This week, check out new music from Jack White and heartbreak queen Adele, and discover the latest by New Yorkers Sunflower Bean and Orion Sun, plus a fresh sound Remi Wolf. And listen to Minnesota artist Papa Mbye.

Jack White, "Taking Me Back (Gently)"

When Jack White puts out new music, we listen. It's been about four years since the last solo music was released and, surprisingly, it took a video game to get White back in the game. Call of Duty has a new release and, apparently, reached out to White and he was suitably inspired to write not one, but two versions of a song for the occasion. There is the rocking take-no-prisoners shredder version of "Take Me Back," but there's also the acoustic Americana version, "Take Me Back (Gently)." Both fill a certain niche for White fans (and possibly the gamers too).

Adele, "Easy On Me"

If, somehow, in the last few years you've been trying to get a good cry out and just didn't have the right soundtrack, have no fears — the heartbreak queen is back. Adele is back with her fourth album, 30, which is out Nov. 19. It's a divorce album and already the first single, "Easy On Me," will rip your poor little heart to shreds with lines like, "I know there is hope in these waters/ But I can't bring myself to swim when I am drowning in this silence."

Papa Mbye, "ONLY RIGHT"

If there were a bingo card for the hottest young unknown artists from the Twin Cities, Papa Mbye would definitely be on it. He just released a new project MANG FI that has not-so-quietly been making noise in the Twin Cities. Peep his single "Only Right." - Jeffrey Bissoy

Sunflower Bean, "Baby Don't Cry"

There is a simmering energy for certain bands that seems specifically New York. From the Strokes to Blondie to Velvet Underground to LCD Soundsystem, it's a pulsing vibration that Sunflower Bean have executed with such skill since they first broke out in 2013. Their first music in 2021 is no different. In a statement the band said of the new song, "So many things in our lives are disposable. Content and news is consumed and discarded leaving us unfulfilled. 'Baby Don't Cry' is about enjoying the real. The things right in front of us that give us meaning and how sometimes, even sad songs can give you that warm feeling of hope."

Orion Sun, "Concrete"

A growing star in the R&B world, Orion Sun has been gaining attention from NPR, BBC, Pitchfork, and Billboard. Her latest album has been streamed more than 36 million times. But all that aside, this is gorgeous and intimate song craft from the 24-year-old artist, Orion Sun. The new single, "Concrete," is a romantic slow jam that unfurls with a caress and soft smile (a little help on production from Rostam of Vampire Weekend and Haim fame doesn't hurt).

Remi Wolf, "Grumpy Old Man"

Straddling the line of pop and indie and sounding entirely refreshing is Remi Wolf. The '90s-aesthetic-loving California artist popped onto our radar with her quirky "Hello Hello Hello," which hit mid pandemic and broke through all the noise. The new album, JUNO, continues to celebrate that just left-of-center attitude with some neon glow.

Playlist