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 PinkPantheress, Reneé Rapp, Baby Queen 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.
Baby Queen, “Dream Girl”
Rising British pop star Baby Queen has demonstrated a knack for sunny pop melodies and sardonic lyrics from her first singles, and new track “Dream Girl” shrugs off cynicism for an earnest declaration of unrequited adoration. The singer-songwriter deploys endless rhetorical questions (“Does he give you everything you need? And baby, do you ever think of me?”) to prove herself more worthy of love than some lame boyfriend, and does so with an array of bouncy, undeniable hooks. – Jason Lipshutz
Frankie Bird, “Twenty Nothing”
At the beginning of the “Twenty Nothing” music video, Frankie Bird, the singer-songwriter who formerly went by Frankie, breaks the horizon, striding down the middle of an empty street with a guitar strapped to her back; the shot is an apt metaphor for the singer-songwriter, who spends the single looking back on her tumultuous twenties and looking ahead to her next artistic era. “Twenty Nothing” pinpoints disappointment through musical evolution: the country-tinged production and harmonies prove affecting as she expands her pop-rock environment. – J.L.
Mahalia feat. JoJo, “Cheat”
Searching for a modern, more feminism-forward take on Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy is Mine”? Look no further than “Cheat,” on which Mahalia and JoJo brush off a dude who’s two-timing them while leaning into the turn-of-the-century rhythmic pop production (the music video, complete with flip phones and MySpace nostalgia, is a blast as well). Ahead of her sophomore album IRL, Mahalia continues to delight as a new-school UK pop star, while JoJo, currently owning Broadway in Moulin Rouge, sounds reinvigorated a lifetime removed from her “Leave (Get Out)” days. – J.L.
Glaive, “All I Do is Try My Best”
Years of promising singles and short projects have led to Glaive’s debut album, the spectacularly titled I Care So Much That I Don’t Care At All, due out July 14; those releases have also resulted in the (slight) polishing of the teen’s unruly songwriting, as heard on the sweeping strums and full-throated sing-along of “All I Do is Try My Best.” Glaive’s messy, often nihilistic wordplay sounds even more intoxicating within a defined pop structure, creating a tension between styles that makes the song stand out in an impressive discography. – J.L.
Youth Lagoon, “Rabbit”
Trevor Powers became an indie-blog darling in the early 2010s as the mastermind of Youth Lagoon, then retired the moniker that made him famous in 2016; Heaven is a Junkyard, the first Youth Lagoon album in eight years, sounds like an old friend stopping by and sharing tales from several travels. “Rabbit” floats in the wind with piano sprinkles and Powers’ tender voice, then surges toward a propulsive finale that’s barely perceptible before it arrives — the mark of an effective storyteller, confident in their craft. – J.L.
Reneé Rapp, “Snow Angel”
Reneé Rapp has become a buzzy new name in pop, known first for starring roles in Mean Girls on Broadway and The Sex Lives Of College Girls, but following her 2022 debut EP, it became clear she’s a double threat — and rousing lead single “Snow Angel,” off her forthcoming debut full-length, solidifies that sentiment. The rock-pop ballad fits within a formula that has worked well for artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish (it’s similar to the latter’s “Happier Than Ever”) and advances Rapp’s skillset, showing off her powerful vocal range and heart-wrenching honesty. — Lyndsey Havens
Romy, “Loveher”
Led by delicate, twinkling keys and a steady drumbeat, Romy begins to sing tenderly of the one she loves — delivering each line like she’s confessing her feelings to herself alone. Yet as the production picks up and the lyrics become more hypnotic — “I love her I… I love her I…” — it’s clear Romy made this song for the masses. And there’s more to come, as Romy announced her debut solo album, set to arrive September 8. — L.H.
Tiwa Savage, “Pick Up”
While a call (or several) going unanswered often incites some rage, the latest from Nigerian singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage checks that emotion at the door. Instead, as she sings of calling someone repeatedly she maintains an air of confidence over a meaty, bouncy beat. From the perspective of the listener, it works: a song this catchy would never go ignored. — L.H.
PinkPantheress, “Angel”
Diehard PinkPantheress fans have been given a treat with “Angel”: released as part of the forthcoming Barbie soundtrack, multiple snippets of the song’s demo were floating around the Internet over the past year, and have since become fully actualized. Pink’s effervescent vocal delivery stays true to hits like “Boy’s a Liar” and “Break It Off,” while the instrumentation adds another unique layer to the British artist’s sound with the inclusion of the fiddle. – Starr Bowenbank
Slayyyter, “Out of Time”
Slayyter makes a grand return with new single “Out of Time,” embracing pop maximalism on the track with ’80s-inspired synth instrumentals and large-than-life hooks that tells the sad tale of a fame-hungry woman with an alluring charm. “Make up runs from her eyes/ She walks in/ Oh goddamn, he could get it tonight/ She hates herself, but if they all love her then she don’t mind,” she sings on the pre-chorus of the cut, a first look at what’s to come from a forthcoming LP from the singer. — S.B.
