The Best Songs of May 2023 // New Music Friday!

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"Say Yes To Heaven" // Lana Del Rey


Nearly ten years after this song leaked in late 2013, Lana Del Rey finally released the fan-favorite "Say Yes To Heaven". It was initially written for her sophomore album, Ultraviolence, but ended up getting scrapped and never officially released until now. The leaked version has been having a huge viral moment on TikTok and now has potential to be one of the biggest hits of her career, which is something that I really don't think anyone could have seen coming. It is such a sweet and simple ballad that highlights all of the best parts of her as an artist and her vocal range. I believe it is all newly re-recorded vocals and instrumentals too, it is beautifully done in every way. On YouTube, there is an extensive collection of unreleased material that has leaked over the years, but "Say Yes To Heaven" is the first of hopefully many more that will have new life in an official recording. 

"AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM" // Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar

Beyoncé surprise released a new remix of her song "AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM" with a new verse from Kendrick Lamar. They never disappoint when it comes to their collaborations, and this is no different! This was one of my favorite songs from her 2022 album Renaissance and the added first verse from Kendrick elevated it so much. 

"Dance The Night" // Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa's "Dance The Night" is the lead single of the forthcoming Barbie film, which is such a fun disco pop song that is just so quintessentially Dua. She is also going to be making her acting debut in the movie, which I cannot wait to see! It is definitely one of the best songs she has released since Future Nostalgia in 2020, hopefully she keeps going in this direction with her next album. "Dance The Night", along with the rest of the Barbie soundtrack is produced by Mark Ronson, which I so happy to see because he has made so many of my favorite songs ever! A collab between him and Dua never disappoints either. I have high hopes that the rest of the soundtrack is going to be one of my top albums of the year since the rest of the track list is stacked with incredible artists!

"Snow On The Beach" // Taylor Swift & (MORE) Lana Del Rey

"You asked for it, we listened", Taylor said alongside the announcement of Midnights (Til The Dawn Edition), the new deluxe version of her 2022 album. She and Lana Del Rey went back to the studio to re-record parts of their song "Snow On The Beach" to add more of Lana's vocals to this version. I loved that song when it was initially released and it continues to be one of my favorites from Midnights, but it was somewhat disappointing for the first big collaboration between the two to feature Lana mostly only on backing vocals. For me, it really doesn't get much better than Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Jack Antonoff collaborating on a song together, so I enjoyed it either way, but I love that they made a new version of the song that features new production and brand-new vocals from Lana added in. I hope "Snow On The Beach" is the first of many collaborations between Taylor and Lana!

By the way - "Snow On The Beach (featuring More Lana Del Rey)" is such a funny title, but they I still think they should have gone with calling it "Snow On The Beach (Lana's Version)"! 

Check out my full review of "Snow On The Beach" & Midnights!

"Mourning" // Post Malone 

Post Malone's second single for his upcoming self-titled album, Austin, dives into the consequences of the lifestyle he was living and the reality of his life when the party was over. He also gets deeply personal and honest when it comes to opening up about themes of alcoholism and addiction. I have been loving the direction his music has been going in with his recent singles, I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of his new album this summer! 

"Sail Away" // Jonas Brothers



I loved so much of the Jonas Brothers latest release,The Album, which features some of their best work yet. It feels so mature and modern, while still incorporating their signature sound. "Sail Away" was one that stood out to me from the very first listen, but there are so many great gems on the rest of The Album!

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in more of my recent song recommendations, check out my list of the best songs of January 2023, February 2023, March 2023, April 2023, and more from my New Music Friday series! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below! 

-Melissa ♡


photo credit to all owners - header designed by Melissa Kacar


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