New Music Friday: 7 albums to stream this week

Ever the pop maximalist, Arca has expanded on her KiCK series with not one, but four new albums. Stretched across a 145 minutes, KICK ii, KicK iii, kick iiii, and kiCK iiiii follow on from 2020’s Grammy nominated KiCK i – which starred the likes of Björk, SOPHIE, and Rosalía, and features 47 songs in total. It’s a lot to take in, but then again, Arca has never been one for subtlety. Her 2020 single “@@@@@”, after all, spanned a sprawling 62 minutes, while her official remix album featured a staggering 100 tracks – all of them variations of the same song.

Put aside the biblical feat and this latest drop is Arca’s most pop-centric and accessible music to date. Drawing on a vast sonic palette, KICK ii takes its primary cues from reggaetón. Built on swinging dembow rhythms, Arca’s voice is pulled and stretched to its synthetic extremes. Described by the artist as “mutant club music”, KicK iii is considerably harsher: filthy experimentalism built for the darkest corners of a club. In contrast, kick iiii is ethereal, drawing on celestial shimmers and airy textures to conjure a rich soundscape rooted in futurism, while kiCK iiiii’s ambient, pared-back instrumentals are positioned against a cyborgian choir of vocals that pull the listener gently back down to Earth.

Elsewhere, No Rome reveals his long-awaited debut, Tierra Whack drops a dynamic EP, and Nolanberollin’s album is must-hear rap for the weekend.