Pitchfork's latest New Music Friday roundup features 10 significant album releases across genres like electronic, hip-hop, folk, and jazz. Highlights include long-awaited returns from Oneohtrix Point Never and De La Soul, alongside the original soundtrack for the film Hamnet composed by Max Richter. These independently selected picks are now available on major streaming platforms.
Overview
Pitchfork helps navigate the flood of new music with its weekly recommendations, focusing on releases that stand out for their innovation and cultural impact. Published on November 21, 2025, this edition covers a diverse range of artists, from established producers to emerging talents, emphasizing albums that blend nostalgia, experimentation, and personal storytelling.
Key Releases
Oneohtrix Point Never: Tranquilizer (Warp): Daniel Lopatin's latest is his densest work yet, drawing from 1990s commercial samples in a preservationist mode. It evokes dentist visits and laser shows, with Pitchfork reviewer Philip Sherburne noting, “Lopatin appears less interested than usual in investigating the cultural codes inherent in specific eras or subgenres; instead, he seems to be working largely intuitively, motivated by the sheer expressive potential of his sounds.”
Tobias Jesso Jr.: Shine (R&R): The Canadian songwriter's second solo album after a decade of collaborations with Adele, Dua Lipa, and others. Recorded live at the piano with guests like Danielle Haim, it features the ballad “I Love You” with a video starring Dakota Johnson and Riley Keough.
De La Soul: Cabin in the Sky (Mass Appeal): Nine years after their last album, the trio delivers social commentary on nostalgic yet experimental beats. Producer Maseo described it as “adult hip-hop: something rooted in the culture but speaking to where we are now,” with guests including Nas, Common, and Black Thought.
Other notable drops include Sharp Pins' power-pop epic Balloon Balloon Balloon, the Hellp's electropop Riviera, Aya Nakamura's global Destinée, folk duo Haley Heynderickx & Max García Conover's What of Our Nature, free jazz from Wrens' Half of What You See, Fabiano do Nascimento's ambient Cavejaz, and Max Richter's score for Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, which explores Shakespearean grief through Elizabethan-inspired strings and chorals.
These releases offer something for every listener, from avant-garde soundscapes to heartfelt ballads, all streamable now.