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 like Aurora, Sebastián Yatra, Ryland James and Michelle 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.
Aurora, “A Dangerous Thing”
Aurora’s latest preview of new album The Gods We Can Touch, out Jan. 21, allows the Norwegian pop star to muse on the gray areas between beauty and violence while utilizing her whole range, sliding up into sky-high notes and delivering other lines as hushed warnings. Both intimate and universal, “A Dangerous Thing” sounds like a bridge toward even more listeners for the multi-talented singer-songwriter. – Jason Lipshutz
Michelle, “Expiration Date”
On “Expiration Date,” New York group Michelle understands that a recent break-up was for the best — “It’s okay / I know I’ll find another you” — but still revels in the current pain of having no one to text, and finding the bed too big with no one sharing it. Ahead of new album After Dinner We Talk Dreams and tour dates in support of Mitski, the pop-R&B collective has released one of their most touching and immediate songs to date. – Lipshutz
Ryland James, “I Give Everything”
Ryland James’ new single takes a bit to heat up, but when the hook arrives, the rising Canadian artist leans all the way in, his voice contorting into a raw confession as the percussion pumps up the pace. “I Give Everything” comes from an exhausted perspective but never sounds strained; James does a nice job of conveying his emotion without succumbing to it. – Lipshutz
Ylona Garcia, “Entertain Me”
At 19 years old, Australian-Filipino singer-songwriter Ylona Garcia exerts an impressive command over “Entertain Me,” rejecting any notions of being pigeonholed and demonstrating her vocal strength as the futuristic synth-pop production ramps up. Garcia packs a ton of talent and personality into three minutes here, and the result is a new playlist gem. – Lipshutz
Montell Fish, “and i’d go a thousand miles”
This 22-year-old Pittsburgh-based Christian music artist has a whopping 3.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and his latest single demonstrates why. The alternative and lo-fi “and i’d go a thousand miles” — which features nothing more than a simply strummed guitar and Fish’s echoing vocals — could just as easily be about finding love as faith, and it’s Fish’s ability to explore those in-betweens that makes his music so intriguing. – Lyndsey Havens
Sebastián Yatra, “Amor Pasajero”
Fresh off a charting hit thanks to the Encanto soundtrack (the current Billboard 200 No. 1 album), Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastián Yatra is keeping momentum with his solo single “Amor Pasajero.” The latest single in his catalog is full of sultry swagger, offering a bit of much-needed heat through these winter months. – Havens
Menna, “Smoke Signals”
Nashville-based independent artist Menna is making a splash with her uptempo dance-pop single “Smoke Signals,” on which her vocals oscillate over a slinky multi-layered beat that grows into a lush arrangement and culminates with a knockout note at the 2:35 mark. And while Menna repeats, “What do I have to do to invade your mind?,” the answer might be simple: play this song. – Havens
Tokyo’s Revenge, “In the Middle”
Even if you weren’t a fan of Tokyo’s Revenge’s viral TikTok hit “GoodMorningTokyo!” (he himself wasn’t, telling XXL it was “garbage”), it’s hard not to be knocked out by his new single “In the Middle.” As an eastern European violin riff brings to mind Transylvania, Tokyo’s Revenge launches into a wild, breathless rant that name-checks horror touchstones Jason Voorhees, Norman Bates and, um, Malcolm In the Middle. Fittingly, it wraps with an audio snippet from Night of the Living Dead – just like that DIY cinematic gem, “In the Middle” is a little rough around the edges but boasts energy, panache and creativity to burn from a talent who’s just getting started. – Joe Lynch
MARINA, “Pink Convertible”
Marina delighted her fans when she announced a deluxe edition of her fifth album, Ancient Dreams In a Modern Land, with five new gems (two of which are demos). Of the new set, “Pink Convertible” is the most fitting for modern times, telling the tale of our burning planet and how humans desperately try to ignore the world’s problems in pursuit of happiness. – Starr Bowenbank
Weeekly, “call”
After a solid 2021 with K-pop hits “After School” and “Tag Me (@Me),” Weeekly has returned in 2022 with “call” — a cover of EXID’s “Every Night” — and a new vibe to match. Instead of the girl group’s usual bubblegum pop melodies, they opt for a more mature route and experiment with acoustic guitar sounds and ’70s inspired bass, a possible teaser of what we can expect from a full-length. – Bowenbank
