The holiday weekend is over, and you may be looking for some motivation to help power you through the rest of the week. We’re right there with you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
These 10 tracks from artists like Jxdn, Foxes, Shy Martin 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.
Foxes, “Love Not Loving You”
If you’ve loved recent work from Kimbra, Carly Rae Jepsen and Alphabeat, then Foxes’ latest will be right up your alley. “Love Not Loving You” might be the British “Clarity” singer’s first track in three years, but rest assured, it fits snugly in the contemporary pop canon.
Japan, Man, “I Like To Wait”
Start paying attention to Japan, Man (born Leaticia Acra), who at just fifteen years old has been crafting one exquisite song after another with bedroom pop brushstrokes. Dig in with the Beirut, Lebanon-based artist’s funk-tinged “Cautious,” and the more recent “I Like To Wait,” a tune about one’s finding pleasure in life through patience.
Augustine, “Coast – Spotify Studios Recording”
“I wish the dreams of mine were different/ As well as every thought I’m thinking…I need somebody to call,” Swedish songwriter-producer Augustine admits on “Coast,” a groovy yet lamenting track about the pain of seeing another couple in love. Released as part of Spotify’s Studio Oyster program, which highlights Nordic talent, Augustine’s latest will feel right at home on your summer playlist amid Tame Impala and Glass Animals.
Shy Martin, “Nobody Likes Moving On”
Speaking of Swedish talent, Shy Martin (aka Sara Hjellström) is also back with a new one: “Nobody Likes Moving On,” which features crystalline vocals over sweet, acousti-lectronic production. It’s a promising precursor to Hjellström’s sophomore EP, which is due this summer.
Twin XL, “Melt”
Alt-pop trio Twin XL wrote and self-produced “Melt” while in quarantine, adding to their repertoire of airtight bops (“Good,” “Messy”). If you’ve ever fallen so hard in a relationship that you adopted popsicle-like qualities, this one’s for you.
Gracey feat. Ruel, “Empty Love”
The titular “empty love” that U.K. singer-songwriter Gracey sings about on her new track is social media “likes.” With help from rising Australian star Ruel, Gracey addresses the subject with a thoughtfulness that never delves into a heavy wink. Returning from rest following vocal surgery, it’s nice to have Gracey back in the fold.
Lilly Ahlberg, “Ocean Song (You And I)”
Straight from her London quarantine, Lilly Ahlberg has shared a stripped-down, swooning cut from the soundtrack to the upcoming documentary Searching For Chinook. “Ocean Song (You And I)” utilizes Ahlberg’s full vocal vulnerability, and features a chorus that could melt an iceberg.
Jxdn, “Angels and Demons”
TikTok star Jaden Hossler has signed to Travis Barker’s label DTA Records, got the Blink-182 legend to drum on his new single, and struck an intriguing pose that could be described as post-Post Malone-core with the brooding, bombastic “Angels and Demons.”
Kiita, “Thinking About You”
In the new video for her recent track “Thinking About You,” Kiita intermixes grainy footage of nights out with friends with close-ups from her bedroom, the memories washing over her as she stares wistfully at a screen. The song was already arresting, but its new visual raises the emotional stakes.
Alexander 23, “IDK You Yet”
“Can you find me soon? Because I’m in my head,” Chicago native Alexander Glantz gently inquires on “IDK You Yet,” a boldly sparse breakthrough that just received a new animated music video (the 2D rendering recalls a somber A-ha) and deserves to follows in the sadboy-smash footprints of Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved.”
