As the quarantine persists, musicians are offering loads of the best new pop music to cure the isolation blues. Global superstars Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber collaborated for a soulful anthem, Kehlani dropped her highly-anticipated sophomore record, and Charli XCX shared the third single from her unconventional upcoming album.
Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.
Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber — “Stuck With U”
A collaboration from two of today’s biggest pop powerhouses like “Stuck With U” is sure to make the best new pop list. Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber shared their single this week as an anthem for fans to hold on hope in quarantine. A driving guitar provides the instrumentation’s focal point as Grande and Bieber’s enthralling vocal ranges swell in line with the ardent riff.
Kehlani — “Change Your Life” Feat. Jhene Aiko
Kehlani didn’t give fans much warning before dropping her sophomore record It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. But the 15-track’s solid effort makes up for its abrupt release. Collaborating with Jhene Aiko, Kehlani’s “Change Your Life” sets the tone for the album as a whole, with a pounding beat that pushes the two singers’ far-reaching vocals forward.
Charli XCX — “I Finally Understand”
Charli XCX’s quarantine album How I’m Feeling Now is well underway and the singer has shared its third preview with “I Finally Understand.” The groove-driven single was produced and co-written by Palmistry, who Charli says is “somebody who I’ve to work with for a really long time.”
Jessie Ware — “Save A Kiss”
With her latest singles, Jessie Ware is pivoting to ’80s-inspired pop, and “Save A Kiss” is her latest disco-tinged effort. In a statement about the track, Jessie Ware says it has taken on a newfound meaning in quarantine: “‘Save A Kiss’ has taken on a new meaning during these weird times and it seems like the right time to put it out. This track is an optimistic one for me, I hope it resonates with people wherever they are right now.”
Kim Petras — “Malibu”
Kim Petras aims to usher in the warm rays of summer with her carefree single “Malibu.” In an interview with Uproxx, Petras said she wrote the song before ever having actually stepped foot in Malibu: “I actually wrote it when I had never really been to anything else but the beach in Malibu. And my imagination of it was so great, but then I was like, ‘Wait, it’s just a bunch of rich people living by the ocean.’ I wanted to write a song about my imagination of it and how I wanted it to feel.”
Nylo — “New Normal”
Nylo returned this week with her first EP since 2013, A Brief History Of Sorry. A convergence of R&B and electronica, “New Normal” boasts impressively-intricate production, Nylo’s resonating vocals, and a spellbinding electric guitar solo.
Yebba — “Distance”
Produced by Mark Ronson and recorded with The Roots, Yebba’s “Distance” flows with a distinguished groove. About the single, Yebba says she was inspired by the feeling of knowing that a relationship’s end is imminent. “Emotionally, physically, and spiritually we were trying, but the only thing that came naturally was the distance,” Yebba said in a statement. “So I wrote a goodbye before we ever got the chance to fight.”
Peter Manos — “Tennessee”
Watery reverb previews Peter Manos’ opulent production on his latest effort “Tennessee.” With his auto-tune on overdrive, Manos’ throbbing single captures the bewilderment of a friendship that has begun slipping without explanation.
Wet — “Come To You”
“Come To You” is the second single Brooklyn-based trio Wet has released this year without fanfare. Opening with moody synths and bursting percussion, Wet’s latest effort could arrive as a preview for an upcoming era of music.
G Flip — “Hyperfine”
Australian singer G Flip returns with “Hyperfine,” her first new single the release of her 2019 debut record. Droning synths provide a temperamental hook before an eruptive chorus opens space for G Flip’s earnest musings. “In relationships, it’s so common to say ‘it’s fine’ when it’s really not fine,” G Flip said about the track. “If you care about someone, talk to them.”
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
