Ed Sheeran, Drake and More: Which New Release This Week Is Your Favorite? Vote Now!

Are you ready to press play? As autumn quietly arrives and students settle back into their schedules, a wave of new releases landed on Friday, September 12, 2025, offering fresh soundtracks for the season ahead.

This week’s biggest arrival comes from four-time Grammy winner Ed Sheeran, who has issued his eighth studio album, Play. The 13-track collection — the follow-up to his five-album Mathematics era — blends global influences with reflective songwriting. Lead single “Azizam” previously reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April, while “Old Phone” charted at No. 89; elsewhere on Play, Sheeran revisits themes of memory and longing on tracks such as “Heaven.”

Sheeran has described the record as a reaction to a difficult chapter in his life — a deliberate turn toward color, joy and the musical textures he encountered while touring abroad. The album travels through a wide emotional range, from exuberant, dance-tinged moments to quieter, nostalgic departures.

Also dropping new material this week was Drake, who revisits past motifs on his track “Dog House,” featuring Yeat and Julia Wolf. The song riffs on familiar themes of wealth and desire, and even nods to the chorus of his earlier Hot 100 No. 1 hit “One Dance.”

The release slate isn’t limited to pop and hip-hop. Alt-rock duo Twenty One Pilots returned with the album Breach, Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis linked up with Ravyn Lenae for the duet “Cry About It!,” dance producer John Summit teamed with Inéz on the emotive club track “Crystallized,” and Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall unveiled her first solo album, That’s Showbiz Baby!

Which of this week’s releases is your favorite? Cast your vote in our poll below.

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