PinkPantheress, the British pop star, sings about the heartache of being ghosted in her latest track “Angel,” featured in the upcoming movie “Barbie.” With a dreamy melody and vocals that express both optimism and doubt, PinkPantheress manages to evoke a sense of pathos despite the everyday nature of her story. She sings, “Everyone tells me life was hard but it’s a piece of cake…even if Johnny hasn’t answered in a couple days.”
Rosalía delivers a breezy, cheerful love song in “Tuya,” with a mix of reggaeton beat, flamenco handclaps, and pitch-shifted vocals. Romy Madley Croft from xx explores intimacy and confidence in “Loveher,” accompanied by a bold, full-scale production by Jamie xx, Stuart Price, and Fred again.. Jessie Murph and Maren Morris collaborate in “Texas,” bringing to life intense emotions and radio-unfriendly lyrics.
Madeline Kenney’s latest single “I Drew a Line” is a celebration of self-growth, featuring silky smooth saxophone solos. Janelle Monáe’s “Phenomenal” is a jazzy, Caribbean-tinged song that celebrates physical pleasure as self-affirmation. In “Oversized Sweater,” Shamir’s piercing falsetto recounts his heartbreak, with a marching and chiming production that suggests hope for a brighter tomorrow.
Other Great New Tracks to Check Out
L’Rain’s “New Year’s UnResolution” features a rich and unmoored sound, a blur of reverb, guitar swoops, and programmed beats. Nora Stanley and Benny Bock craft a gentle and lovely, yet still mysterious and intimate sound in “Distance of the Moon,” using analog synths, Fender Rhodes, digitally programmed percussion, saxophones, and kalimba. Laura Misch’s “Portals,” from the album “Sample the Sky,” celebrates the mystical connection between people, nature, and art.
Black Duck’s “Lemon Treasure” is a drone and slide-guitar jam that feels both organic and bleary-eyed, featuring Douglas McCombs from Tortoise and Eleventh Dream Day, guitarist Bill MacKay, and drummer Charles Rumback. Roxana Amed and Frank Carlberg’s collaboration on “Los Trabajos y Las Noches,” a 10-part song cycle using Alejandra Pizarnik’s poetry, features the slow, eerie opener “Pido El Silencio” with vocal and instrumental harmonies that create a feeling of forbearance and non-resolution.
