10 Cool Pop Songs to Get You Through the Week: Sia, Corrine Bailey Rae, Madison Beer & More
Written by djfrosty on September 18, 2023
Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
These 10 tracks from artists including Sia, Madison Beer, Corrine Bailey Rae, Poppy and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist with all 10.
Corinne Bailey Rae, “A Spell, A Prayer”
After turning heads with her garage rave-up “New York Transit Queen,” Corinne Bailey Rae – best known for the neo-soul-pop classic “Put Your Records On” — has unreleased her full Black Rainbows album. As evidenced on the expansive, atmospheric opening track “A Spell, A Prayer,” the singer-songwriter is in the midst of a fruitful creative 180, refusing to limit herself to any one genre while still maintaining her meticulous approach to songcraft. The results are as eclectic as they are thrilling on this 10-song LP. – JOE LYNCH
Madison Beer, “Sweet Relief”
Hailing from Madison Beer’s latest album Silence Between Songs, “Sweet Relief” nicely demonstrates the pop star’s subtle, effective vocal choices when it comes to three-minute-song storytelling. Opening with a propulsive verse that conjures the slight melancholy of infatuation, the song lets loose on the chorus, with Beer conveying the feeling of an irresistible romantic obsession. – J. Lynch
Riovaz, “The Rake (Can’t Complain)”
Riovaz continues his genre agnostic journey through the ups and downs (though mostly the latter) of relationships with “The Rake (Can’t Complain).” It’s a single that proves high BPMs and emo lyrics pair nicely together, especially when refracted through the Jersey artist’s obsession with ‘90s dance, from drum’n’bass to house. – J. Lynch
K. Flay, “Punisher”
On the electric and menacing “Punisher,” included on K. Flay’s latest album Mono, the genre-blurring artist sings of a “great manipulator” and “vindictive dictator.” By the chorus, it’s clear who the villain in question is, as K. Flay admits to a relatable truth: “Nobody knows how to punish me like me.” The confession sets the stage for the catchy chorus built around a whining riff and whispering voices — leaning into the notion that everyone is their own toughest critic. – LYNDSEY HAVENS
Poppy, “Motorbike”
Poppy goes sleek and seductive for her latest Zig single, “Motorbike,” tackling fierce femininity over darkwave synth instrumentation. Kicking off the track is an ominous voice that ponders, “I wonder why, nothing catches my eye, quite like the sight of a girl with a powerful machine between her legs” — a potential nod to her Poppy.Computer days — before descending into a full blown groove that sees her lusting after a girl ready to overpower the large metal machine. Whether the lust is in attraction or jealousy is up for interpretation. — STARR BOWENBANK
Sia, “Gimme Love”
While Sia has found great success in the past with motivational anthems like “Alive,” “Unstoppable” and “The Greatest,” new single “Gimme Love” — which previews her first solo pop album in eight years, out next spring — adopts a more pleading attitude, as the singer-songwriter begs for affection over echoing drums and a cloudy sea of synthesizer. The tone of “Gimme Love” doesn’t diminish its scale, however: Sia is still making pop music for enormous spaces, and her latest can fill any sized room. – J. Lipshutz
Leah Kate, “Desperate”
“God, I’m a mess right now,” Leah Kate squeaks right before launching into the chorus of “Desperate,” the most impressive new track on her recently released debut album Super Over. In between eye-rolls at her own clinginess and super-charged melodies that sound ripe for top 40 radio, Kate sneaks some unkempt vulnerability into the pre-chorus, giving a post-breakup track like “Desperate” a stronger, more empathetic foundation. – J. Lipshutz
Bella Poarch feat. Lauv, “Crush”
Midway through his new collaboration with Bella Poarch, Lauv declares, “Love Island is my favorite show”: the point that he and his co-star on “Crush” are making is that sometimes, you can go on TV, give out roses, and go home alone, without any drama following you off camera. “Crush” is low-stakes post-summer giddiness, with two skilled voices harmonizing about embracing the butterflies without putting down stakes; Poarch in particular sounds self-assured on this type of rhythmic pop track, tossing in vocal flourishes for good measure. – J. Lipshutz
Yumi Zouma, “KPR”
New Zealand quartet Yumi Zouma have been releasing music together for nearly a decade, and new single “KPR” demonstrates the way in which they keep getting better: after perfecting their brand of fine-tuned indie-pop, “KPR” delves into atmospheric, slightly askew shoegaze, and the results are even more rewarding. The single captures the range of vocalist Christie Simpson, who simmers beneath the production, steps forward into the silence, and commands the final hook. – J. Lipshutz
Hannah Diamond, “Poster Girl”
It’s hard to make bubblegum pop that sounds as effortless as Hannah Diamond’s “Poster Girl” — which perfectly matches the aesthetic of its single artwork, featuring Diamond surrounded by pop-star posters in her bedroom as a hair dryer becomes her low-budget wind machine. The synth lines and vocal melodies of “Poster Girl” sound instinctive, as if Diamond woke up one day with turn-of-the-century teenybopper smashes fully internalized; it’s a new single, but it feels time-honored. – J. Lipshutz