Nessa Barrett was spotted riding in the passenger seat next to Love Island USA star Rob Rausch, and days later, Barrett dropped “Passenger Princess.” Art imitating life, or life imitating art? Either way, it’s great. Elsewhere, Halsey interpolated Britney Spears for “Lucky,” an unbelievably vulnerable song, and Sam Tompkins checkmated vulnerabilities of all kinds with his debut LP, Hi, My Name Is Insecure.
Check that out and more in Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.
Halsey — “Lucky”
Last week, Halsey hopped on X (formerly Twitter) and explained that, at one point, she thought that her forthcoming album “might be the last album I ever got the chance to make.” Halsey opened up about their years-long battle with chronic illnesses with “The End,” an aching acoustic ballad. “Lucky” sounds a bit more upbeat, but its contents allow fans an even more vivid view of how low Halsey has felt since they last heard from the diamond-certified star. Halsey heard all the reckless speculation about her condition (“And why she losin’ so much weight? / I heard it’s from the drugs she ate”) and kept the truth private (“And I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year / And that’s the biggest lie of my career”). Until now. If you’re game for a good ugly cry, watch the Gia Coppola-directed video.
NIKI — “Tsunami”
NIKI started the summer by wondering if there’s such a thing as too much of a good thing. Since then, she’s released two more singles ahead of her Buzz album, due out on August 9, and if the good thing in question is NIKI songs, then the answer is no. With “Tsunami,” NIKI pairs delicate instrumentals with high-powered lyrics describing the visceral impact someone has on her. And who among us hasn’t mumbled this hook at least once before? “F*ck, I think I’m falling for you.”
Sam Tompkins — “Almost Killed Me”
Sam Tompkins recently spoke with Uproxx around the release of his debut LP, Hi, My Name Is Insecure. All 16 tracks symbolize Tompkins’ commitment to put himself out there despite his insecurities, and “Almost Killed Me” examines a romantic endeavor that didn’t end well. Tompkins’ vocal dexterity infuses the detailed lyrics with even more emotion: “Joy was the night we took a ride / Young is the way we always will be / Hope is the way we tried to stay / Tired is how we walked away / Sad was the day we said goodbye / Love was the thing that almost killed me.” Ultimately, Tompkins poses that it’s better to experience something for what it was, however painful, than to be tortured by what-ifs.
Nessa Barrett — “Passenger Princess”
Nessa Barrett waited nearly eight months to release her first single of 2024, but “Passenger Princess” is worth the wait. “‘Passenger Princess’ represents the intense honeymoon phase when you first enter in a new relationship – the mindset where you would do anything for the one you love just to experience the passion of a connection,” Barrett said in a statement. The mesmerizing, sultry pop song is the first song from Barrett’s forthcoming sophomore full-length album, Aftercare, due out before year’s end.
Kacey Musgraves — “Irish Goodbye”
In March, Kacey Musgraves released Deeper Well, and the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Last week, Musgraves announced she’s dragging fans deeper into the Deeper Well rabbit hole with an expanded album, which will feature seven new songs and release on August 2. To start, Musgraves dropped “Irish Goodbye,” a folksy song in which Musgraves is understandably confused. “Was I too much, or was I a threat,” she sings. “To the vision you had that you hadn’t found yet? / I gave you some space ’cause I wanted to see / If I mattered enough, would you come back to me?” Everyone who has ever been ghosted knows how she feels.
Jorja Smith — “High”
Yes. Just yes. Produced by DAMEDAME*, Jorja Smith’s “High” is her first original release since Falling Or Flying arrived last September, and the British sensation is definitely flying across the groovy house track. “High is a song I wrote about finding a friend within myself, even through the lows, you have to find the highs,” Smith said in a statement. Smith and Ivor Lawson-Adamah co-directed the accompanying visual, which is a compilation of fan-submitted footage showing people high on vibes.
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding — “Free”
Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding is always a winning recipe. All three of their previous collaborative singles — “I Need Your Love” (2012), “Outside” (2014), and “Miracle” (2023) — charted within the top 10 of Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. (The first two also charted on the Hot 100.) “Free” figures to follow suit. Harris paces the beat buildup in alignment with Goulding’s vocal control, combining to create anticipation satisfied by a simple yet soaring hook: “I’m free.”
Mxmtoon — “I Hate Texas”
Mxmtoon’s soon-to-be-announced third LP should be sonically compelling based upon the risk she took with “I Hate Texas,” a fiddle-fueled breakup bop. Nashville looks good on Mxmtoon. The artist born Maia is adept as ever at lyricism, with a clever, left-field name-check of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. Elsewhere in the song, she had to leave New York because her ex ruined it for her, and the hook effectively captures the impulsive pursuit of relief post-breakup: “I hate Texas / But the exits have more room to run away from you.”
Djo — “End Of The Beginning (Channel Tres Remix)”
Djo (otherwise known as the actor Joe Keery) struck never-ending gold with “End Of The Beginning,” his 2022 song that popped off this year. “End Of The Beginning” peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March and became platinum-certified in May. Now, it has been remixed for the first time — extending its shelf life. Channel Tres and Neil Frances each remixed “End Of The Beginning,” and both takes bring revived, thumping dance energy to an originally nostalgic, solemn reflection on Djo’s past in Chicago.
Fuerza Regida, Major Lazer & Alok — “SOFIA”
Fuerza Regida dropped Pero No Te Enamores last week, but it’s impossible not to fall in love with “Sofia,” an infectious song boosted by Major Lazer and Alok. The unbridled confidence is outdone only by the mesmerizing synths punctuating Fuerza Regida’s proclamations.
