On Friday, July 24, 2026, Fridayy announced his third studio album, Tension.
- Title: Tension
- Lead Single: “Haiku”
- Release Date: Friday, August 14
- Tour: “Don’t Look Down” supporting Rod Wave (September 12 — November 18)
On August 26, 2022, his life changed. DJ Khaled unveiled his thirteenth studio album, God Did, with contributions from Future, SZA, Eminem, Drake and more, but listeners were keyed in on one track in particular. “God Did,” the album’s title track, brought new verses from Lil’ Wayne, Rick Ross, and Jay-Z, along with vocals from John Legend. But to many’s surprise, neither Jay-Z nor John Legend was the first voice that listeners heard as the track began. Instead, it was the voice of Francis Leblanc, an emerging artist from Philadelphia better known as Fridayy, singing the intro. Showcasing his deep baritone voice and soulful gospel-infused delivery, he took an unexpected opportunity and set himself up for a career that has blossomed into successful singles, award nominations, world tours, and more.
“I probably recorded it a month and a half before the God Did album came out while I was at my mom’s house in Philadelphia. My room was right next to my mom’s room,” he told REVOLT’s Keith Nelson Jr. “I made that in the ‘hood, bro. I always made my music in my room on a small setup of my laptop, interface, mic, and speakers right next to my bed. So, I would wake up every day and make music next to my mom’s room.”
Since that night in August 2022, Fridayy has never looked back. Two albums, four GRAMMY Award nominations, and a world tour with Buju Banton later, he has become one of the brightest young stars in R&B. Now, less than 18 months after the release of his sophomore album, he has set the stage for his new LP, Tension.
“Tension shows a different side to me. I followed what felt good and let the music take me somewhere new,” he said about his upcoming album. “There’s still a lot of heart in these records, but there’s also this fun vibe to them. ‘Haiku’ sets the tone for everything that’s coming.”
On Friday, July 24, the Philadelphia native shared the first offering from the project, a single called “Haiku.”
