Kicking off the work week is never easy, but we’re here to help with some top-notch new pop music.
These 10 tracks from artists like Jessie J, Tinashe, Raye, Kylie Minogue as well as Anthony Ramos, Leslie Grace and Marc Anthony from In the Heights will get you energized to take on the week. Add any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
Anthony Ramos and Leslie Grace ft. Marc Anthony, “Home All Summer”
Ramos and Grace’s voices blend beautifully on the upbeat “Home All Summer,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new song for the insanely enjoyable big screen adaptation of his Broadway hit In the Heights. Just like the movie it hails from, it’s comforting, effortlessly charming, flawlessly executed and boasts a memorable Marc Anthony cameo. – Joe Lynch
Raye, “Call On Me”
British singer-songwriter Raye specializes in crowd-pleasing dance-pop fare, and with a dizzying disco hook and ultra-supportive lyrics, new single “Call On Me” makes the mainstream its target. As she continues to impress across the pond, here’s hoping Raye makes the leap toward U.S. stardom in 2021 with songs like this one. – Jason Lipshutz
Rema, “Soundgasm”
Twenty-one-year-old Nigerian singer Rema has continued to garner attention and gain global traction for his smooth and sultry vocals, which pair perfectly with the production on his latest summer jam “Soundgasm.” The tongue-in-cheek title hints at the playfully confident lyrics throughout, and while the intro and underlining riff recall something from a Justin Timberlake song, Rema’s presence quickly overpowers any notions of comparison. – Lyndsey Havens
Kylie Minogue, “Marry the Night”
Orville Peck’s “Born This Way” tugged heartstrings and Big Freedia’s “Judas” tugged G-strings, but Kylie Minogue injecting disco goddess vibes into the underrated Gaga banger “Marry the Night” for Born This Way Reimagined is a Pride Month fever dream come true. If the night married Gaga 10 years ago, it is now in a polyamorous union with Kylie as well.
– J. Lynch
John K, “Everything”
File John K’s new track “Everything” away under the Pandemic Pop label: similar in theme to Julia Michaels and JP Saxe’s “If The World Was Ending,” the song muses on connection under extreme circumstance (“The world outside is a mess, it can wait,” he sings, before concluding on the chorus, “The sky could be falling, as long as you’re next to me, I got everything”). John K is too talented not to pull off the concept, though, and “Everything” will have you fully appreciative of your quarantine partner. – J. Lipshutz
Jessie J, “I Want Love”
At long last, vocal powerhouse Jessie J returns — while celebrating 10 years since her debut album Who You Are — with a glistening ’70s-inspired dance-pop single. With help from co-writer and producer Ryan Tedder, Jessie J’s vision to “come back with a song that felt classic but modern” (as she said in a statement) successfully came to fruition. – L.H.
Upsahl, “Melatonin”
For a song inspired by insomnia, Upsahl’s “Melatonin” is a surprisingly bright, buoyant pop tune, although when the L.A. singer-songwriter hits the chorus, you can feel a little of the exhaustion creeping around the edges of her vocals — in a good, gritty way. Even so, if sleeplessness sounds this appealing, who wants to go to bed anyway? – J. Lynch
Tinashe ft. Buddy, “Pasadena”
In conjunction with an album announcement — 333, her first since 2019, which will arrive later this year — multi-hyphenate Tinashe released lead single “Pasadena” featuring Buddy. Complete with syncopated handclaps and gorgeous layered harmonies, rising producer Oliver Malcolm (signed to Darkroom/Interscope) rounds out the track with a glitchy 20-second ending that makes the whole thing feel like a summer daydream gone too soon. – L.H.
Lauran Hibberd, “Bleugh”
As the title of this song indicates, Lauran Hibberd is over it on “Bleugh,” a crunchy diss track that finds the British singer-songwriter telling off one very unlucky target, gleefully ranting one moment with burn-it-to-the-ground energy and switching to sing-song tones the next. – J. Lynch
Aiida, “Talk (About What?)”
On her latest single, Oslo native Aiida investigates the idea that, sometimes, nothing else needs to be hashed out in a fizzled relationship — it’s just over, and that finality deserves recognition. “Talk (About What?)” swats away the annoyance of a lingering ex with precise melodies and an impressive vocal turn, as Aiida navigates tempo changes without deviating from her message. – J. Lipshutz
