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 Ellie Goulding, NewJeans, JP Saxe 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 our 2023 pop faves.
Ellie Goulding, “Just For You”
“When I listen back to it I visualize myself floating, slowly downwards but never falling,” Ellie Goulding says of her new full-length Higher Than Heaven in a press release, and album highlight “Just For You” does provide that feeling of gradual, serene collapse. Goulding has long excelled at this type of sleek synth-pop track, but “Just For You” sounds especially centered in its dance floor shimmer, the rush of the bridge hovering above warm sighs and coos. – J.L.
JP Saxe, “I Don’t Miss You”
JP Saxe’s new single was co-written by, and features guitar work from, his current touring partner, John Mayer — and you can hear his influence on the song’s pillowy melodies and Saxe’s relaxed vocal approach. The intensity of recent singles like “When You Think of Me” suited Saxe’s range well, but a song like “I Don’t Miss You” offers an unexpected, delightful release of the thematic and sonic tension that’s been building in the singer-songwriter’s catalog. – J.L.
Wallice, “Best Friend”
When Wallice tours with The 1975 later this summer, new single “Best Friend” is going to hit those sprawling crowds like a shot of adrenaline: regardless of whether or not you know the lyrics to the chorus, that hook flares up with abandon and the guitars buzz like the song is angling for spins on a long-lost ‘90s alt-rock radio station. The last 10 seconds of “Best Friend” offer the listener a chance to his or her breath, and considering the preceding swirl, it’s much-needed. – J.L.
Overmono, “Good Lies”
While British duo Overmono have been sharing previews of new album Good Lies over the past few months, the title track demonstrates just how far the electronic pair is reaching: the entrancing two-step that Smerz’s voice follows on the track, paired with the waning synths, helps underline the festival-ready power of that garage beat kicking in. “Good Lies” sounds primed to make a lot of people groove along in unison, in a way that Overmono hasn’t quite unlocked before now. – J.L.
Ricky Montgomery, “Eraser”
The central push-pull of Ricky Montgomery’s new single “Eraser” is in the declarative statements and rhetorical questions, as the singer-songwriter tries to grapple with who he is and how life’s lessons can help prepare him for the next phase of his professional and personal life. And while “Eraser” is defined by that searching, the songwriting is rendered with such care and succinct messaging that the listener can’t help but pay attention to Montgomery, whose Warner Records debut arrives later this year. – J.L.
Mahalia, “Terms and Conditions”
Mahalia has described new single “Terms and Conditions” as “a love letter to myself whilst being a warning to others”; that might read as defensive, but the track bathes the listener in self-sufficient power, with the R&B star examining her boundaries while encouraging others to set their own. “Terms and Conditions” finds Mahalia applying her technical skill to a successful songwriting concept, and using that compound to send her artistry upward. – J.L.
Corook, “CGI”
The type of breathy funk-pop that Corook attempts to pull off on new track “CGI” often includes a high degree of difficulty, but (unlike too much actual CGI) the movements come across naturally, as if Corook’s recording career has been winding up to eventually strike this pose. In some ways, they have: “CGI” is about the intense attraction Corook feels for their girlfriend after five years together, grounding a universal feeling in a personal reality. – J.L.
Yaeji, “Passed Me By”
All of Yaeji’s striking new album, With A Hammer, is worth perusing, but new single “Passed Me By” best encapsulates her ambition, shapeshifting into different melodies and mixes in jarring fashion — but also giving the listener a drooping “na-na-na” hook to grab onto and shake for all its worth. Yaeji’s voice (and the way that it’s produced) will always be a calling card, but the manipulation of the scenery around that voice is what makes “Passed Me By” truly sing. – J.L.
NewJeans, “Zero”
NewJeans have made their return, but not in a typical way — the K-pop girl group’s newest single, “Zero,” actually serves double duty as an advertisement for Coca-Cola’s zero-calorie beverage. The result is as refreshing as a cold sip: incorporating a well-known Korean nursery rhyme dating back to the 1940s into the catchy chorus (“coca cola mashita”/“coca cola is delicious”), the track is infectious while pushing the group’s sonic boundaries through use of sputtering, bouncy breakcore beats. – Starr Bowenbank
Baby Storme, “Alt Disco”
Baby Storme gives Jenna Ortega’s iconic dance in Wednesday a second life in the video for her new track “Alt Disco.” Shedding the pain and heartache discussed in previously released track, “Painkillers,” the New York native is ready for a night on the town and brings her closest friends along for the ride. The sparse instrumental, which features light guitar work and synth, highlights the purity of Storme’s vocals and allows them to shine. – S.B.
