Oculate UK's round-up of all the highlights in new music releases from the past week. Featuring KOKOROKO, Skepta, Barry Can't Swim, Wet Leg, Kojey Radical & more.

UK heavyweight Skepta is standing on business. After sparking a debate on UK vs. USA rap, Skepta has dropped his first diss track for Joyner Lucas: Friendly Fire.

Jim Legxacy has confirmed his new mixtape black british music (2025) will drop on July 18 via XL Recordings. It’s his biggest statement yet, building on years of raw storytelling and restless experimentation. With this release, he’s taking his place at the centre of a new generation shaping UK rap on their own terms.

Glastonbury 2025 was packed with surprise sets, emotional moments, and headline turns—from Loyle Carner’s heartfelt Other Stage therapy session to CMAT’s mass karaoke, JADE’s debut rebellion, The Prodigy’s rave resurrection, Lorde’s secret midday thrill, Skepta’s last-minute grime flex, and Kneecap’s protest-fuelled chaos. We hit the highlights and gave you the lowdown.

There’s no denying that it’s been a GREAT week for music, and what’s more, festival season is well and truly underway. Between Glastonbury week, the hottest summer we can remember since 2020, and the return of UK rap legend and national treasure J Hus, we’re sure you’re feeling pretty good today. Nonetheless, This Week In Music is going to make you feel even better. 

Mura Masa takes the north by storm on a three-leg tour, 'Local', powered by Relentless. We went along to the Bradford show to see what went down.

Royel Otis have dropped their latest single ‘car,' a stripped-down, sun-drenched track built on jangle-pop guitars and bittersweet goodbyes. Serving as the second preview of their upcoming album, hickey, which lands on 22nd August.

Frozemode have dropped their first track of 2025, and it’s a warning shot. “LOOKING AT US” is a loud, unfiltered blast of alt-rap fused with punk guitars and crowd-killing drums, building on their natural extension of the chaos they’ve built onstage over the past year.

Girl Group have released their debut EP, Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform, six tracks of no-filter, high-energy alt-pop that flips the idea of the girlband on its head. It’s loud, bratty, and smart as hell.

Amethyst's remix is a clean shift. Teaming up with DJ Shafkkat, she’s given her EP standout “Loving Is A Crime” a house flip that trades slow-burn soul for dancefloor energy without losing her voice in the process.

Artist-producer J P Rose gives us a touching yet vibrant offering with his latest single, Lonely Soul, in honour of Mental Health Awareness Month

What a week. If the heat’s got you beat, now’s a good time to cool off with This Week In Music. Stick it on at the BBQ or while hiding from the sun. There’s something in here no matter your mood.

Loyle Carner opens his fourth album with two words: "beautiful accidents." It’s a small phrase that quietly captures everything this record is about.

Moon Panda return with Lost World, the first look at their upcoming album Dumb Luck, out 3 October. It’s a track full of doubt, fear and quiet clarity. What happens when the foundation you’ve built your life on begins to crack? That’s the question Maddy Myers puts under the microscope.

Fred again.. kicks off 2025 with Victory Lap, a heavy-hitting collab with Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax. It’s frantic, hooky and built to destroy dance floors.

Girls Don’t Sync are building their own system. ‘Our House’ is a tight, ecstatic reminder of what they do best: connect sound with bodies, and people with each other. After road-testing it for the past year at shows around the world, the Liverpool-based four-piece finally drops the track that’s become a permanent fixture in their live sets.

King Isis close their three-part chapter with SIRENITY, a compact and chaotic EP that doesn’t aim to resolve anything. Instead, it embraces discomfort, moving through indie grunge, R&B, acoustic alt-pop and distorted rock with help from Bartees Strange, Monte Booker, Greyskiin and Estelle Allen. It’s not an ending, it’s a reset.

Joey Valence & Brae return with ‘WASSUP,’ a wild new collab with JPEGMAFIA that mixes 90s rap, breakbeats and pure mayhem. It’s their first release since NO HANDS and sets the tone for their next era.

Oculate UK's round-up of all the highlights in new music releases from the past week. Featuring: AJ Tracey, Nxdia, Col3trane, Girls Don't Sync, Raghd & more.

If we needed a reminder of who’s dominating the UK rap scene right now, then Lotus does just that. Not that we ever forgot - it's Little Simz.