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 Rita Ora featuring Fatboy Slim, Bebe Rexha with Snoop Dogg, Christine and the Queens with 070 Shake 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.
Rita Ora feat. Fatboy Slim, “Praising You”
In the same week that Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj revived Alice Deejay’s “Better Off Alone,” Rita Ora’s latest single brings back another unstoppable 1999 dance cut: Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” receives a worthy facelift with the veteran producer stepping in as a featured guest on the track. The hook leans heavily on the past hit, and Ora re-creates the paused-vocal effect that precedes the first chorus of “Praise You,” but “Praising You” deviates from its source material in its verse, where the UK star locates and accentuates a feeling of newfound affection. – Jason Lipshutz
The Japanese House, “Sad to Breathe”
The opening minute of The Japanese House’s new track is something of a red herring for Boygenius fans looking to dive deeper down that indie-folk rabbit hole: after Amber Bain begins the track by singing about post-breakup hopelessness above a waterfall of pianos, “Sad to Breathe” kicks into gear with an unexpected dance flare-up, as if the shiny pop production is goading Bain into feeling better. The left turn scans as triumphant — not just for Bain’s emotional recovery, but for a song that blooms into a singular statement. – J. Lipshutz
Bar Italia, “Punkt”
Don’t be deceived by the slacker quality of Bar Italia’s new single: the London trio may express themselves with utmost disaffection as they pass the microphone between themselves, but “Punkt” sports a locked-tight groove and melodies that demand your attention, establishing a sense of claustrophobia that you can nod along to in two-and-a-half minutes. New album Tracey Denim is due out May 19, and if the rest of the album approaches the quality of “Punkt” and previous single “Nurse!,” Bar Italia is in for a breakthrough. – J. Lipshutz
Sabrina Sterling, “17 Pushing 24”
Newcomer Sabrina Sterling keeps the focus on her words throughout recent single “17 Pushing 24,” never allowing the instrumentation around her to swell that much above some guitar strums and light percussion as she ponders the endless directions her life may go: “I don’t wanna leave home, but I hate this town / If I move to the east coast, will I like myself?” Sterling is still finding her sound, but sounds comfortable putting her songwriting front and center on “17 Pushing 24” — a positive sign for what’s to come. – J. Lipshutz
Goth Babe, “Alone in the Mountains”
Alternative artist Goth Babe’s latest is a twinkling journey perfect for soundtracking a windows-down car ride — perhaps even “through the mountains” as vocalist Griff Washburn sings. Reminiscent of late 2000s indie-pop like Yeasayer or MGMT, “Alone in the Mountains” arrives just in time for summer and seems tailor-made for a midday festival set. – Lyndsey Havens
Christine and the Queens feat. 070 Shake, “True Love”
“True Love” arrives fresh off truly captivating Coachella performances, during which frontman Chris treated the tented outdoor stage like an intimate 100-person capacity venue. The latest single off Christine and the Queens’ upcoming album PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE, “True Love” is a stunning ode to just that with Chris and 070 Shake exchanging raw, enthralling whispers over what sounds like an ever-bleeping heart rate monitor– how fitting. –L.H.
Trapper Schoepp, “Diocese”
https://open.spotify.com/track/2eTJOcdYyaLWEJYIaZ5uVm?si=c93de1b11bcf45ff
Trapper Schoepp’s new album Siren Songs was recorded at Johnny Cash’s Cabin, and standout track “Diocese” certainly channels the Man in Black’s ability to tackle heavy themes without sacrificing rhythmic energy. It’s a jaunty, Irish folk-influenced tune that finds the Milwaukee singer-songwriter painting a tragic picture of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of the church that led to an adulthood of alcoholism. With the fresh, upbeat acoustics belying the difficult subject matter, lines like “the smell of incense makes her sick” hit all the harder. – Joe Lynch
Bebe Rexha feat. Snoop Dogg, “Satellite”
Bebe Rexha teams up with Snoop Dogg for — no shock — a song about getting high AF and “dancing outside my body.” It’s a buoyant, disco-inflected bop in the vein of “Hung Up,” and even if the topic is old hat for Snoop, he sounds particularly dexterous here, perhaps thanks to pop pro Rexha’s effortless aplomb when it comes to bringing the party. – J. Lynch
Gus Dapperton, BENEE “Don’t Let Me Down”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjj1gfINizA
Gus Dapperton and BENEE have reuinited on new track “Don’t Let Me Down,” a cautionary follow up to their 2020 collaboration “Supalonely.” Whereas that viral TikTok hit saw the pair lamenting on their luck in love, on “Don’t Let Me Down” the singers attempt to give it one more try, despite feeling weary of the object of their affections potentially leaving them worse for wear in the end. – Starr Bowenbank
SWMRS, “Dye Yer Hair (Alternate Version)
Rock band SWMRS — Cade, Cole and Max Brecker and Jamie Seiwert — made a song so nice, they had to do it twice. The original version of the group’s “Dye Yer Hair,” which featured crunchier, heavier guitar work and instrumental sensibilities of 2000s rock, got swapped for slightly softer and poppier, synth driven beats that gives the track an overall beachier feel that feels more than appropriate leading into the summer months. – S.B.
