Music News

A.G. Cook is one of the producers on Charli XCX’s Brat, and pop’s top club girl returns the favor on the title track to his expansive, three-disc 2024 album. Charli sings three words (yes, two of them are “brit” and “pop”) here, with Cook clipping and looping them over skittery synths that ping-pong around like agitated atoms under a flame. Buoyant, crisp and energetic, “Britpop” is a bright invitation to dancefloor liberation from one of the most influential dance producers of the last decade.  — JOE LYNCH

Keinemusik had a crossover moment in 2022 when two of its members, &Me and Rampa, produced a track on Drake’s dance album, Honestly, Nevermind. The German collective’s third member, Adam Port, followed them this year with his buzzing single, “Move” with Pakistani American producer Stryv and vocalist Malachiii. Clips of Port rinsing it in his DJ sets to ecstatic fanfare flooded social media months before its June release, and interest didn’t stall afterwards, either. To date, it’s collected over 420 million streams on Spotify and YouTube combined and has spent, as of publishing date, 26 weeks on the Afrobeats Songs chart, where it peaked at No. 1. And to make a big hit even bigger, pop star Camila Cabello later hopped on the October remix. — KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ

Released in May, the collaborative track from Aussie favorite Anna Lunoe and U.K. wizard Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs finds both artists flexing their considerable powers, with the pair together creating a house production at once tough and lush. The song, which arrived 10 years after the duo’s first collaboration, builds then breaks into a euphoric chorus made of a looped vocal sample, with this bright heater setting the tone for the album from which it came — the first studio LP of Lunoe’s long career, released this past October. — KATIE BAIN

The Dutch duo Anotr show their grasp of steamy disco-pop on “How You Feel,” with its searingly bright guitar, lithe, live-sounding bass line, and coquettish couplets: “If that’s how you feel, bring that body close to me/ Time to make it real, can’t keep this a fantasy.” It’s a slick update of the formula that buoyed golden oldies like Cerrone’s “Give Me Love” and Gino Soccio’s “Hold Tight,” floor-fillers that never forgot the importance of flirtation. — ELIAS LEIGHT

After years of public scrutiny, Grande started 2024 with a clear message to her haters: she hears them, and she’s not listening. “Yes, And?” kicked off her (literal) blockbuster year with the self-assured, house-forward anthem, which called listeners to leave their cares behind and free their spirits on the dancefloor. The refreshing release kicked off her Eternal Sunshine era, earned the multi-hyphenate her sixth Hot 100 No. 1 debut and even attracted a rare remix feature from Mariah Carey. — MEGHAN MAHAR

All the fat and extraneous detail has been cut away from “Chroma 002 L.A.V.A.”, Bicep and Benjamin Damage’s most effective collaboration, released in March. What’s left is cadaverously lean and relentlessly mean: Three words repeat over and over as a breathless beat and wriggling bass rush forward at a breakneck pace. It’s exhilaratingly simple, a testament to the power of brute force and blistering speed. — E. L.

There’s no greater energy than the anticipation and potential you feel while driving around aimlessly with your friends on a Friday night. Anything is possible and adventure — or at least a couple of laughs is around the corner. Barry Can’t Swim’s “Still Riding” captures that spirit with a sample of Kali Uchis‘ “Ridin Round,” matched with an upbeat house groove and swaying synths just off-kilter enough to feel a little bit dangerous. The driving layers unfold like the lights of the city coming to life, daring you to see what’s just around the corner, with the September track altogether serving as an exclamation point on the Scottish producer’s breakout year. — KAT BEIN

Few producers can fuse dance music and pastoral flute, and Bonobo is one of these select few. “Expander” was the producer’s only new release of 2024, and it’s a statement. On it, the England-born, Los Angeles-based low-key icon weaves said flute and a folksy female vocal sample with increasingly thick and crispy electronic production, until the whole thing indeed expands into the kind of cerebral but blood-pumping IDM that’s long been the Bonobo signature. — K. Bain

Few artists fuse dance with R&B and jazz so effectively (and seemingly effortlessly) as Cakes da Killa. The New York artist again demonstrated that ability on his third studio album Black Sheep (out on Tokimonsta’s Young Art Records) and its positively simmering February single “Do Dat Baby.” A collaboration with the reliably excellent Dawn Richard, the track balances smooth production with Cakes’ elastic and unmistakable flow, where here celebrates his sex appeal while talking about “pics on the gram, got these boys try to ravage.” — K. Bain

After scoring a U.K. No. 1 hit last year with “Miracle,” Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding reunited once again for its sequel, “Free,” a vibrant anthem that brings the magic of their ongoing collaborations to new heights. Another revisit of the ‘00s club sounds that remained very en vogue this year, this time they venture into euphoric piano house with cascading breaks and glowing synths. It’s a perfect storm of energy and emotion, as Goulding’s gossamer timbre soars alongside Harris’ melodies, capturing the liberating feeling of joy and loving whole-heartedly. — K.R.

Between his laidback, West Coast-inspired production and cool-as-a-cucumber vocals, Channel Tres has effectively made swagger a cornerstone of his music. Somehow, he takes it up a notch on the retro-funky “Cactus Water.” The Compton-repping artist channels (no pun intended) the sexually charged energy of Rick James as he describes an intimate connection that’s metaphorically (and perhaps also literally) psychedelic — and of which he’s thirsty for more. The second single from his debut album Head Rush, “Cactus Water” bridges Channel’s previous work and his more sonically exploratory full-length. — K.R.

When Charli sings “it’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me” at the top of “Von Dutch,” she doesn’t even come across as braggadocious: she knows how good Brat’s lead single is, and she’s merely stating facts. A heady mix of modulated vocals, slurred synths and a thumping electroclash beat from producer Finn Keane, “Von Dutch” is the sound of the party rolling up to your door – and in 2024, Charli XCX was the party. — J. Lynch

Released in April, the collaborative track by U.K. stars Chris Lake and Sammy Virji (with vocalist Nathan Nicholson), forecasted the season ahead with a moody track that fits its name. Lake and Virji pull off all kinds of cool moments on this one, with the track leveling up around the one minute mark with a galloping garage production and then introducing a gospel choir sample that hits like a welcome ray of sunlight on a cloudy summer day, before a track-closing chord change. “Summertime Blues” helped establish U.K. garage’s huge presence and profound influence on the scene this year. — K. Bain

Diplo, Sharam from Deep Dish and Canadian rapper Pony got together for the March loosie deep house single, “Anthem.” The magic of this one lies in its restraint, with the guys keeping the ravey production to a low simmer and letting Pony’s coolly purring flow on the versus (“young wild and free, extremely handsome,” he declares of himself) do the heavy lifting, with the simply undeniable melody of the chorus elevating this one to the status designated by its own title. — K. Bain

Some songs are just dripping in summer anthem glow, and Disclosure’s mighty “She’s Gone, Dance On” felt like an instant classic. Released singularly — and heralding no new album or sonic shift of greater weight — the track dropped in late May like a lightning bolt from the heavens and seemed to say, “Hey, it’s getting warm out. Why don’t you unplug from your doom-scrolling machines, go out and have a good time.” It’s basically one good sample of Ennio Morricone‘s 1978 “Dance On” on a glorious loop — and some six months later, we’re still not ready for it to end. — K. Bein

Dom Dolla, an expert purveyor of dancefloor bangers, and Swedish alt-pop queen Tove Lo linked for October’s collaborative track “Cave,” with the song marking the Aussie producer’s first foray into drum and bass. And yes, it slaps. The moody track opens with Lo’s unmistakable asking, “I got this hunger/ Are you alone?” and then 45 seconds in, a sultry, skittering D’n’B breakdown goes off and places the tune in a hazy late-night clubland, filled with darkly twinkling synths and questionable decisions. — ANA MONROY YGLESIAS

Welsh DJ/producer Elkka is a sorceress at creating dreamy, euphoric queer love songs for the dancefloor, and “Your Skin,” along with much of her sonically layered 2024 debut album Prism of Pleasure, is a perfect example of this signature. Loops of sampled, distorted vocals create an indiscernible and otherworldly chorus that dances amongst layered drums, Elkka’s sultry lyrics, and a thick, resonate bassline that hits just right. — A.M.Y.

After generating hype in the New York scene last year, 2024 saw the trio push the hard-launch button as Fcukers, sign to Ninja Tune’s Technicolor imprint and hit the road internationally. Discourse followed about the group’s authenticity, but there was little opposition to its hooky dance-pop and its Baggy$$ EP. That mini-set opened with “Bon Bon” and paired shades of Basement Jaxx-era big beat with vocalist Shannon Wise’s coolly spoken vocals. — THOMAS SMITH 

While filming The Crow in Prague in the summer of 2022, FKA twigs immersed herself in the city’s techno scene. The experience inspired her forthcoming third album, Eusexua, a probable portmanteau of “sexual” and “euphoria” she created to describe, as she says in the song’s video, “the pinnacle of human experience.” Like The Crow’s dark fantasy of love beyond death, the LP’s title track seeks a connection that transcends realms. An oneiric blend of glitches, whirring synths and her whisper-to-wail vocals, “Eusexua” feels personal yet expansive, euphoric yet haunting. As twigs’ first solo music in three years, it reaffirms that she’s still as surprising and innovative as ever. — K.R.

Earlier this year, Robert Hood described Floorplan’s music as “a soup, where the stock is house music and the seasoning is a little bit of minimal, a little bit of techno and a little bit of disco.” In practice, that often means looping throwbacks from potent vocalists — Ann Nesby’s “Lovin’ Is Really My Game” in “Tell You No Lie,” Aretha Franklin’s “Never Grow Old” in the duo’s own “Never Grow Old” — and imbuing them with enough pounding propulsion to shake walls and bust bunkers. On “What You Need,” the stabbing three-note horn line echoes Earth, Wind & Fire’s “On Your Face,” while the vocal sample evokes Franklin’s “Respect.” When the ingredients are of that quality, all Floorplan need to do is add a thunking beat and turn up the temperature. — E.L.

The mysterious and often masked French producer declared his dark intentions for the year with March’s “Hard Dreams,” which found the producer in Depeche Mode mode — and previewed his third studio album Gamma, released that same month. Industrial synths and an undeniable (and very baritone) vocal performance from Yan Wagner make this one pulse with desire, with the song also among the original productions Gesaffelstein played on the road this year, his stunning live show schooling audiences from Coachella to Brooklyn Mirage on the harder, sharper edges of electronic music. — K. Bain

British artist Hayla has helped create the blueprint for dance music over the last two years, with her power-lunged vocals and darkly emotive spirit featured on the 2023 Kx5 hit “Escape” and the John Summit’s 2024 smashes “Shiver” and “Where You Are.” In November, the artist released her own debut album Dusk, with the influence she had on her work with others in full effect across the ten tracks. The star across the album, and its especially stirring melodic house track “Fall Again,” is her rich and singular voice, which was easily one of the defining elements of dance music in 2024. — K. Bain

Ghettotech is defined by raw expression, unfiltered lyrics and propulsive rhythms, something that Detroit trio HiTech has in spades, honoring the pioneers that defined the genre in the late ‘80s and ‘90s while bringing a fresh spin to it. “Spank!” moves recklessly with a 153bpm tempo, infectious vocals and a slick piano line — and if the track is anything to go by, the trio’s impending Honeypaqq Vol.1 project and Coachella 2025 set will be unmissable. — T.S.

“I just need some exercise,” Horsegiirl states matter-of-factly in the pre-chorus to this sweat-soaked two-minute workout of a house-pop banger. Good news for the mysterious equine-masked producer and any listeners in similar want of physical exertion: Whether you’re getting it on the dancefloor or in the bedroom, “Take It Off” is the perfect soundtrack for getting in some real cardio, with its thumping bass, moaning synths and squeaking bedsprings invariably getting you in the mood for either loving or clubbing (or both). — ANDREW UNTERBERGER

Prior to its July release, “I Adore You,” the collaboration between French producer Hugel, German artist Topic, Iranian-Swedish producer Arash and South African singer Daecolm, had already become a summer hit when clips of the song began circulating online. Its rhythm is smooth and sensual; combined with the serenading vocals, it transports you to the dance floor of an open-air beach club, where you’re trying to convince the person you’ve been dancing with all night that neither of you has to go home alone. The song’s reach extended further with a genre-crossing remix featuring Ellie Goulding and J Balvin that dropped in November. — K.R.

For the lead single from his first album in nine years, the acclaimed producer turned to another legend, Honey Dijon – and the euphoric result is dancefloor gold. Long one of dance’s most thrilling DJs, Jamie brings the kinetic energy of his crate-digging sets to “Baddy On The Floor,” which, like 2022’s “Let’s Do It Again” (one of the handful of non-album loosies he released between 2015’s In Colour and this year’s In Waves) takes place under the disco ball in a way some of his earlier signature tracks, much less his work with The xx, never quite did. The style suits him. — ERIC RENNER BROWN 

With a seemingly endless stream of releases, remixes, collaborations and sold-out shows, Summit’s career soared in 2024 — and while this packed schedule would be daunting to some, with the release of his debut album in July, the musician assured listeners that he finds “Comfort in Chaos.” The title track finds Summit at his most experimental and serves as a grand introduction to his debut, immersing listeners in a progressive production that feels large enough for Summit’s recent stages, yet delicate enough to match the vulnerably of the tracks — including the hits “Shimmer” and “Resonate” — that follow. — M.M.

Of all the underground tracks to transcend club circles, Joy Orbison’s “flight fm” seems like an unexpected candidate. A nod to pirate radio stations, “flight fm” turns the dials across staticky textures and skipping U.K.-garage drums, overpowered by nose-diving bass that can both disorient a dancefloor and set it aflame. A must-play in many DJs’ sets (Four Tet, Caribou and Bicep among them), it found new life when Fred again.. reworked it in August with Playboi Carti, Future and Lil Yachty, and again when it soundtracked Chelsea FC’s video promo for their latest uniform. — K.R.

Justice made their comeback back in January with a double A-side, the Tame Impala-starring “One Night/All Night” and “Generator,” a monstrous rager that’s already a staple in the French duo’s head-spinning live sets. Inspired by gabber and ‘90s hardcore techno, the latter is a welcome jolt of chaos in an otherwise pop-leaning LP, pairing unexpected piano stabs and well-earned drops. It ensured that Hyperdrama lived up to its billing. — T.S.

As the first track on Hyperdrama, “Neverender” introduces the world to French electronic duo Justice’s sharpest and smoothest studio album to date. Ushering you in with glittering disco grooves and deep-space moods — on top of which sits the instantly recognizable voice of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, itself is a Justice upset, given the group has traditionally steered away from marquee vocal collabs. This song wasn’t tapped as the album’s lead single (that was the other Tame Impala-assisted track, “One Night/All Night”), but with all the dramatic heft and sonic precision that has become Justice’s signature, “Neverender” was immediately welcomed by fans as a catalog classic. It also serves as the big finale in the duo’s live show, layered with other iconic catalog singles and bringing the whole “Neverender” vibe to delightful and thematic fruition. — K. Bein 

Kaytranada and Channel Tres are a match made in heaven. Their collaboration, released ahead of the full Kaytranada album Timeless in June, teed up a steamy summer on the dancefloor. Tres’ mesmerizing vocals melt over Kaytranada’s dark beat, brightened with reverberating horns for a hypnotic journey that you can’t help but groove to. Fans got to experience the artists’ synergy in person, as Kaytranada brought the Timeless experience to life on tour, with Tres as his special guest across all dates. — M.M. 

Opening the second half of LP Giobbi’s October album Dotr, “Love Come Through” makes for some of the most straightforward dancefloor fare on the album, with gentle and layered percussion and soft vocals from singer and producer Panama building to a lush climax that Giobbi dials up the emotion on with a gorgeously layered violin. This track also sets the stage for the two that follow, with the “Love Come Through,” “Succession,” “Really Good” hat trick marking some of the best and most experimental moments of the 17-track project. — K. Bain

With its waterfall of blinking synth stabs, floating atmospheric background, punching beat and nostalgic lyrics, “Ripples in the Timeline” sucks you in like a raging undertow right out the gate. It’s frenetic and fast-moving, and somehow still languid, like a raver on the dance floor whose body moves to the beat while their mind is somewhere else entirely, exploring inner space. Australian producer Mall Grab was ecstatic to work with the U.K.’s Real Lies on the song, naming the group one of his “favorite bands of all time.” That passion certainly comes through here. — K. Bein

With over four million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Mau P is certainly not underground — but on “Beats for the Underground,” he recognizes the widespread appetite for a darker, tech house vibe. The highly anticipated release was first teased in 2022 and incorporated into his sets throughout 2023 – and the wait was worthwhile, as the final release is a stellar testament to the Dutch producer’s ability to mesmerize a crowd. Despite the long runway to its release, this January drop endured throughout the rest of 2024. — M.M.

Brazilian wunderkid Mochakk kept his devoted global fanbase waiting after dropping the Loletta Holloway-sampling, dancefloor activating “Jealous,” but its follow up “Locomotiva Ibiza 2099” (both tracks dropped on Circoloco Records; he’s a regular at their parties) was well worth the 11-month wait. The six-and-a-half-minute heater, featuring a heavy dose of sass from techno-pop maven Vtss, takes you for a ride from the moment it begins, complete with a driving bassline, wiggly synths and thundering train sounds. Thankfully, the hot tune was part of a two-part, six-track EP, featuring three other big tunes and two remixes, a taste of the dynamism and eclecticism of Mochakk’s energetic DJ sets. — A.M.Y. 

Earlier this summer, British DJ and producer Mura Masa – real name Alex Crossan – slipped out his fourth LP, one that somewhat flew under the radar. Curve 1 was a back-to-basics club record, eschewing A-List guests for a handful of trusted vocalists to elevate its harder cuts. Singapore-born, London-based alt-pop artist Yeule was one of them, and they bring joyful abandon to “We Are Making Out”, an ode to snogging on the London Underground’s various tube lines. Mind the closing doors! — T.S.

London producer nimino came seemingly out of nowhere this year with his August viral track “I Only Smoke When I Drink.” An ode to drinking, then smoking, in order to avoid thinking about a seemingly tormented romance, the song is a light and punchy duet with a stuttering beat that’s spent 15 weeks on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and also clocked more than 20 million engagements on TikTok. A one to watch for 2025, indeed. — K. Bain

There’s the EDM we know and love, and then there’s Girl EDM: a multifaceted celebration of femininity through dance, signature to Ninajirachi, and also the name of her September album. Across the project the glitchy, pitched sounds of hyperpop are punctuated by rave-ready beats that make every song hit even harder: especially on album opener “Angel Music,” a swirling, frantic collaboration with New York City duo MGNA Crrrta. On it the artists channel “Bangarang”-era Skrillex while making clear, as the vocals go, that this is “girl music” — with shimmery but hard-edged fourishes, and the occasional tongue-in-cheek (“weird!” one announces) vocal drops. — M.M.

Welch electronic duo (and brothers) Overmono lay a spare, spacious production made of a skittering percussion and passing clouds of synth, then get the hell out of the way of the vocals by South London singer/songwriter Ruthven. His plaintive minor key delivering is full of longing and melancholy, which can be a tough mood to nail on a song ostensibly meant for the club. But overall, July’s “Gem Lingo (ovr now)” is the kind of set-closer fare that finds people just singing along with their eyes closed, and maybe a few tears leaking out. — K. Bain

In the middle of the track list of Peggy Gou’s 2024 album I Hear You, “(It Goes Like) Nanana,” last year’s crossover smash that helped the South Korean producer level up her crowds, is placed next to “Lobster Telephone,” a spiritual follow-up that recaptures a lot of its predecessor’s slinkiness. Gou excels when juxtaposing airy, uncluttered production with a relentlessly thumping beat, and “Lobster Telephone” doubles down on her strengths — with a great breakdown to boot. — JASON LIPSHUTZ

Spun from a melody that came to one of its members in a dream, Rüfüs du Sol’s “Break My Love” is more than a promise of enduring love. There’s a determination, even defiance, in its refusal to let go in a push-and-pull relationship when the other side keeps pulling away. But the standout track from the Aussie trio’s latest album Inhale / Exhale captures you before a single word is uttered. Its slow, hypnotizing rhythm is led by what drummer James Hunt describes as a “weird… psychedelic stutter,” which deepens its grip on your gut with each loop – a perfect companion to the lyrics’ steely resolve. — K.R.

When Sammy Virji and Interplanetary Criminal come together, chaos erupts in the best way. The rising U.K. garage stars teamed up on “Damager,” a speed-garage track that’s bursting with untamable energy: a brisk bassline, sampled vocals (from 2000’s “Just Begun,” by rapper Apathy) sped up like someone on their fourth cold brew and drums that wallop like whack-a-mole. Virji premiered the track during his Boiler Room Denver set, and in every video clip of it since, the crowd’s whooping and jumping with their hands in the air – all in one heaving mass – pretty much sums it up. — K.R.

SG Lewis and Tove Lo are basically partners in crime, having worked on each other’s albums before teaming with Nelly Furtado for May’s sultry “Love Bites.” They officially cemented their partnership with June’s Heat EP, a tribute to the vibrancy of queer nightlife. The set’s title track pulses with acid house and trance influences, as Lo’s teasing refrain – “I already know you can’t take the heat” – invites listeners into a sweat-flinging whirlwind of desire. Like its racy music video, “Heat” embodies the carefree ecstasy of dancing with (and kissing strangers) on the dance floor. — K.R.

U.K. dance producer Silk’s stellar Regret the Morning EP hits an early high — somewhat literally — with its intoxicating title track. Over spectral synth flares and a frisky bass line, singer-songwriter Mali-Koa sings in acrostic form about a destructive relationship, before spelling out in call-and-response form on the immediately addictive chorus: “D-R-U-G-S please/ (Yes please!)”  It’s a narrative blur of sex, drugs and dance — set during already-discombobulating golden hours — where the regret seems to be just as much about what she can’t do any more as what she knows she probably shouldn’t. — A.U.

Shygirl set the scene for her breakout year with February’s Club Shy EP, a no-skips project from the British producer that featured this standout alongside German mainstay Boys Noize. Together, the pair maintain the effervescent vibe that marks Shygirls signature, while also giving this one some muscle in a ravey production that creates the foundation for the singer’s breathy delivery. Seven months after the EP’s release, she hit the road with Charli XCX and Troye Sivan as the support on their Sweat tour, bringing the Club Shy vibe to grateful fans across the country. — K. Bain

The mega-collaboration “Push” joined an exclusive club this past October when it aired in an Apple commercial, a feat that’s previously elevated artists like Feist and Sofi Tukker. Skrillex is already a household name, but the wobbling bass track propelled the U.K. dubstep revivalist Hamdi, Argentinian rapper Taichu, U.K. producer Offaiah and Turkish act contra all to a new level of visibility. “Push” had plenty of momentum before its May release, getting rinsed ‘round the world on numerous festival stages (including Skrillex’ Coachella headline set as part of PHM). Supposedly a preview of the producer born Sonny Moore’s upcoming album, it leaves fans eagerly anticipating what’s next in 2025. — K.R.

The Blessed Madonna caught Kylie Minogue at the right moment for her first proper album, Godspeed: revitalized as a commercial force thanks to surprise smash “Padam Padam” and her pair of top-notch Tension full-lengths, the pop icon is booking arenas, getting her flowers and game to lead strutting dance singles like “Edge of Saturday Night.” The collaboration works thanks to the urgency that both artists bring — the production crunches and Minogue pants, achieving nu-disco bliss by way of unyielding dedication. — J. Lipshutz

The first song (after a spoken word intro) on TSHA’s sophomore album Sad Girl is a deliciously euphoric going-out-with-your-besties anthem inspired by the ’00 electro she listened to while coming of age in a small U.K. town. It features warm, confident vocals from London dance pop artist Rose Gray, who sings of the freedom found on the dancefloor. “Rose was perfect for it because she’s kind of camp and a lot of fun,” TSHA said of the track. “We wanted to make a sort of Cyndi Lauper ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ vibes as a positive start to the album. I didn’t want the album to be doom and gloom.”This buoyant track is very far from that. — A.M.Y.

On “booboo,” left-field electronic maven Yaeji came out swinging with a joyful, buoyant club banger, one of two singles she released in 2024. The infectious three-and-a-half-minute track features a prominent bouncing bassline along with a playful sample of (and lyrical reference to) her 2017 breakout hit “Raingurl.” (“You know that I wasn’t really ready at the time; you know how the growing pains just don’t stop, yeah?” the producer acknowledges in her spoken word delivery.) It’s also a celebration of the joy found on the dancefloor with friends — and, for Yaeji, of a decade of raving with her fellow creatives in New York’s underground. — A.M.Y.

Turns out John Mayer is the perfect guest vocalist for smooth, lightly tropical and ’80s-derived dance-pop — who would’ve guessed? The answer, of course, is “everyone.” But still, no one actually put a plan in action to make it happen until Zedd enlisted Mayer to step his way the dancefloor on “Automatic Yes,” from his rock-solid 2024 LP Telos. Getting the King of Minivan Rock to play the boyfriend you shouldn’t keep coming back to (but usually do) over plinking electric piano — and provide a ripping guitar riff on the outro? I mean… it certainly ain’t an automatic no. — A.U.