MUSIC PREMIERES
KARMA, the new album from Stray Kids, takes the top spot in this week’s fan-voted music poll.
Listeners cast their votes in a Billboard poll shared Friday (Aug. 22), naming the K-pop group’s newest LP as their favorite fresh release of the week.
KARMA claimed the number one position in a week filled with new drops from Doja Cat, Laufey, and others. In a close race, KARMA edged out Doja Cat’s newest single, pulling in more than half of the votes and securing first place.
The group’s new full-length project features 11 songs, including the track “Ceremony” with STAY, all created by production team 3RACHA.
According to a press statement about the album, KARMA reflects Stray Kids’ unique perspective on destiny. “Destiny is shaped by a tangled web of choices and consequences,” it explained. “KARMA begins with this very idea, an attempt to interpret Stray Kids’ fate. Despite countless external judgments and inner conflicts, they have continued to forge their own path with unwavering resolve. Through their music, Stray Kids represent a story of growth.”
The boy group finished their biggest world tour yet, Stray Kids World Tour <dominATE>, in late July after completing 54 concerts across five continents.
Doja Cat’s “Jealous Type” followed closely behind KARMA on this week’s poll with 47% of the votes. Other new projects that placed include Laufey’s A Matter of Time, Sombr’s I Barely Know Her, Deftones’ Private Music, Offset’s KIARI, Kid Cudi’s Free, and BigXThaPlug’s I Hope You’re Happy.
See the final results of this week’s poll below.
MUSIC PREMIERES
Aphex Twin quietly shared two new songs on his SoundCloud account, surprising fans with the sudden upload.
Read More: Aphex Twin at Printworks, London: still one of the greatest electronic shows on earth
The tracks are called ‘Zahl am1 live track 1’ and ‘Zahl am1 live track 1c f760m1 unfinshd’. They seem to be two different takes on the same piece of music and were added to his page (username: user18081971) yesterday (November 27).
Both songs use cover photos that show the artist, real name Richard D. James, in the ocean with his partner. In the description for ‘Zahl am1 live track 1c f760m1 unfinshd’, he wrote, “Got many requests for this one from a few years back. Italy, pic with my love from Sicily recently. Need sun, relentlessly raining in the UK. Mixed down on the Zähl, think there are better mixes, will upload them if I find them.”
You can listen to the songs below:
The electronic musician’s most recent project was the 2024 compilation ‘From The Merch Desk (2016-2023)’, which also arrived without advance notice. It collects everything the celebrated producer and DJ had released through eight years of vinyl editions that fans could only get from the merch stand at his live performances.
The release followed a new expanded version of his 1994 album ‘Selected Ambient Works II’ in October for its 30th anniversary. His most recent full studio album is 2014’s Grammy Award winning ‘Syro’.
In 2025, Aphex Twin has put much of his attention into his work with streetwear brand Supreme. This has included creating a playlist for the company that features nearly 200 songs, most of which lean toward calm and slow moving styles.
