Is Janet Jackson’s ‘No Sleeep’ a Worthy Return? Plus More of the Week’s Best and Worst New Singles
Janet Jackson
"No Sleeep"
Rhythm Nation
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After a seven-year hiatus, Janet Jackson returns to her Velvet Rope -era neo-soul sound for "No Sleeep," helmed by her old collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Her soft, sensual vocals are refreshing in a world of robotic Auto-Tune, but she feels too restrained, doing little to up the midnight-storm beat. — Steven J. Horovitz
?Janet Jackson Announces 'Unbreakable World Tour'
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Selena Gomez
ft. A$AP Rocky "Good For You"
Interscope
Former Disney star Selena Gomez casts off the shackles of her tween-idol past on "Good for You" with the help of A$AP Rocky. She sells charged lyrics like "Leave this dress a mess on the floor," but her PG-13-rated yearning and Rocky's braggadocio never quite align enough to make thematic sense. — Jason Lipshutz
?Selena Gomez Flies Solo in 'Good For You' Music Video
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Robyn ft. Maluca "Love Is Free"
Konichiwa/Interscope
After 2014's experimental mini-album with Royksopp, Robyn once again toys with her synth-pop on "Love Is Free," erring on the side of frantic house music. It's a strange shift for the forward-thinking Swedish singer, whose streamlined sound is missed on this five-minute dance freak-out. — J.L.
Robyn Premieres 'Love Is Free' From Her Latest Project: Listen
Lauryn Hill
"Feeling Good"
RCA
MatchingNina Simone's deep-souled ferocity is no easy task, but Hill does a damn good job on this track from Nina Revisited , a covers album out July 10. Her troubled career has some parallels with Simone's, and her vocals are much raspier than before, giving this take on one of the legend's signature classics some surprising heft and fitting subtext. — S.J.H.
Listen to this week's singles (and more music from this week's issue) in the playlist below:
This story originally appeared in the July 4 issue of Billboard .
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