Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
These 10 tracks from artists like Jensen McRae, mxmtoon, TWICE, Barrie and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
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Jensen McRae, “Take It Easy”
As the track title suggests, “Take It Easy” — off Jensen McRae’s upcoming debut Are You Happy Now? — is a warm and soothing song about doing exactly that. With McRae’s inviting vocals, which float over light percussion, it’s near impossible not to grant yourself a moment of rest when this comes on. — Lyndsey Havens
Oston, “Hard To Love”
Rising singer-songwriter Oston often adds a kick of electo-pop production to her music, and those moments stand out on her latest single “Hard To Love.” This L.A. newcomer’s strength is knowing just how to balance those revved-up seconds with softer ones, resulting here in a song that grabs listeners and refuses to let go until its near-whispered end. — L.H.
mxmtoon, “sad disco”
Sad disco, crying in the club, call it what you will — being a bummed-out party-goer is an idea explored before. But on mxmtoon’s latest, she offers a fresh take that’s part of her bigger plan: flip the narrative on its head to own the concept of needing, and even enjoying, a sad disco. Not sold? The plinky uptempo production might just do the trick, or perhaps its music video, in which there’s nothing but wide-faced grins. — L.H.
Jake Wesley Rogers, “Lavender Forever”
Jake Wesley Rogers wastes no time showing off his vocal range on “Lavender Forever,” on which he scales notes with the dexterity of a seasoned climber within the song’s first 30 seconds. The driving pop-rock piano melody helps this song feel like a seasoned favorite, while catchy lines like “sticky sticky fingers for life” are evidence it was made today (and perhaps with a certain TikTok algorithm in mind). — L.H.
Beabadoobee, “Talk”
After releasing a pair of singles earlier in the year, bedroom pop and indie-rock hybrid Beabadoobee has given fans the first look at her fourth studio album, Beatopia. On new single “Talk,” the Dirty Hit artist taps into the Internet’s collective nostalgia for the 2000s — “it sounds like 2006,” she said of the forthcoming album — delivering her signature syrupy-sweet vocals and layering them over fuzzy, grunge-inspired guitar riffs. — Starr Bowenbank
Soft Cell, Pet Shop Boys, “Purple Zone”
‘80s pop stars Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys teamed up for “Purple Zone” with a goal: express their fears of aging and reflect on decades past. But that doesn’t mean they’re mourning their youth. Chris Lowe’s upbeat synths — which recall his and Neil Tennant’s 1987 hit, “Always On My Mind” — feel like a celebration as Tennant, alongside Soft Cell’s Marc Almond, wistfully enters a new stage of life. — S.B.
TWICE, “Just be yourself”
TWICE, known fondly amongst K-pop listeners for their generally positive tracks, return with “Just be yourself” for fans of their Japanese-language material. The sweet track finds the K-pop group singing of how much they appreciate the close friendships in their lives, buoyed by bouncy synths and the occasional tropical house flair in the verses. — S.B.
Christina Perri, “Evergone”
Christina Perri’s “Evergone” navigates through extreme grief — the new single is about the death of the singer-songwriter’s daughter, Rosie — with a tempo and attitude that embrace the type of healing that feels both impossible and necessary given the circumstances. With the shimmering, moving “Evergone,” Perri has found hope in the middle of devastation. — Jason Lipshutz
Claudia Valentina, “Extra Agenda”
Claudia Valentina’s voice hops across the lyrics on new single “Extra Agenda” like they’re floating in midair and about to fall away — there’s an urgency and passion in every syllable, commanding the attention away from the lush synth-pop production and toward each of her ideas. Valentina showed promise on her self-titled 2020 EP, but on “Extra Agenda,” she’s dazzling with far more personality. — J.L.
Barrie, “Basketball”
Barbara, the recently released album from Brooklyn-based Barrie, is one of the most complete pop full-lengths of 2022, a bewitching collection of styles that rarely overlap yet never seem out of place. “Basketball” represents a late highlight, all shuffling beats and nervy energy that locks into a glitchy groove thanks to Barrie’s vocal restraint. — J.L.