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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThis is a dated look back at Entertainment Weekly’s five-song Friday roundup published August 6, 2021—not a list of this week’s new releases. Its picks span dance-pop, R&B, rap, shoegaze and trap, with Nas and Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “Nobody” among them.
What the August 6, 2021 list represents
Entertainment Weekly’s Friday Five was a recurring editorial feature that selected five songs for the week. The August 6 edition was the publication’s own critical selection, not an objective ranking: the article gives no shared scoring rubric, listener survey or chart-based measure. The five tracks were The Weeknd’s “Take My Breath,” Victoria Monét’s “Coastin’,” Nas featuring Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “Nobody,” Deafheaven’s “In Blur” and Jack Harlow featuring Pooh Shiesty’s “SUVs (Black on Black).” Read the original Entertainment Weekly roundup syndicated by Yahoo.
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The five songs and the case EW made for each
The Weeknd — “Take My Breath”
EW heard a dance-floor lineage in the track, connecting its sound to 1970s disco, Giorgio Moroder-style synths, Michael Jackson and Daft Punk. The article also discussed the song’s then-new video. Those references are the writers’ interpretation of the 2021 release, rather than formal production credits or a current release update.
Victoria Monét — “Coastin’”
The roundup described “Coastin’” as sunny and groove-led, calling attention to a bass line reminiscent of Keni Burke’s 1982 song “Risin’ to the Top” and a trumpet solo. That comparison is a critical observation; the article does not establish a sample or interpolation credit.
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Nas feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill — “Nobody”
“Nobody” appeared on Nas’s then-new album King’s Disease II. EW framed Hill’s appearance as a rare return to rapping and focused on the verses’ reflections on privacy, public attention and her perspective on criticism of her lateness. For the reunion’s album context, the roundup identifies the track as a cut from King’s Disease II. The syndicated article’s “Nobody” discussion.
Deafheaven — “In Blur”
EW heard a tighter, hazier, shoegaze-influenced direction than the band’s preceding black-metal work, and placed “In Blur” in the context of the forthcoming album Infinite Granite. That genre language describes the article’s critical reading of the song, not a formal genre label.
Jack Harlow feat. Pooh Shiesty — “SUVs (Black on Black)”
The roundup characterized Harlow’s delivery as confident and playful, with Pooh Shiesty’s guest verse bringing a more menacing contrast. The appeal here, in EW’s account, is the tension between the two performers’ contrasting approaches.
Rank #2
- Format: Book
- Genre: TV
- Category: Shows & Movies
- Pub Date: 4/1993
- Page Count: 72
How to read the picks
The list is most useful as a snapshot of one publication’s listening in early August 2021. Its five selections offer different entry points: the retro dance references EW heard in The Weeknd, Monét’s warm groove, Nas and Hill’s pointed collaboration, Deafheaven’s shift in texture, and the contrast between Harlow and Pooh Shiesty. These are descriptive ways to compare the songs—not measurements or claims that one track is objectively best.
The roundup establishes its picks and contemporary commentary, but does not establish their present streaming availability, chart standing or current physical formats. It should therefore be treated as a historical recommendation list rather than a guide to what is newly released or currently available.
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