Searching for some inspiration to help you take on another work week? We got you covered with this week’s 10 Cool New Pop Songs playlist, which features new tracks from artists like 5 Seconds of Summer, Ashe, Sir Sly and more.
Slide any of these gems into your personal playlist to get energized to take on the week — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
5 Seconds of Summer, “Complete Mess”
As the first 5 Seconds of Summer song to be entirely written and produced by the band, “Complete Mess” is anything but, with a spacious foundation and the type of purposeful songwriting that naturally bends into an anthemic chorus. The last 5SOS album, CALM, was one of the best pop LPs of 2020, and their follow-up is off to a strong start. – Jason Lipshutz
Sad Night Dynamite, “Black & White”
On their first release of 2022, British duo Sad Night Dynamite offer a dance track that’s both singular in its melancholy, slightly haunted storytelling as well as deeply enjoyable on any sort of dance floor. “Black & White” sounds primed to explode whenever the pair plays it live, and may preview a major year. – J. Lipshutz
Bartees Strange, “Heavy Heart”
Even before signing to 4AD, Bartees Strange was enjoying a notable hot streak, thanks in part to top-notch 2020 album Live Forever and last year’s bar-raising single “Weights.” Label debut “Heavy Heart” marks another win: this is inventive, emotionally intelligent indie-rock of the highest order, with two verses that sound completely different but complement the chorus in their own way. – J. Lipshutz
Amelia Moore, “Moves”
Georgia singer-songwriter Amelia Moore has released a couple of songs ahead of new single “Moves,” but prior tracks “Sweet and Sour” and “Vinegar” didn’t fully showcase the technical beauty of her voice like her latest offering so succinctly does. Credit to Moore for maximizing the bed of shuffling rhythms and sumptuous harmonies she’s provided with here. – J. Lipshutz
Nilüfer Yanya, “The Dealer”
Much like her exquisite 2019 debut Miss Universe, Nilüfer Yanya’s just-released sophomore LP Painless contains a mesmerizing amount of quality control — not a second is wasted, nor does a song sound just-okay compared to the rest of the track list. “The Dealer” is an unequivocal highlight, however, as Yanya’s attention to detail is applied to the contrast between fussy breakbeats and lounging guitar riffs, each moment here a push-pull delight. – J. Lipshutz
Ashe, “Another Man’s Jeans”
After breaking through with her single “Moral of the Story” and trying to recapture that magic on last year’s Ashlyn album, Ashe sounds free on “Another Man’s Jeans,” a low-stakes, high-energy romp with some engaging sing-along moments and kicky pop-rock production. If this reminder to loosen up nods to where Ashe is going, her next chapter should be a downright blast. – J. Lipshutz
Duckwrth ft. Shaun Ross, “Power Power”
On new single “Power Power,” Los Angeles rapper Duckwrth spits a mile a minute over WaveIQ’s thumping hip-house production, rhyming “Dolce & Gabbana” with “piranha” while boasting about eating up the competition. For a banger with strong ballroom vibes, it fittingly features model-turned-singer Shaun Ross, a voguer from the legendary House of Xtravaganza. – Joe Lynch
Miles Francis, “Good Man”
Having worked with everyone from Sharon Jones to Will Butler, NYC-based multi-instrumentalist Miles Francis makes their full-length debut with Good Man, which finds them deconstructing masculinity and gender norms over quirky indie pop confections such as the title track, a bouncy percolator for Francis’ indelible hooks. – J. Lynch
Weeekly, “Ven Para”
Weeekly shows serious versatility in their comeback era for their new release, Play Game: AWAKE, almost sounding like a different group entirely on “Ven Para.” Gone are the bubbly school-themed visuals and lyrics about fun times with your best friends (as seen in their breakout K-pop hit, “After School”); instead, they opt for a hard-hitting girl crush concept, delivering pounding, high-energy instrumentals and sizzling lyrics about a cat-and-mouse type of romance. – Starr Bowenbank
Sir Sly, “Spine Curves”
Sir Sly continues to opt for the heavier themes and instrumentation on “Spine Curves,” the follow-up to their 2021 single, “Bang.” Lead singer Landon Jacobs emotively sings of the dissociation he feels following the end of a relationship, though he claims to be better for it. In the group’s own words, said breakup “is part confusion, part anger, but somewhere in there is a profound sense of freedom,” as seen as the mixture of heavy bass, winding synth and contemplative guitar work. – S. Bowenbank