It’s June, but there is no deadline for “summer banger” submissions. This week, Charli XCX recruited Robyn and Yung Lean to boost the previously certifiable smash “360,” while Shaboozey extended his hot streak, and Sam Tompkins supplied a taste of what’s to come from his forthcoming debut album.
Check out all of that and more in Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.
Shaboozey Feat. Noah Cyrus — “My Fault”
Anything Shaboozey tries works, but Shaboozey harmonizing with Noah Cyrus really works. Their combined vocal tones are such a pleasant listen, but their delivery doesn’t sugarcoat the song’s heartbreaking sentiment. Rather, playing off of each other so delicately makes it all the more searing: “Tell me how you’re gettin’ home, you took the car? / You call me ‘fore you passed out in the yard / Feelin’ low, gettin’ high, where did everything go wrong? / You say that it’s the universe and blame it on the stars.”
Sam Tompkins — “Dead To Me”
“So take it all up with Jesus, baby / He’s more forgiving than me / I hope you rest in peace / Because you’re dead to me,” Sam Tompkins sings. And retribution never sounded so good. The UK-bred singer-songwriter has slowly been building toward his debut full-length album, Hi, My Name Is Insecure, with “Dead To Me” emphasizing how readymade Tompkins’ cleverly vulnerable lyricism and eye-popping voice are for global resonance.
Maya Hawke — “Chaos Angel”
“Chaos Angel,” the title track from Maya Hawke’s third album, ironically feels like a calming refuge from internal warfare. In the piano-based ballad, Hawke melodically, softly begs for forgiveness (“I want you, I love you / I promise, I’m sorry”) and attempts to make sense of contradictory behaviors and thoughts. Plus, the second verse is punctuated by a line that belongs in every writer’s diary: “Just makе it out and live to write it down / Then has anything bad еver really happened to you?”
Charli XCX Feat. Robyn & Yung Lean — “360 (Remix)”
Charli XCX’s “360” previously made this column upon its initial release; obviously, it deserves re-entry with the additions of Robyn and Yung Lean — with a David Beckham name-check and “Dancing On My Own” reference to boot. “360” was already a must-play at clubs worldwide, but not playing the “360” remix is the ultimate party foul.
Normani — “Candy Paint”
Prepare your dopamine receptors. Normani will finally release Dopamine, her excruciatingly long-awaited debut full-length studio album, on June 14. “Candy Paint” serves as the upbeat complement to “1:59” featuring Gunna, the slow-burning R&B lead single. Both singles present Normani with utmost confidence. Co-written and co-produced by Normani, Starrah, and Tommy Brown, “Candy Paint” is particularly playful, as Normani expresses fleeting interest (“When I’m finished, baby, you can have him back”) in someone whom she knows she can have whenever she pleases.
Kanii — “MIA”
Kanii just finished opening on PinkPantheress’ The Capable Of Love Tour and continues to prove he’s capable of anything. With “MIA,” the 18-year-old Washington, DC native showcases his untainted energy and refreshed perspective — making him such an enticing emerging artist. Kanii’s introspective lyrics, speaking to anyone struggling to stave off an impulse for instant gratification even when you know it’s from a toxic source, are grounded in a synth beat produced by Frankie Scoca (NewJeans).
Rita Ora — “Ask & You Shall Receive”
Rita Ora shamelessly shimmies against a washing machine in her Dano Cerny-directed “Ask & You Shall Receive” video, and anyone would do the same if this frisky, shimmering song came on at the laundromat, grocery store, or anywhere in between.
Kygo With HAYLA — “Without You”
The building, repetitive nature of “Without You” quickly becomes a visceral experience, which is true of any Kygo song. It wouldn’t be surprising if a cardiologist confirmed someone’s heartbeat mirroring the beat of HAYLA half-chanting, half-singing, “I can’t live without you / No, I can’t live without you / In my life.”
The Marías — “Echo”
“The lyrics in ‘Echo’ are painfully honest, so it was one of the hardest ones to get through,” The Marías vocalist María Zardoya told Variety. Luckily, Zardoya and Josh Conway pushed through because “Echo” manages to capture the unique brand of post-breakup isolation in cutting yet hypnotizing, tranquil fashion.
Disclosure — “She’s Gone, Dance On”
Dance-pop inherently functions as sweet relief, but that is a literal truth for Disclosure’s “She’s Gone, Dance On.” Disclosure’s Howard Lawrence and Guy Lawrence explained on Instagram, “We actually started working on this back in 2017, so if you think it’s been a while for you, imagine our pain!! Since we debuted it late last year in clubs, the response from DJs and you lot has been insane.” The track is an iridescent fresh coat of paint, sampling Ennio Morricone and Michael Brandon Fraser’s “Dance On.”
