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 Mimi Webb, COIN, Hanson and Metronomy 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.
Mimi Webb, “House on Fire”
Ahead of her first-ever U.S. tour in support of Tate McRae, Mimi Webb has dropped a wondrous, biting pop track that could help her break through in the same way that “You Broke Me First” delivered McRae last year. Webb knows how to both attack a major-key pop refrain and hit a revenge-fantasy pose, singing in this tale of heartbroken arson, “I saw you out, it was zero degrees / And you had your hands right under her sleeves / Oh, you said you don’t get cold, you liar! / Now I’ma set your house on fire.” – Jason Lipshutz
Hanson, “Child at Heart”
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Although Hanson’s decades-long run as adult pop crowd-pleasers has been consistently rewarding, the three brothers will sometimes sneak in some left-of-center fare on projects to keep their formula fresh. “Child at Heart,” from the upcoming Red Green Blue album, is wider than Hanson’s normal stance, a showy pop-rock ballad with strings, epic lyricism and the type of big-top hook that begs to be hummed by its second time out. – J. Lipshutz
Maeve Steele, “Tycho”
Searching for a dream-pop jam that personifies a lunar crater approximately 108 million years old? Rising Bay Area singer-songwriter Maeve Steele has you covered: “Tycho” reflects on natural beauty, loneliness and the passage of time with an astute eye and warm, inviting sound, as Steele offers some smooth playlist fodder even for those who don’t care about the moon. – J. Lipshutz
Yumi Zouma, “Where The Light Used To Lay”
New Zealand’s Yumi Zouma makes alternative pop music that sounds lighter than air, as if Christie Simpson is able to pluck melodies out of vapors and present them to the masses. New single “Where The Light Used To Lay” may be in response to a breakup, but Simpson’s sonorous tone, the gentle synths, unobtrusive kick drum and wispy backing vocals make it sound like the calmest heartbreak imaginable. – J. Lipshutz
The Knocks with Dragonette, “Slow Song”
Like Meghan Trainor’s debut smash, The Knocks’ new collaboration with Dragonette is all about that bass: the disco pastiche sparkles with Dragonette’s veteran charm — she wraps her voice around the words “I’ma PLAY you!” with supreme affection — and a cool pillow of synths, but the track gathers momentum due to the Knocks’ bass line, jagged in its arrival and effective in its light funk. – J. Lipshutz
Bad Boy Chiller Crew feat. Becce J, “Always Be My Baby Boy”
Yorkshire trio Bad Boy Chiller Crew have their formula down pat: house samples, pop hooks, rapid-fire rap bars that lean into the thickness of their British accents, rinse, repeat. New album Disrespectful offers plenty of euphoric moments thanks to that blueprint, and the sugary “Always Be My Baby Boy” — with Becce J supplying the aforementioned pop hook this time — is likely the track that will help more listeners across the pond catch on. – J. Lipshutz
Porsh Bet$, “Here”
“Here” is a summery, blissed-out and slightly warped highlight from Things In the Way, the second EP from Harlem-born L.A. transplant Porsh Bet$. The project is an eclectic snapshot of the promising singer-songwriter as he discovers his sonic palette, which encompasses backpack rap, emo, alt-rock and R&B – at the moment, it doesn’t seem like there’s much he can’t do. – Joe Lynch
Metronomy, “Right on Time”
Pandemic blues – not to mention electronic musical influences – are in the rear view mirror on “Right on Time,” a buoyant sing-along from Metronomy. The long-running English indie group seems to have matured without growing jaded or stale, returning with top-notch songcraft and a confidence that’s sure to lift your spirits. – J. Lynch
Tame Impala, “The Boat I Row”
Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker continues to deliver hidden gems from 2020’s The Slow Rush by releasing a new set of remixes and B-sides from the project. “The Boat I Row” is the latest offering from the psychedelic pop crooner (it follows the previously released single, “No Choice”), and sees him delving deeper into his signature style — groovy and infectious. – Starr Bowenbank
COIN, “I Think I Met You In a Dream”
COIN — the indie-pop trio consisting of singer Chase Lawrence, drummer Ryan Winnen, and guitar player Joe Memmel — return with “I Think I Met You In a Dream,” a summer-ready track that mixes ’90s and psychedelic rock influences, but with a dreamy, modern twist. Lawrence’s vocals float along a bed of steady beats and intricate acoustic guitar work, as he fantasizes of the best moments spent with his lover, now only a distant memory. – S. Bowenbank