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 aespa, Alison Goldfrapp, GAYLE 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.
Q, “Incapable Heart”
Mononymous singer Q dropped his debut album, Soul, PRESENT, last Friday, and the sparkling 10-song effort is brimming over with ethereal, romantic delights that draw on synth-pop, ‘80s funk, Quiet Storm and more. The smooth “Incapable Heart” even throws in a bit of reggae skank for good measure as Q (the son of dancehall legend Steven “Lenky” Marsden) delivers a sound both familiar and forward-thinking – not unlike those first The Weeknd mixtapes that set the Internet on fire in the early 2010s. — JOE LYNCH
MisterWives, “Nosebleeds”
After a detour to Fueled by Ramen, MisterWives reteamed with original label Photo Finish to create their own imprint, Resilient Little Records, which will house their upcoming LP. New single “Nosebleeds” — with its woozy synths, chugging guitars and a relentless backbeat – is anything but little in its sonics, but it certainly captures the resilience that propelled the NYC-based rockers forward over the last near decade. – J. Lynch
Amaarae, “Co-Star”
Ahead of her new album Fountain Baby out June 9, Afropop star Amaarae has shared the project’s second single, “Co-Star.” The astrological track is both bouncy and twinkling, aligning with the singer’s goal of crafting “something cute and flirty for the summer.” As Amaarae said in a statement: “Astrology is such a huge part of our youth culture, it felt like a missed opportunity to not lean into that and give the girls an anthem that reads and celebrates them all at once!” — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Kiss Facility, “In My Room”
The quietly enticing “In My Room” is just as intriguing as its creator, newcomer Kiss Facility. Coated in nuanced nonchalance, “In My Room” sounds just as intimate as the title suggests, with the as-of-yet unknown artist captioning the cover art on Instagram, “It’s a very personal song that I put all my emotions into.” — L.H.
GAYLE, “Don’t Call Me Pretty”
“Don’t Call Me Pretty” is the first song GAYLE has debuted since joining Taylor Swift on her Eras tour, and ahead of hopping aboard P!nk’s upcoming stadium run; the “abcdefu” singer-songwriter clearly has shout-along anthems on the mind, and her latest contains plenty of opportunities for crowds of thousands to embrace her words. The chorus spirals up and the post-hook “ooo-ooo-ooo” crooning is effective, but most importantly, GAYLE sounds downright soulful on “Don’t Call Me Pretty,” with a heft that gives her message even more power.— JASON LIPSHUTZ
Alison Goldfrapp, “Love Invention”
Everything pre-release track from The Love Invention has shown promise for Alison Goldfrapp’s debut solo outing after seven albums as the leader of Goldfrapp, but the title track possesses a little extra electro-pop oomph that suggests a summertime dance floor heater. Goldfrapp’s ethereal voice dips in and out of sounding hyper-processed (“Is this real or not?,” she sings), but the production never flags, all cascading synths and percussion that keeps pushing forward. — J. Lipshutz
Bruno Major, “We Were Never Really Friends”
“This doesn’t have to be the end,” Bruno Major pleads on “We Were Never Really Friends,” a classic spoil-the-friendship jam that masquerades as a piano ballad before blooming into a lighters-up rock sing-along, complete with a stringy guitar solo. Major’s patience stands out here: the British singer-songwriter never presses too hard in any direction on the song, letting the full instrumentation and the slight quiver in his voice carry home his first new music since 2020. — J. Lipshutz
Coach Party, “All I Wanna Do is Hate”
Isle of Wright quartet Coach Party opened up for Wet Leg last fall and will support Queens of the Stone Age on tour later this year, but great new single “All I Wanna Do is Hate” sounds closer to bands like Elastica and Metric — sharp-elbowed pop-rock with readily deployed chiming guitars and synth riffs. The song walks a fine line between lyrical aggression and zipped-up production, resulting in a song that’s fully realized and invites plenty of fist-pumps. — J. Lipshutz
aespa, “Thirsty”
Aespa’s new mini album, Welcome to My World, sees the girl group — which consists of Giselle, Karina, NingNing and Winter — dabbling into the many facets of its sound, which includes everything from simmering bangers to lush pop ballad showing off the members’ vocal range. But album cut “Thirsty” really shows off the K-pop stars’ strength in R&B. The infectious chorus combines subtle trap-inspired beats with soft vocals, and gives a subtle wink to the object of the girls’ affections, as Giselle teases: “So tell me what you wanna, wanna do, boy?” — STARR BOWENBANK
Cosmo Pyke, “What Can I Do?”
A collective sigh of relief can be heard from Cosmo Pyke’s fans, as the British artist has delivered the new EP Curser’s Lament. “What Can I Do?” from the set shows off Pyke’s talent with jazz melodies, while catering to fans of his more introductory, alternative and indie-leaning work featured on 2017’s Just Cosmo. The musician cleverly splits the song into three separate parts, first drawing in the listener with drum heavy instrumentation, leading in with up tempo guitar licks before a soulful finish. — S.B.
