This week in the best new pop music saw several revved-up remixes and buoyant collaborations. Major Lazer tapped Nicki Minaj to lend a verse on their track, Mxmtoon reached out to Carly Rae Jepsen for an honest single, and Demi Lovato and Marshmello reminded fans that it’s okay not to be okay.
Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.
Mxmtoon — “Okay On Your Own” Feat. Carly Rae Jepsen
Mxmtoon is inching closer to releasing this year’s second EP, Dusk. This week, the singer shared an exciting collaboration with Carly Rae Jepsen. “I was beyond excited to work on this track and have it be graced by Carly Rae Jepsen, someone who stands for empowerment and knows the themes of love and loneliness all too well,” Mxmtoon said in a statement. “My hope for the song is that ‘ok on your own’ can let people know that vulnerability is never something to be afraid of, and admitting you need time for yourself and support from a friend is sometimes a necessary step.”
Major Lazer — “Oh My Gawd” Feat. Nicki Minaj, Mr. Eazi, K4mo
Nicki Minaj continued her prolific streak this week by lending a verse on Mr. Eazi and Major Lazer’s track “Oh My Gawd.” Combining Major Lazer’s knack for enormous beat drops with Mr. Eazi’s laidback, afrobeat flow, Minaj adds her distinct style to the hip-shaking single.
Marshmello — “OK Not To Be OK” Feat. Demi Lovato
Last Thursday was World Suicide Prevention Day and Demi Lovato and Marshmello teamed up to get candid about mental health on their collaborative single. “I think a lot of people, about negative feelings and negative thoughts that are affecting them are kind of scared to bring it up, scared to talk about it,” Marshmello told Zane Lowe in an interview about the track. “They’re scared because maybe the person won’t relate or the person won’t understand, when in reality most of time the person that you could bring it up to, will most likely has felt like this or will understand or can relate as well.”
James Blake — “Godspeed”
Since the onset of the pandemic, James Blake has been keeping fans entertained with a number of livestreams. During his sessions, Blake infuses his own style into a number of popular tracks, like Billie Eilish’s “When The Party’s Over” and Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed.” Now, Blake has officially released his rendition of “Godspeed” on all streaming platforms. Of the cover, James says: “This song has always been special to me, but I wasn’t expecting the response it’s gotten. Love to everyone who willed the full recording into existence.”
Dua Lipa — “Don’t Start Now (Kaytranada Remix)”
Though she released her shimmering sophomore effort Future Nostalgia just a few months ago, Dua Lipa tapped a myriad of big-name artists to lend a hand on her remix album Club Future Nostalgia. The album dropped in late August, but Lipa wasn’t finished. Kaytranada’s slow-burning remix of her hit track “Don’t Start Now” arrived this week, and it was worth the wait.
Omar Apollo — “Kamikaze”
Hot on the heels of his soaring single “Stayback,” Omar Apollo shared the Frank Ocean-adjacent effort “Kamikaze.” Speaking on the inspiration behind the single, Omar said: “’Kamikaze’ is a song that taps into my old emotions, taking it back to when I was younger. When I made ‘Kamikaze’ I was reminiscing on how I used to feel for someone and realizing those feelings are lost and we’re left with nothing. It feels good to hold on to the memories without the feelings it gave me.”
Annie — “The Streets Where I Belong”
It’s been eleven years since Annie released her last album. But with “The Streets Where I Belong,” the Norwegian singer is ushering in a new era of music touched by moody synths. “Walking through the city where you grew up,” Annie offers as the inspiration to the track. “Coming back to Bergen after spending almost 10 years in Berlin. ‘Streets Where I Belong’ is one of the more personal songs on the album. Inspired by Bruce Springsteen.”
David Guetta — “Let’s Love” Feat. Sia
Nearly nine years after their first collaborative single “Titanium” topped the charts, David Guetta and Sia return with the club-ready “Let’s Love.” Guetta said he hopes the track offers a glimmer of hope during a tough time: “During this time of isolation, I’ve been incredibly inspired to release music that has an uplifting energy. I love producing club tracks but at the same time, especially now, I feel like creating ‘feel-good’ music. ‘Let’s Love’ is a message of love, hope and bringing people together and once again, Sia has out done herself on the vocals.”
Maggie Koerner — “Texas Hold Me”
Most followers of the New Orleans music scene are familiar with Maggie Koerner. A regular performer at the city’s famed Jazz Fest who has toured in support of bands like The Revivalists and Galactic, Koerner uprooted herself in the middle of the pandemic to move to Austin. In “Texas Hold Me” — which marks the artist’s first attempt at creating and editing her own music video — she writes about “feeling those post-moving blues” coupled with the termination of a relationship, a sequence of events that, like many of us, have left her “feeling some shit.”
KYD The Band — “Corridors”
KYD The Band didn’t have a typical introduction into music. Raised in the Pentecostal Church, the musician wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music. After leaving the church and pivoting towards music full time, KYD The Band has released a handful of singles and EPs. “Corridors” offers a glimpse into the musician’s upcoming alt-pop EP Season 3: The Realization. “I’d love for my music to reach all the kids like me, who are maybe questioning what they were raised to believe or feel like they haven’t found where they belong just yet,” he said about his music.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. .
