The best new pop music this week saw some upbeat and reflective releases alike. Charlie Puth returned with his first new song in nearly a year, Conan Gray dropped another vulnerable tune, and Lana Del Rey shared a slow-burning track in last week’s Euphoria episode.
Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.
Charlie Puth — “Light Switch”
The last we heard from Charlie Puth, he was teaming up with music industry veteran Elton John for a gripping ballad. But now, Puth returns for the first time in 2022 to begin rolling out his third album Charlie with a new, groovy single. His track “Light Switch,” which had been previously teased on TikTok, is a sun-soaked and upbeat tune which shows off his knack for writing carefree love songs.
Conan Gray — “Jigsaw”
Conan Gray hasn’t been slowing down since the release of his 2020 acclaimed debut album Kid Krow, and his new track “Jigsaw” is proof. The song is a delicate and heart-tugging ballad infused with heavy guitars, which match the emotional weight of Gray’s lyrics. “I’d spent my entire life contorting myself and changing everything I used to be in order to make everybody happy,” he said about the vulnerable tune.
Lana Del Rey — “Watercolor Eyes”
Lana Del Rey stayed wildly busy last year between released two full-length albums. She’s now starting off the year with even more music, but rather than rolling out another LP, Lana wrote an atmospheric tune for last week’s episode of the hit HBO show Euphoria. The reflective tune is another one of the singer’s signature piano ballads, featuring washed-out vocals detailing a tumultuous relationship — the kind which Euphoria is full of.
Christina Aguilera, Ozuna — “Santo”
Christina Aguilera returned in a big way this week. The iconic pop singer dropped the fiery EP La Fuerza, a Spanish-language project which includes the pumped-up Ozuna collaboration “Santo.” Much like the remainder of the project, “Santo” features rhythmic instrumentals and a wildly catchy chorus. “Latin music has always been rooted in me and my childhood… and once that connection is there it’s with you forever,” the singer said about her EP. “‘La Fuerza’ is a project for myself, my roots, and my kids – so they can sense a deeper level of who they are.”
Griff, Sigrid — “Head On Fire”
UK pop singer Griff teamed up with Norwegian singer Sigrid for the empowered tune “Head On Fire” this week. Featuring a driving beat, the two songwriters harmonize with feel-good lyrics that make it clear they are having fun with the song. About the single, Sigrid said it’s “about that feeling when you meet someone who just flips everything upside down and you can’t focus on anything else but that person.”
Holly Humberstone — “London Is Loney”
Rising pop sensation Holly Humberstone is gearing up for a big year following the release of her November EP The Walls Are Way Too Thin. But before she sets out on a tour with Olivia Rodrigo and takes the Coachella stage, Humberstone shares the new, reflective track “London Is Lonely.” The song hits on Humberstone’s ability to craft universally relatable songs, and her new, nostalgia-inducing single is no different. Sharing her inspiration behind the song, Humberstone notes that the title says it all. “I kind of lost myself in the city. I didn’t exactly know who I was anymore, and so going home and writing felt like my safe space to process everything.”
Gayle — “Ur Just Horny”
After experiencing a massive breakout moment on TikTok with her kiss-off tune “Abcdefu,” rising star Gayle is back with her new track “Ur Just Horny.” The revved-up single marks a strong follow-up to her debut track and is a way for Gayle to showcase her charismatic songwriting. This time, Gayle sings of the time she “crossed the line in a friendship” she thought was platonic and realized they “didn’t want to be my friend they just wanted to get into my pants.”
Sabrina Claudio — “Put On Repeat”
Acclaimed songwriter Sabrina Claudio offered patient fans her first bit of new music in nearly two years this week. Her sultry, dark-pop track “Put On Repeat” is a perfect way to flex her honeyed vocals over a simmering beat. According to Claudio, the new song is a “representation of the overall mood of the new music I’m excited to share this year.”
Kaina — “Apple”
Chicago-based songwriter Kaina dropped the effervescent track “Apple” this week to preview her upcoming album It Was A Home. The dreamy and groove-driven tune is Kaina’s way of having fun with music as an artistic medium, shown through its lively beat and playful lyrics. “Like most people I often overthink a lot and it’s sort of just a silly song about wanting to appreciate the way I exist at the purest form possible,” she said about the single.
Set It Off — “Projector”
For Set It Off’s upcoming LP Elsewhere, the trio aim to tap into their pop songwriting skills, and their new track “Projector” is an adrenaline-pumping move in the right direction. Featuring bright chords and wildly energetic lyrical delivery, Set It Off craft an anthem for those wanting to dispel peoples’ negative energy. “I just want people to be able to turn this up as loud as it can go and vent about all those irritating people in their lives,” vocalist Cody Carson noted about the upbeat tune.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
