Looking for some Monday motivation to help power you through the start of another week? We’re right there with you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
These 10 tracks from artists like Tierra Whack, Rei Ami, Darren Criss 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.
Tierra Whack, “Link”
Tierra Whack and the LEGO Group have teamed up for her latest colorful music video, which also features imaginative LEGO creations made by Philadelphia school children as part of the brand’s Rebuild the World campaign. “Link,” Whack’s first visual since October 2020’s “Dora,” is a welcome spiritual successor to her fantastic visual album Whack World.
Rei Ami, “That’s On You!”
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Still haven’t listened to Rei Ami yet? That’s on you! No time like the present to dive into the Seoul-by-way-of-Maryland artist’s limited but fierce discography, which so far includes zany cuts like “Snowcone, “Mac & Cheese” and her latest, “That’s On You!” “Can I get a break?/ Like a Kit-Kat/ Everybody fake taking what they can’t have/ Just another snake, baby, that’s on that,” she spits over some weird little flutes. Pure fire.
Sir Sly, “Are We Having Any Fun?”
Are we having fun yet? If not, surely Sir Sly’s third album The Rise & Fall Of Loverboy (due April 23), will perk you up. Ahead of the LP release, the indie rock trio dropped “Are We Having Any Fun?”, which was co-written with Mike Shinoda, and sees frontman Landon Jacobs questioning his happiness: “Did I jump the shark?/ I’m lonely and losing the plot/ This tired old heart has been thumping and pumping/ And coughing up blood.”
Imanbek, Sean Paul, Sofia Reyes, “Dancing on Dangerous”
Yep, this one’s a banger. If you can’t get away for spring break, let Jamaican icon Sean Paul, Mexican singer Sofia Reyes and “Roses” hitmaker Imanbek transport you to the islands as you break that replay button and dance the night away.
Lun, “Us at the Boat”
Fans of Rezz will love Lun’s debut EP Haha I Like It, which is a bass-centric carnival of grinding beats dubbed “gothbounce.” “Us at the Boat” is one of the more lyrically prolific tracks on the otherwise largely instrumental EP, as the electronic producer’s distorted vocals recount memories of cruising on a boat during vacation. (For more on Lun, pick up alt-pop singer Lights’ graphic novel Skin & Earth and let the mystery unravel.) Wish you were here!
Darren Criss, “F*kn Around”
Darren Criss has long demonstrated a popular music prowess outside of his Glee and Broadway work, although that talent still has yet to coalesce into a debut album. With “F*kn Around,” a slick alt-pop single built around a wiggly bass line and a non-family-friendly hook, Criss once again raises hopes that a proper full-length can’t be too far away.
Fanclubwallet, “C’mon Be Cool”
Last year, Ottawa-based artist Hannah Judge released “Car Crash In G Major,” a breakthrough track on streaming platforms; three days later, Judge suffered a Crohn’s disease flare-up, and was subsequently bedridden for 10 months. The jangly indie-pop blast “C’mon Be Cool” previews a debut EP created during that homebound period, and sounds as engaging and full of life as any new track released from a rising singer-songwriter this year.
Shy Martin, “Remember You Were The One”
Imagine a Warped Tour alt-rock groove channeled through finely constructed Scandinavian pop: that’s what Swedish singers-songwriter Shy Martin accomplishes on “Remember You Were The One,” a song that was inspired by bands like Paramore and My Chemical Romance, bakes in some interesting guitar work but clobbers the listener with its melodies. Alternative radio should roll this one out on a red carpet.
Gracey, Billen Ted, “Got You Covered”
After U.K. pop artist Gracey linked up with 220 Kid for the overseas hit “Don’t Need Love,” she links back up with production/songwriting duo Billen Ted for the dreamy, elastic “Got You Covered.” There’s a whiff of the hyperpop strain that Charli XCX helped popularize here, as Gracey takes the blueprint and showcases her range while creating her own design.
Briston Maroney, “Bottle Rocket”
With the release of debut album Sunflower last week, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Briston Maroney has teamed up with veteran producer John Congleton and flaunted a keen understanding of the hooks that will eventually explode in front of festival crowds. “Bottle Rocket” is the project’s most potent firecracker, the drums thwacking as Maroney conveys pure hunger with the line “All my life/waiting for a little spark.”