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 Rina Sawayama, Fletcher, The Knocks & Sofi Tukker 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.
Fletcher, “Eras of Us”
The second verse of Fletcher’s new single, “Eras of Us,” amplifies everything that comes before it. After opening with a meet-cute, the pop singer-songwriter details the rush of spontaneity (“I would fly across the country just to kiss you and be back in a day”), the inevitable letdown (“We crashed just as quick as we burned”) and the artistic point of it all (“I told every one of my friends, you won’t get a lyric again / But g–damn, here I f–kin’ am”). As she preps her next project, Fletcher utilizes this new anthem to illustrate just how much she’s been growing as a storyteller. – Jason Lipshutz
Hovvdy, “Bubba”
Texas duo Hovvdy’s new single “Bubba” is about a brother-sister dynamic evolving from childhood into adulthood, and the intimacy of that relationship is amplified through soft keys, pillowy harmonies and some production effects that zip around the arrangement without ever spiraling out of control. It’s a collection of hushed moments, winding down into an understated finale; “Bubba” isn’t a holiday song, but works well within a season of spending more time with loved ones. – J. Lipshutz
Florrie, “Personal”
With a new album due out next year, U.K. singer-songwriter Florrie has provided a stocking stuffer for longtime fans with “Personal,” a deeply felt account of a dissolving relationship that still finds the strength to be molded into uplifting indie-pop. “Your love, it cuts deep, but it hurts like hell,” she sings, the drums walloping as her voice echoes into silence; on a song that grasps for resolution, Florrie sounds assured in her craft and radiant in her delivery. – J. Lipshutz
Ratbag, “Rot in Love”
“This world kinda sucks, so I made my own.” So reads the bio on Ratbag’s official Spotify page, which includes the handful of singles that have earned the new artist acclaim since arriving over the summer, as well as debut EP Why Aren’t You Laughing? “Rot in Love,” the highlight of the new project, speaks to the self-generation of that self-description, its jangly pop textures and shout-along vocals seemingly beamed in from a world that’s much more gleeful than our own. – J. Lipshutz
Sofi de la Torre, “It Weighs So Heavy”
Innovative pop singer-songwriter Sofi de la Torre remains a must-listen anytime she returns with a new song or project, and “It Weighs So Heavy” closes out 2023 with a yearning cacophony that allows her emotion to slice through the vocal effects and fuzzed-out production. Following last year’s Cashflow & Tristesse album, let’s hope “It Weighs So Heavy” is a sign of more soulful pop coming from de la Torre in 2024. – J. Lipshutz
Kieran Ivy, “Get Out Of My House”
The slinky, sexy bass that opens “Get Out Of My House” is so warm and inviting that it creates a perfect — and unexpected — point of contrast for what comes next. “Get out of my house,” pleads rising pop-rocker Kieran Ivy, who later delivers a fuzzed-out riff that amplifies his wailing blues. The song functions as a direct line into Ivy’s mind, revealing the kind of innermost thoughts that are usually never said out loud — but here, he gives permission to hold nothing back. — Lyndsey Havens
Brenn!, “Looking For”
Soul-pop artist Brenn! could be headed for a major 2024. With “Looking For,” on which he shows off his impassioned, subtle rasp over swelling Americana production, the artist doubles down on a sound that prevailed throughout the year thanks to artists like Noah Kahan and Zach Bryan — yet Brenn! injects his own music with a Southern-pop sensibility that’s all his own. While he sings, “I don’t know what you’re looking for,” it seems he found all he needs to continue cutting through. — L. Havens
The Knocks & Sofi Tukker, “One on One”
NYC dance duo The Knocks teams up with Floridian dance twosome Sofi Tukker for a funky fresh collab that skews a little closer to the former’s world, offering up a sprightly nu-disco banger that brings to mind early ‘00s Kylie Minogue. “Down baby, down baby, hey / it’s better when we wait,” commands Sophie Hawley-Weld before switching to Portuguese mid-song to complete the come-on. – Joe Lynch
Day Wave, “As You Are”
Day Wave – the brainchild of Jackson Phillips – taps into his melancholic side with “As You Are.” The indie rock track is driven by somber guitar riffs and pensive lyrics to match, as he desperately attempts to hold on to the past ideal of a relationship (“My life, is speeding after you / And I want to slow it down) in spite of all signs pointing to dissolution (“You’re so calm, the way you talk around me / Is making us collapse”). – Starr Bowenbank
Rina Sawayama, “Flavour of the Month”
After the rollout of Sawayama’s 2022 release Hold the Girl – which spawned not one but two social-media friendly tracks (“This Hell” and “Frankenstein”) – the Japanese-British singer-songwriter expanded the set as an end-of-year gift with two new tracks. “Flavour of the Month” holds onto the sickly sweet hooks of the LP while adding a 2000s twist by incorporating a crowd-pleasing treat (ice cream) and likening it to how she can no longer please her lover, much to her dismay. – S. Bowenbank
