Culture

Whether she’s crooning a bleeding-heart electro-R&B anthem like “Guilty Conscience” or providing an assist on a pop hit like Raye’s “Escapism,” 070 Shake oozes effortless cool — so when she decides to adopt a stadium rock posture on “Black Dress,” there’s never a doubt that she’ll be able to get the lighters up. “Black Dress” is massive but moves woozily, as if 070 Shake needs to get used to its size, but once that na-na-na hook hits and her charisma fully takes hold, “Black Dress” explodes, and lets its various fragments swirl in the sky above. — JASON LIPSHUTZ

A heavenly chorus of overlapping voices introduce Anjimile’s soul-rending croon on “The King,” before a cacophony of arpeggiated harpsichord keys bust in at the midway point. The King finds Anjimile taking indie folk to strange, beautiful and baroque places, and the Bible-mining title track is its crowning achievement.   — JOE LYNCH

Dream-pop duo Boyish fittingly tapped indie-rock royalty in King Princess for this emotive collaboration. A classic rock riff serves as the backbone for much of the song, allowing lyrics like “I said it with my chest / My daddy’s wrong about you” and the demanding titular line, “Don’t be such a mess, just kill your pain,” to take center stage. But it’s the song’s last 40 seconds that offer a different, less pragmatic take with a fuzzed-out, dizzying instrumental break that briefly allows a more chaotic emotional release for those in need. — LYNDSEY HAVENS

Following last year’s debut album Softmetal, Bronze Avery simplified his formula on the single “Scan and Copy,” boiling down its appeal to a laser-synth hook and his rich, fluttering vocals. The result is Avery’s most compelling pop track yet: “Scan and Copy” gains steam thanks to the intricately produced harmonies (which also nicely showcase Avery’s falsetto), but this is no-frills rhythmic pop as its most enjoyable, and Avery sounds at home without anything obscuring his appeal. — J. Lipshutz

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” indie singer-songwriter Claud poses to their maybe-significant other on “A Good Thing,” before counting to three for them both to answer simultaneously. Chances are the answer is “no,” since Claud’s thinking something few people (and fewer choruses) ever have the good sense to think: hey, maybe let’s just cool it and not think so damn much. “What if we just leave a good thing alone?/ Don’t try to fix it if it ain’t broke?”” they wonder — a truly inspired line of questioning whose good sense will undoubtedly just lead to both parties freaking out even more. But it never hurts to ask, especially over sweetly fuzzed-out ’90s guitar.  — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

There is a moment on the bridge of “Swine” where you can hear the sound of Demi Lovato letting out all of her anger. Listing off how birthing people in America have been “undercompensated” and “over-regulated” since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the star’s voice bursts into a scream, declaring that “we’re infuriated, got us activated!” When you pair their unrelenting voice with the song’s thrashing drums and wildly distorted guitar licks, you’re left with a unique protest anthem against oppressive systems that we desperately need in 2023. — STEPHEN DAW

Following the success of her first major label single “Persuasive,” Doechii earned her first Billboard Hot 100 hit with “What It Is (Block Boy).” The TDE MC flips the script (and hook) of Trillville’s 2004 crunk staple “Some Cut” in her search for a “block boy” to love and samples TLC’s 1999 smash “No Scrubs” for an undeniably nostalgic vibe. She later taps fellow Florida native Kodak Black to be the titular character, who fulfills her quest by rapping, “Behind every gangster, a shawty solid that got his back.” The duo affirm that anyone is deserving of love – regardless of their reputation. — HERAN MAMO

Following previous hits like the sultry “Boyfriend” and the biting “Breakfast,” Dove Cameron shows off her emotional, heart-wrenchingly tender side on this stunning piano ballad “Sand.” “But you have more pieces of me than the desert has sand/ And I have less pieces of you than I can hold in my hand,” she declares on the devastating ode to uneven love. The song reads just like a diary entry, humanizing the seemingly all-confident Dove and adding a level of relatability to her blossoming music career.  — RANIA ANIFTOS

It’s one thing to sing “I’m freaking out in the dead of night” — it’s another to compose a song that actually feels like it. The sweat-soaked panic of Sudanese-American singer-songwriter’s “Daylight Falls” is palpable from the warped acoustic guitars and theremin-like woozy synths that kick off the song, and only builds through the tense up-up-up-up bridge and finally explodes into the cathartic chorus singalong. Saleh understands that for the truly sleepless, daylight falling can be a mixed blessing: The fight against your mind’s darkest corners is temporarily over, but the battle is once again lost.  — A.U.

Sometimes relationships end with a whimper rather than an explosion — but as rising singer-songwrtier Idman revealed on “Hate,” that doesn’t mean the blast isn’t coming. This exemplary piece of confessional R&B songwriting showcases exactly what makes Idman as powerful an artist as she is. A simple guitar hook and stuttering beat accompany her stripped-bare voice, while she begs the universe for the strength to see a missed call from her ex and not “let it take me under.” When it comes to artistry and talent, there’s simply nothing to “Hate” here. — S.D.

So much of the queer experience is rooted in the stories society tells us, and the stories we tell ourselves. For Jeffrey Eli’s breakthrough single, the up-and-coming singer decided to reinterpret a few of those stories for his own sake. “Sleeping Beauty” is a delicate little thing; a tender ode to self-discovery, joined at the hip with a full-throated rebuke to bigotry and intolerance. The bare-faced lyrics pair sublimely with Eli’s blissful falsetto voice, as he celebrates all the things about himself that he was shamed into pushing down. Thanks to this ecstatic single, “Sleeping Beauty” is wide awake and ready to live. — S.D.

On the heels of the unexpected Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Unholy,” Kim Petras unleashed not one but two albums in 2023. The title track to her second LP, Problématique, is the German pop princess at her DGAF best, gently poking fun of the social media narrative around her rising star with a laughing flippancy. You could practically fall asleep in this lush bed of Euro-disco, if not for that bouncy bass line which makes you want to get up and shake it. — J. Lynch

When faced with the brutal reality of a toxic relationship, up-and-coming singer-songwriter King Isis decided to embrace it with the only thing that could best encapsulate their emotional state — apathy. “Make It Up,” the singer’s droning, deliciously sinister slice of rock-meets-R&B, is a masterclass in setting tone. Her lyrics aim at a lover who “loved me in the past tense,” while the shifting guitars drive home a foreboding sense of doom when it comes to their affair. But Isis doesn’t care in this moment — all she needs is a hand to hold while the world crumbles around her. — S.D.

There’s nothing worse than not knowing where you stand with your crush. It’s a feeling singer-songwriter Maddie Zahm expertly put to song on “Eightball Girl,” her jolting foray into full-throated pop music that asks the subject to just give us an answer. Zahm’s songwriting — as with the rest of the cuts off of her excellent album Now That I’ve Been Honest — shines with unvarnished candor, as she mulls over the myriad possibilities in the meandering verses. But when the choir-assisted, percussive chorus arrives, Zahm is at her most authoritative, taking control of the sound, the conversation and everything else. Unlike the titular character, we won’t dawdle; when it comes to “Eightball Girl,” all signs point to a resounding yes. — S.D.

MICHELLE – the New York collective – shines once again on the lead single from their upcoming EP. “Glow” (also the name of the upcoming EP) captures the group’s ever-evolving sound as Jamee Lockhard’s sultry vocals lead the chorus of “it’s never gonna happen” to a would-be lover. There was a time when the narrator believed they and the potential fling would be famous before they got old, but, over bouncy bass, the narrator sees the glow of that dream fading. — TAYLOR MIMS

MUNA has no time to be sad over the one that got away. In fact, they’re the ones who got away this time on their synth-pop power anthem. Filled with punchy jabs to a regretful ex (“You played it like a game / Never called it by its name / Isn’t it a shame”) and a melody made for belting along to in the car, MUNA makes a breakup seem weirdly fun and that’s so refreshing. — R.A.

In 2023, no one can capture sorrow in their voice quite as well as Omar Apollo. “Ice Slippin” is filled with chilling imagery of a love that’s turned cold after harsh words, long distance and lots of regrets (Ice slippin’, swear to God, could’ve hit the brakes/Steering wheel locked, almost said, “Fuck it”). Using details from a terrifying drive in the snow, Apollo captures the darkness and anguish of a flailing relationship with his haunting vocals on this lonely pop gem.   — T.M.

For the lead single of her debut LP of the same name, Reneé Rapp went for an ostentatious pop-rock ballad anchored by a hair-raising bridge suspended over what feels like perpetual crescendo – and what a perfect choice that was. “Snow Angel” finds the Sex Lives of College Girls alum wading through a sea of self-loathing, guilt, and heartache that preys on the melodrama that courses through each melodic line. An unlikely synthesis of her formative musical influences, “Snow Angel” is one of the most stunning pop songs of 2023.  — KYLE DENIS

Serpentwithfeet’s forthcoming Grip LP may not arrive until next year, but that’s not stopping the experimental Baltimore musician from unleashing some of the year’s best music in 2023. On “Damn Gloves,” he saunters into house music with some assistance from Grammy nominee Ty Dolla $ign and South African artist Yanga YaYa. Booming synths lay the foundation for this ode to the prized art of wining in a sweaty post-midnight function. “I don’t need no weed, I don’t need no liquor / I just wanna keep grind-grindin’ on my n—a / Whatever’s on his leg, good God, it’s gettin’ thicker,” he winkingly coos, reveling in the freedom of open expressions of queer sexuality and desire.  — K.D.

“Hell” is a bruiser of a lead single for Sleater-Kinney’s 11th studio album. Despite the song’s fiery title, “Hell” is a slow burn as the duo feeds lines about what hell means to them before launching into a scorching rock chorus. According to the band, the song is about how America has slowly created a living hell for itself and the track’s fury displays how we should all be feeling about the state of the nation.   — T.M.

Softee isn’t interested in the black-and-white, when so much of our lives exist in the gray. “Grief,” a woozy, shimmering cut off the singer-songwriter’s Natural LP, stands out amongst a sea of breakup songs as one of the most mercurial. The echoing production gives the track a destabilizing sense, which entirely fits with Softee’s on-the-fence performance, as she tries to work out exactly how she’s feeling after an out-of-the-blue interaction with her ex. “Grief ain’t a straight line,” she resolves, accepting the reality of recovery for what it is; unpredictable and obnoxious, unlike this stellar single. — S.D.

Electrifying rocker Towa Bird is injecting the genre with a fresh sense of urgency thanks to her riveting riffs and relatable relationship woes. On breakout track “Boomerang” – one of only four singles the buzzy artist has released so far – she likens her partner to the toy, affirming with contagious confidence, “I know you’re coming back.” But it’s the verses that drive home Bird’s brilliance, when she asks questions like “Maybe I’m being dramatic/Or is it romantic?” It’s a million dollar question – and maybe one that her next single will answer for us all. — L.H.

“I feel the rush” is a compelling enough opening line, but to actually deliver on said rush is its own challenge – and one Troye Sivan annihilates on this hot and heavy standout from his third album Something To Give Each Other. The video sets the tone for this dance-pop banger (the visual opens with a bare booty showing off a fresh slap mark), for which Sivan’s angelic vocals weave in and out of the warbling, synth-based production that ensures anyone within earshot can feel the high, too. – L.H. — L.H.

Victoria Monét wrote “On My Mama” roughly nine weeks after welcoming her first child in 2021 – and subsequently dealing with postpartum depression during COVID – as a beacon of light that others could glean from. It’s an “an anthem for affirmations, positive self-talk, manifestations, living in abundance, speaking things into existence,” she previously told Apple Music’s Ebro Darden. And its triumphant trumpets and old-school hip-hop swagger, thanks to the sample of Chalie Boy’s 2009 hit “I Look Good,” usher in a feel-good groove for everybody and their mamas. — H.M.

After a few years of releasing existential bops you could dance and cry to, VINCINT came out the gate in 2023 ready for some unabashed fun. With “Romance,” the queer pop phenom bottled up the euphoric rush of confidence, flirtation and perspiration you’re bound to find any given night in a gay club near you, and transformed it into pop gold. From the vocals down to the four-on-the-floor production, “Romance” bounces with the bravado we all needed throughout this year. — S.D.