cool new pop songs
12/18/2024
Conan Gray, JADE, Remi Wolf and many more served up pop tracks that should have crossed over this year.
12/18/2024
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 tracks from artists including Jimin, Amy Allen, Pure Shores and more will get you energized to take on the week.
Coolest Pop Song of the Week: Jade, “Angel of My Dreams”
2024 has been a busy, bordering on hectic, year for pop music so far, between the A-lister album rollouts (Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Ariana Grande), new stars becoming brand names (Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Shaboozey), unexpected mainstream comebacks (Charli XCX, Hozier, Tinashe), and ever-present superstars making hay out of new albums, singles or feuds (Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Kendrick Lamar). These seven months have been so breathless in the pop world that it’s undoubtedly been more difficult for other artists to cut through the noise and headlines, and garner attention for their own songs or projects.
Sometimes, though, something comes out that refuses to tumble into the streaming void — something so immediately original and attention-grabbing that you can’t help but run it back, dig deeper, get sufficiently hooked. That’s how Jade’s “Angel of My Dreams” functions: the debut solo single grabs your shoulders and shakes them relentlessly, demanding your focus with a shape-shifting hook, jarring transitions and an off-the-wall vocal performance. “Angel of My Dreams” has sky-high ambitions — this song refuses to settle for anything less than exhilaration. And in a competitive space, Jade has dropped one of the best singles of the year.
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Considering her pedigree, this isn’t shocking: Little Mix, which ran for a decade as a highly successful UK girl group, boasted Jade Thirlwall as a vocal force and co-writer on some of the quartet’s biggest hits, including “Wings,” “Move” and “Shout Out to My Ex.” After her group mates Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Anne Pinnock all made their recent solo debuts, Jade was the final member to make her bow, after signing to RCA Records in 2022. And while that position often stymies pop group alumni trying to separate their work from the already-launched solo projects of their fellow members, Jade has emerged with a purposeful vision: “Angel of My Dreams” not only crackles with well-drawn sonic features, but reintroduces the singer as an unflinching pop thinker, ready to bake years’ worth of industry experiences into a three-minute single.
Above all else, “Angel of My Dreams” is a commentary on the pop machine, with the tension between its dreamy bubblegum chorus and steely robo-thump verses representing the warmth of the spotlight and cold behind-the-scenes realities. “Sold my soul to a psycho / They say I’m so lucky / Better act like you’re lucky, honey,” Jade intones, tossing out a delicious homonym (Little Mix was signed to SYCO Records, of course), before the chorus kicks back in, this time sped-up and acting like pre-programmed TikTok fodder.
“Angel of My Dreams” is brimming with melodic change-ups and smart details, but never sounds too disjointed, or clever for its own good. Working with producer Mike Sabath (who helped Raye break through last year with “Escapism”) and co-writers Steph Jones (Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”) and Pablo Bowman (Marshmello and Jonas Brothers’ “Leave Before You Love Me”), Jade has crafted a testimonial that still prioritizes being a five-alarm banger.
Little Mix never had a single catch fire in the States, and “Angel of My Dreams” is probably too off-the-wall for U.S. pop radio. Regardless of its chart prospects, though, Jade’s solo debut is too bold to go unnoticed — and, whatever else comes out before the end of the year, her next move deserves to be hotly anticipated.
Here are some more new pop songs worth checking out this week…
Jimin, “Who”
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 tracks from artists including Perrie, Tinashe, Mimi Webb and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your […]
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 tracks from artists including Conan Gray, Glass Animals, Chappell Roan and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems […]
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 tracks from artists including Leigh-Anne, BABYMONSTER, Frank Turner and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your […]
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 tracks from artists including Porter Robinson, Artemas, Empress Of and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into […]
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 tracks from artists including Lizzy McAlpine, jxdn, Lava La Rue and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems […]
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 Lauran Hibberd, Ariana and the Rose, Shygirl 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 of all 10.
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Shygirl feat. Cosha, “Thicc”
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“Thicc” thumps, ceaselessly and irresistibly, in the way that all great club music pulses through your veins; British producer Shygirl has experimented with dance’s pressure points throughout her career, but her new single featuring Cosha delivers a straight hit to the listener’s pleasure center. The track should be a staple of crowded dance floors in the coming months, as well as an immediate pick-me-up in your headphones after a long day. – Jason Lipshutz
Biig Piig, “Watch Me”
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“It’s a song to feel yourself unapologetically and to strut to,” Biig Piig explains in a press release for new single “Watch Me.” “Telling the world, ‘I am that bitch, watch me.’” While the Irish artist showcases that confidence in her commanding vocals on the track, “Watch Me” adopts an industrial whirr that turns hypnotic in its back half, particularly as the drums kick back in to emphasize the darkly lit, alluring production. – J. Lipshutz
Lauran Hibberd, “Mary”
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UK pop artist Lauran Hibberd has bulldozed her way back into our lives with three minutes of undeniable sunshine: “Mary,” a pop-punk anthem of the highest degree, swivels through hooks and blurted-out double-date details with aplomb, and Hibberd tosses out plenty of charisma along the way. Can the Warped Tour return solely for “Mary” to serve as its authoritative new soundtrack? – J. Lipshutz
gglum, “Easy Fun”
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Having recently signed to Secretly Canadian, gglum’s first few singles present a bold new vision of indie-pop, mixing guitar fuzz, sweetened hooks, classic emo flourishes and drum-n-bass undertones. “Easy Fun” takes a few listens to wrap its arms around you, but the attention to detail sets the track apart, with each moment containing carefully considered pieces of instrumentation moving in conjunction with each other. – J. Lipshutz
Ryder Beer, “Can’t Take It”
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Ryder Beer, the younger brother of Madison, makes an attention-grabbing studio debut with “Can’t Take It,” an emotionally charged slice of synth-pop that demonstrates his gentle voice and ability to attack spaces of silence within complex production. The highlight comes at the very end, as the track concludes with the dangling question, “Where do we go?”; Beer will provide an answer soon following this strong start. – J. Lipshutz
Crawlers, “Call It Love”
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British rock band Crawlers took off in 2021 thanks to their viral hit “Come Over,” and the British rock band has sustained momentum since; as it gears up for the February release of its debut album, The Mess We Seem To Make, second single “Call It Love” proves why. The aching alt-rock song sounds like how it feels to be the last pair on the dance floor — a sign of time well spent, and also of a bittersweet impending end. – Lyndsey Havens
Lloyiso, “I Hate That I Care”
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The latest from rising soul-pop artist Lloyiso is reminiscent of the 2010s amped-up electro-pop hits à la Disclosure’s “Latch” — and much like that song’s vocalist Sam Smith, Lloyiso possesses the same passion and soul that makes his vocal delivery all the more convincing, especially on lines like, “Don’t care if I lose / I’ll fight for you.” Just one listen is all it takes to believe him. – L.H.
Frost Children, “Marigold”
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Frost Children’s 2022 LP Spiral was a genre-hopping affair touching on electro-pop, hyperpop and bratty emo, but the sibling duo’s 2023 album Hearth Room is as soft and inviting as the furry pups on its album cover. Accessible doesn’t mean predictable, though, and songs like “Marigold” demonstrate that you can balance sweet harmonics with compelling sonic flourishes, creating sturdy indie-pop delights that deserve repeat listens. – Joe Lynch
Ariana and the Rose, “Cosmic Lover”
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As staccato, arpeggiated synths a la “I Feel Love” dance around the speaker channels, Ariana and the Rose urges you to “f—k the noise, come on boy” and hit the interstellar dance floor on “Cosmic Lover.” The video arrives with a remix from Initial Talk that transports you back to NYC’s famed Danceteria circa 1983 – a time-travel loop we’re happy to get lost in. “The music video, remixes and tour feel like a perfect way to close out this [Lonely Hearts Club] album, I cannot wait to be singing these songs with everyone at the shows,” says Ariana. – J. Lynch
Evanescence, “Breathe No More”
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Twenty years has passed since Evanescence released its 2003 debut, Fallen, and now a few vault tracks have been given their chance to shine amid the record’s 20th anniversary re-release. The newly remastered version of “Breathe No More” is one of them — originally relegated to a B-side, the piano-driven track channels the greatness of the tragic yet touching ballads “My Immortal” and “Hello,” allowing Amy Lee’s crystal-clear vocals to delicately soar over twinkling keys. Whereas the prior two tracks found Lee grappling with painful memories and death from a child’s point of view, “Breathe” is a hard look in the mirror following a toxic relationship, as Lee wonders if she likes the person she has become. – Starr Bowenbank
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 Cannons, Måneskin, King Mala 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 of all 10.
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See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Cannons, “Heartbeat Highway”
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“Heartbeat Highway” — the title track of Cannon’s fourth album — sounds just as one would expect: like the steadying soundtrack to a windows-down highway cruise. Over its career, the dance-pop act has perfected the craft of mid-tempo, breezy songs that are irresistibly soothing — and sound equally at home blasting from a car or a festival stage. – Lyndsey Havens
Sheer Mag, “Playing Favorites”
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Philly rockers Sheer Mag recently announced its first album in four years, Playing Favorites, coming out this March on Third Man Records. “We put everything we’ve got into these songs and can say with confidence that it’s our best work yet,” reads an Instagram caption announcing the project. The title track is proof enough, with frontwoman Christina Halladay confidently declaring: “God it’s been such a long time / Since we laughed so hard that we cried.” – L.H.
Flowerovlove, “A Girl Like Me”
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South London teen Flowerovlove has cited Tame Impala, Frank Ocean and SZA has inspiration. And yet, her sound isn’t a copy paste of any one influence, as “A Girl Like Me” blends airy psych rock production with alt-pop melodies. But the song’s strength is in her writing, which not only asks a question every girl once has (“Would a boy like you like a girl like me?”) but happily carries on without any concern over what the answer may be. – L.H.
Måneskin, “Valentine”
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Italian rockers Måneskin started the year with the release of its third album Rush! and now, the band is closing the year with the release of an expanded edition titled Rush! (Are U Coming), which adds five new songs to the tracklist. The creeping, slow burn “Valentine” stands out for the way in which the entire song — from the vocals to the riffs to the tempo — seems to ache, putting a darker spin on the notion of a valentine. Classic Måneskin. – L.H.
Will Linley, “Magic”
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Will Linley is an emerging South African alt-pop artist who, at the age of 22, infuses his music with a contagious and youthful feel-good energy best heard on latest single “Magic.” On the song, he describes the magical chemistry felt with a love interest — singing of the “moonlight across your face” and how they “both missed the last train home” — painting a picture of young love that is both new and nostalgic all at once. – L.H.
Girli, “Nothing Hurts Like a Girl”
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In Rita Mae Brown’s trailblazing 1973 book Rubyfruit Jungle, her protagonist likens switching from straight sex to lesbian sex as “the difference between a pair of roller skates and a Ferrari” — and the out-and-proud music of girli is very much a synth-pop celebration of that feeling. On “Nothing Hurts Like a Girl,” however, the London-based artist bemoans the fact that higher highs are followed by harder falls, and the “heart breaks harder” on a queer breakup. But with a throbbing bass line, crisp guitar riffs and a sparkling assortment of synths, girli is dancing the pain away on this preview of upcoming album Matriarchy (May 17). – Joe Lynch
Alan Walker feat. Daya, “Heart Over Mind”
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Seven years ago, Daya scored the highest-charting hit of her career so far with “Don’t Let Me Down,” an EDM smash with The Chainsmokers; now, the pop star is back in the dance world playing muse to Norwegian producer Alan Walker on the sleek, glittery “Heart Over Mind.” While Walker brings some post-chorus fireworks with laser-beam synths, Daya controls the collaboration, her vulnerability in each verse blossoming into the siren cry of the chorus. – Jason Lipshutz
Rosie Darling, “The Longest Goodbye”
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“The Longest Goodbye” treads a similar piano-ballad path as “Boxes” from Rosie Darling’s recently released debut album, Lanterns, but the singer-songwriter sounds comfortably affecting in that pocket, allowing her voice to linger on phrases that help process post-breakup pain. “If all these walls could talk, you wouldn’t hear a thing / ‘Cuz all I do is cry, and no one’s listening,” Darling begins, the meter rising and falling with each dejected syllable. – J. Lipshutz
King Mala, “I Only Smoke to Feel Bad”
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While “I Only Smoke to Feel Bad” contains plenty of blurted-out confessions, jittery questions and defiant declarations that could power any number of TikTok trends, the standout track from King Mala’s new EP Spilt Milk also works as a snappy pop song, each hook all loose strums and handclaps. Don’t sleep on the production details, though — King Mala’s tucked-in ad-libs in particular help “I Only Smoke to Feel Bad” feel like a lived-in transmission. – J. Lipshutz
Alex Warren, “Yard Sale”
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One scene from the music video to Alex Warren’s new single “Yard Sale” finds the social media star hoarsely belting out the chorus while driving at dusk — purging the physical remnants of a breakup by spilling his guts from behind the wheel. With its oversized chorus and “hey!” punctuations, “Yard Sale” includes a strain of the early-2010s folk boom that make Warren’s latest a natural fit for alternative radio; this song sounds like it could be huge, and deserves to be. – J. Lipshutz
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.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
These 10 tracks from artists including Blu DeTiger with Mallrat, Lauren Mayberry, Mckenna Grace 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 of all 10.
Blu DeTiger featuring Mallrat, “Cut Me Down”
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Both Blu DeTiger and Mallrat have an abundance of self-assuredness — and when they join forces, it becomes impossible for anyone listening not to catch their confidence. On “Cut Me Down,” a dizzying pop song built around a groovy and defining bass riff, the two trade verses about no one being able to bring them down. Who would dare try? – Lyndsey Havens
Desire Marea, “The Only Way“
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South African artist Desire Marea was formally trained as a traditional Nguni spiritual healer — and his music is proof enough, with his soulful, feel-good approach. “The Only Way” previews an upcoming EP, The Baddies of isandlwana, out Nov. 9, and makes clear that for Marea, “the only way” he knows how to create is with a larger mission in mind. – L.H.
Allie X, “Black Eye”
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Creating a haunting pop song is light work for Allie X, but the Canadian auteur employs larger-than-life synthesizers — somewhere between the opening thumps of New Order’s “Blue Monday” and the hybrid of eastern European post punk/new wave — to create an ’80s-inspired gothic adventure on “Black Eye.” A solid addition to any Halloween playlist, this track sees the singer boldly embracing her pain and daring the listener to flinch at her lack of response. – Starr Bowenbank
Chelsea Cutler, “Loved By You”
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On a song that reflects on personal growth and identity within the context of a world-stopping global pandemic, Chelsea Cutler demonstrates the evolution that she’s experienced as a vocalist and songwriter. “Loved By You,” a highlight of new album Stellaria, finds Cutler sinking comfortably into each new thought and attacking the chorus with a persuasiveness that matches the track’s booming drums. – Jason Lipshutz
Lauren Mayberry, “Shame”
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“Shame” may be Chvrches star Lauren Mayberry’s second solo single following last month’s ballad “Are You Awake?,” but the new track feels like the start of a fresh, compelling stance: as she sings about internalized shame during different phases of her life, Mayberry navigates a shape-shifting soundscape, electronic zaps and fire-off vocal jabs buckling into stripped-down harmonies. The song is designed to shake Mayberry’s listener awake, and as both a standalone track and representation of her solo prospects, “Shame” succeeds. – J.L.
Wild Arrows, “Got to Know”
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New York singer-songwriter Mike Law is best known for his work with EULCID and New Idea Society, and created Wild Arrows as a means of releasing solo work quickly and efficiently. With that in mind, new single “Got to Know” possesses an effortless snappiness that sounds dreamed up in a matter of minutes — but listen closely, sniff out the string plucks and stray riffs, and you’ll realize how much work went into making a song this immediate. – J.L.
Madi Diaz, “Same Risk”
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Although Madi Diaz has opened for Harry Styles’ arena shows and is spending this month playing to large crowds in support of My Morning Jacket, “Same Risk,” which precedes her 2024 album Weird Faith, proves that she hasn’t lost an ounce of the intimacy at the center of her 2021 full-length History of a Feeling. “Same Risk” confronts relationship messiness with blunt emotion and musical vulnerability — a few sounds creep into view to join Diaz’s honest vocals and guitar strums, but never enough to overwhelm her words. – J.L.
Mckenna Grace, “Catch Me”
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“Why’d you make me fall if you weren’t gonna catch me?” McKenna Grace demands on the resplendent new single “Catch Me,” after the 17-year-old singer-songwriter has listed off the sparks of romance that went unrequited and dreams of a future that will never be fulfilled. Grace’s new EP, Autumn Leaves, ruminates on young heartbreak, and “Catch Me” best distills her talents as a storyteller and creator of woozy, richly textured pop. – J.L.
Cafuné, “Shadowboxing”
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Cafuné’s new EP, Love Songs for the End, may have been intended to soundtrack the finales of various life journeys, but Sedona Schat and Noah Yoo sound like their blissful mix of alt-rock and bedroom pop is just getting off the ground and morphing into something truly meaningful. “Shadowboxing” continues their upward trajectory, all sun-kissed harmonies and the type of elongated syllables that will work well in summer festival crowds. – J.L.
Yumi Zouma, “Be Okay”
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The moment that “Be Okay,” the latest single from New Zealand indie-pop mainstays Yumi Zouma, flares up musically is the same moment that the bitterness at the heart of the lyrics boils over into anger: “You crush me,” Christie Simpson wails, as the guitars bubbling beneath her voice rise up into a tidal wave. Yumi Zouma have traded in dreaminess for years, but “Be Okay” is a nice reminder that the quartet can handle fury, too. – J.L.