With so much new music coming out every week, it can be hard to know what to listen to first. Every week, we highlight some of our favorite tracks to kick off your weekend. The best way to keep up with our selections is by following our ‘New Music On-Repeat’ playlist on Spotify. This week’s picks include tracks from Clairo, Lorde, EarthGang, and more!
1. Clairo – “Blouse”
Last night, indie pop darling Clairo debuted this new song “Blouse” on The Tonight Show, announcing her sophomore studio album ‘Sling’ is set so come out July 16th. “Blouse” was co-produced by Jack Antonoff, whose name has come to represent a particular excellence. It seems as though every song Antonoff touches turns to gold, and perhaps it’s because he has a knack for identifying artists who will come to define contemporary pop music for years to come. Clairo has always been heralded for her soft, intimate vocals and sharp lyricism, but has also become one of the defining figures of the early bedroom pop movement. This new song shows the range of genres her songbird voice can command, venturing into a folk aesthetic complete with softly strummed guitar and warbling fiddle. We will have to add ‘Sling’ to our most anticipated albums of the summer.
2. Olivia Morreale – “NO ANSWER”
LA-based singer/songwriter/producer Olivia Morreale just unveiled her new 4 track EP ‘SPACE DREAMS’, an ethereal, swirling blend of funk, bedroom pop, R&B, and electronica. This song “NO ANSWER” is one of our favorites from this release, with its subtle swell and entrancing production flares. As Morreale’s voice wafts across each verse, we hear flickers of a twinkling synth, a distant bongo beat, and the unmistakable atmosphere her voice effortlessly wields.
3. The Greeting Committee – “Can I Leave Me Too?”
Kansas City alt-rock band The Greeting Committee tackle the reality-altering experience of a sudden painful breakup. “Why does everybody drive the same car you do?” asks lead singer Addie Sartino. When a relationship suddenly ends, you go from seeing this person all the time and thinking about them incessantly to being alone, and often barely talking to the person you were once so in love with. You attach meaning to the symbols of that person, whether it be seeing their car on every street, or being unable to escape their favorite song. It’s as if the world has turned against you, forcing you to remember that they left you. The world goes on, and you wonder how it can continue turning when you feel such devastation. The Greeting Committee perfectly captures this feeling, with dizzying instrumentation that captures the chaos of that emotional turmoil and sharp lyricism. As Sartino pleads, “If you leave me, can I leave me too?”, we recognize that she is begging for an escape, unable to imagine what comes next without your person.
4. Raissa – “FREE”
Coming just off the heels of the release of her debut EP ‘HEROGIRL’, multidisciplinary artist Raissa has shared a new song “FREE”. Raissa is done trying to make people love her on this track. “I don’t wanna try for your help / Your love or your approval / It’s not useful / If it’s not free,” she sings. Everyone can relate to Raissa’s message in this song. Especially when you’re young, it’s hard not to devote all your energy to being someone who people will love, but as we scramble for other’s affection, we lose ourselves. For Raissa, love is only good for her when she’s not begging for it, and she’s absolutely right. The sultry lofi ambiance of this track is both empowering and melancholy, complimenting it’s interesting perspective with intriguing instrumentation.
5. Lorde – “Solar Power”
How could we NOT include pop icon Lorde’s first new release in four years on our Top Ten list? On this track, Lorde looked us in the eyes and said it’s SEASONAL depression babe, get up and go to the beach. Not only was this track also produced by Jack Antonoff, but also features background vocals from Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo. Even though the release got off to a rocky start with an accidental leak, it’s clear that the world is not only ready, but begging for Lorde’s return. The song opens on Lorde’s relaxed, almost conversational verse with a muted guitar that creates a fabulous breezy tension. When the groovy chorus crescendo breaks, it feels like the sun emerging from the clouds after a long bout of haze. In many ways, this song coupled with the significance of Lorde’s return feels like that break in the clouds as we approach a summer that promises the return of social connection and live music.
6. EVAN GIIA – “Mood Swings”
We’ve been loving the singles electronic pop artist EVAN GIIA has been putting out this year. This track “Mood Swings” muses on GIIA’s unstable, fleeting emotions amidst the backdrop of breezy pop production. One of my favorite parts of this song is in the chorus, where GIIA manipulates her vocal on the line “I can’t keep up with my emotions” to reinforce this feeling of emotional precariousness. The chorus also expands the capacity of GIIA’s voice, letting it engulf the entire space of the song.
7. Oscar Lang – “21st Century Hobby”
Oscar Lang is a quickly rising London based multi-instrumentalist. This new track “21st Century Hobby” is the third track off his upcoming debut album ‘Chew The Scenery’ coming July 16th. The song centers around Lang replaying his most embarrassing memories on a loop as he lays in bed at night. The inescapable anguish of his memory is represented through the layers of distorted guitar and synths that swirl around Lang’s voice as he describes this doomed “hobby”. Lang truly has a talent for writing catchy hooks, and this psychedelic chorus is most likely going to be playing on a loop in my head for the duration of the weekend.
8. UPSAHL – “Melatonin”
“Melatonin” opens with a stark grand piano. “Think I had too much to dream last night / I feel like I didn’t sleep last night,” sings UPSAHL. Suddenly, as if abruptly waking from a deep sleep, the drums pick up and a funky bass line breaks through with a palpable energy. UPSAHL was propelled into the music mainstream with her hit song “Drugs”. What she’s particularly adept at creating is pop music that captures the epic and the frantic. Energetically, UPSAHL’s music captures the dizzying energy of youthful partying that Kesha did in the 2010s, but with the contemporary tastes of today as she incorporates elements of funk, electronica, and classic pop sensibilities.
9. Snakehips – “Run It Up” ft. EarthGang
British electronic duo Snakehips, known for their electrifying collaborations with artists like Banks and The Weeknd, have teamed up experimental hip hop duo EarthGang. The bouncy EDM production boosts EarthGang’s signature rousing spirit to new heights. This is a song that makes you MOVE (even listening to it while writing, it’s impossible not to bop around). The collaboration between these two duos is truly a force to be reckoned with.
10. Inhaler – “It Won’t Always Be Like This”
We have been really into the Irish indie rock quartet Inhaler recently. This is the title track for their upcoming debut album, set to release July 9th. Inhaler has obviously grown up listening to and studying some of the greatest indie rock bands of the 2000s. We noted the Arctic Monkeys influence on the first single from the album “Who’s Your Money On? (Plastic House)”, but this track leans into a sound that is more reminiscent of the all-consuming ecstasy of The Strokes’ early work. But Inhaler is not merely a group of wannabes, putting a fresh spin and flair on their influences through their rhapsodic lyricism and vocal delivery.