Looking for some motivation to power through the start of another work week? We're feeling you and with some amazing new pop songs, we've got you covered.
These tracks from artists like Mabel, Lauv, Nilüfer Yanya and more will give you energy to see you through the week. Transfer any of these gems to your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist.
Most Beautiful Pop Song of the Week: Luke Hemmings, “Benny”
Luke Hemmings hasn't had a ton of shutouts in the past decade. The lead singer of 5 Seconds of Summer was a kid at the time of his rise to fame, about to turn 18 when the Australian quartet released their self-titled debut album in 2014. Five albums and countless tour dates later, Hemmings is 27, in adulthood, having seen the world and trying to push himself into unexplored corners of his art.
“Benny,” from Hemmings' just-released solo EP Boy, takes a wistful approach to a hectic lifestyle: “Will I say goodbye from a dark hotel room? / Living on the margins, what should I do?' Hemmings asks, his voice touching on the alternatives. However, the rhetorical questions and muted voice create an effective tension with the dreamy synth-song beds. Hemmings never pushes the song into the anthemic territory he's covered well with 5SOS, but the quieter aspects of “Benny” come through in the laid-back production, as if he's putting his confessionals into the prettiest package.
5 Seconds of Summer evolved their sound dramatically over the course of the decade, becoming one of the most reliable pop-rock groups on the planet. Now, Hemmings is doing the same with his solo work, following his 2021 debut When we face the things we turn away from. A song like “Benny” deserves to find an audience beyond 5SOS and will hopefully lead Hemmings to even more ambitious solo work.
Here are some new pop songs worth checking out this week…
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Mabel, “Vitamins”
According to a press release, Mabel's new single marks “a return to her R&B roots,” and while the British hitmaker has found success outside of the genre, she nails the exercise here, filling “Vitamins” with sultry “sha-la- la”. hooks and effortless vocal runs.
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Lauv, “Possibility”
Lauv excels at every type of pop song, but new single “Potential” returns him to the sweetly compelling energy of a song like “I Like Me Better,” with guitar strums turning the song's more tender lines into moments reminiscent of heart. 90s pop rock.
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Runway, “Jump Cut”
Veteran Montreal post-punk band Corridor returned last week with Imitationand album highlight “Jump Cut” serves as a perfect introduction to the project's appeal, smashing guitars and keyboards together during an extended instrumental breakdown accompanied by a sleek vocal chorus.
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Nilüfer Yanya, “Like I Say (I Runaway)”
Nilüfer Yanya often uses her voice like a whole collection of instruments in addition to the indie-pop arrangement beneath her, and when she writes new single “Like I Say (I Runaway),” she speeds up her delivery, slows it down and then he lets her slide. , creating a captivating world and then evolving it into fuzz guitar.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/luke-hemmings-more-cool-new-pop-songs/