being named Breakthrough Artist of the Year by Country Music Magazine and Television. She became a four-time Grammy-nominated country artist, sang on the Democratic National Convention, the Essence Festival Of Culture and, to return full circle, performed the national anthem at Super Bowl 56. Guyton, the dream of many small-town artists, rose to fame inside a decade. While these achievements could also be large, seeing others gain recognition in this genre motivated her to proceed.

“My career came at a very difficult time, during all the racial turmoil in our country, and I felt like the country music industry wanted to do better and be more inclusive,” Guyton says. “In those moments, because I was getting all these opportunities, I felt like I had to use that motivation to give opportunities to other Black, Latinx or LGBTQIA artists and use my platform to empower them as well.”

The recognition of Black artists in the agricultural space saw a surge in recognition when Beyoncé released her album, the second installment of her Act series, earlier this 12 months. Several country singers participated in the project, including Shaboozy, Dolly Parton, Tanner Adell, Reyna Roberts and Miley Cyrus. Although she was not included on the album, Guyton received flowers from Beyoncé in recognition of her contributions to the genre. While this will likely have generated some belated recognition from the masses, Guyton desires to make it clear that black country artists will not be just a trend.

“When Beyoncé released this album, it was very exciting to see the world and social media discover all of those artists, especially since Beyoncé is such a famous artist and her platform is so vast. However, I used to be afraid that everybody would only love country music for a moment, but that is the true lifetime of these artists and so they deserve our support beyond this moment,” says Guyton. “Will you still be here? It’s great that you’re hitting the “Follow” button, but are you hitting the streaming button? Do you show up at their shows? This is where actively supporting these artists really counts, because it is extremely important right now. “I pray that folks remember about these artists because if they do not get support, it won’t be viable for them anymore, then we’ll be back to square one for black country music artists.”

This 12 months, Guyton continues to represent Black Country artists with the discharge of her second album, a 12-track project with breakout singles including “Scary Love,” which comes from her experiences early after giving birth to her son, and ” My Kind of Country ,” detailing the similarities of the black experience in the South. This will coincide with the album embark in your first headlining tour, making stops in major cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Nashville. Guyton ushers in a new era in country music focused on resilience, love and peace.

“This is the era of my love. That’s what my music reflects now. The course is just so big; it’s a spiritual thing and I’m at a really exciting time in my life,” Guyton says.

Two things were certain during Mugler’s SS25 performance. We didn’t see Cardi B’s chic and impractical look — and he or she didn’t either. Despite the indisputable fact that the rapper had a front row seat throughout Paris Fashion Week, his oblique bangs covered each eyes. And she wasn’t the just one.

Her look mimicked the fringe that models wore on the runway, matched by a wig Zhou Xue Ming. These blunt bangs were probably the most avant-garde look we have seen all season.

Cardi B’s hair reached the tip of her nose – sporting black lip liner and glazed pink lip gloss (which matched her short, square manicure). Meanwhile, the models’ wigs reached an additional two inches and touched the top of their lips.

Style brought temptation back Mugler in the Nineteen Nineties— which featured OG supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Iman. On the fiftieth anniversary, “the Mugler archive becomes fertile ground for reinterpretation,” we read in the program notes. In other words, an ode to the depths of great thing about the Home.

However, Cardi B has been showing off her range all week. At Balmain, she wore a black leather scarf and powdery eye makeup attended Rabanne in hot pink and a Rapunzel-style blonde wig with brown hair. She then rocked her Mugler hairstyle at Rick Owens, curling her veil bangs with a spiky bun. Much like the shows, she has proven to be one to look at this season.