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 including Chappell Roan, Bleachers, Kylie Minogue 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 our favorite cool pop songs of this year.
Chappell Roan, “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl”
On paper, Chappell Roan’s “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” represents an eyeroll, as the rising pop star dismisses another bad date with “fugly jeans” and swears off lame dudes altogether. In practice, though, the song is ecstatic: the best track on Roan’s striking debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess blasts off following its conversational opening verse into the electro-pop stratosphere, and when the beat kicks in on the back half of the chorus, trying to resist one of the year’s most giddy pop moments is a losing game. – Jason Lipshutz
Dylan, “Rebel Child”
The guitar snarl of Dylan’s new single “Rebel Child” harkens back to latter-period garage-rock revival, when bands like The Hives and Jet were still soaking up radio spins and commercial synchs — but the rest of the song swerves into a satisfying pop lane full of “woo-hoo” refrains and anti-hater messaging. When Dylan declares, “Oh, baby, I can’t lose, my drum is beating harder,” as the percussion picks up on the chorus, “Rebel Child” reaches a new, synergistic height. – J. Lipshutz
Bleachers, “Modern Girl”
Anyone who’s caught a recent Bleachers show understands that, when Jack Antonoff isn’t helping mold some of biggest pop albums in recent memory, he and his band mates are putting on gleefully raucous performances; “Modern Girl,” the lead single to their upcoming fourth album, bottles some of that onstage energy and brings it back into the recording studio. In between saxophone struts and a wall-of-sound hook, Antonoff’s voice settles nicely into a rapid-fire cadence, each syllable flush with jittery passion. – J. Lipshutz
Yeule, “Cyber Meat”
While Yeule’s 2022 album Glitch Princess, which focused on disassociating with the natural world, featured a daringly synthetic approach to pop, the newly released softscars tries to untangle the various complexities of humanity with an alt-rock edge. “Cyber Meat” is a standout from the new album precisely because it’s something we haven’t heard from Yeule before: as they masterfully deploy hooks over crashing drums and bleary guitar, they sound fearless, and have us wondering where else they might go next. – J. Lipshutz
Slaughter Beach, Dog, “My Sister in Jesus Christ”
The entirety of Slaughter Beach, Dog’s new album, Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling, contains a bright indie twang that will make a lovely autumn-sunset soundtrack this season — although the lyrics of the rollicking standout “My Sister in Jesus Christ” might jump out from the background and grab your attention. Jake Ewald’s songwriting touches upon My Chemical Romance, blue Gatorade, a snakeskin purse and “dirty emails on AOL” — and that’s just one of the verse — but does so with a smile and a wink, each reference grabbing your attention without becoming too intrusive. – J. Lipshutz
JP Saxe, “Anywhere”
JP Saxe has described “Anywhere” as one of his favorite songs that he’s written to date, and it’s easy to understand why: the piano ballad functions as a lullaby but never dips into the maudlin, with Saxe soothing his subject that, while he may be away from home, he’s going to be back soon enough. A song like “Anywhere” is tricky to pull off without sounding saccharine, but Saxe lowers his voice to a gentle embrace instead of a showy bellow, making his words all the more relatable. – J. Lipshutz
Brent Faiyaz, “WY@”
Over the soft, insistent tap of an 808 and multi-layered, almost unearthly harmonies, Brent Faiyaz sings of a poisonous lover who’s too alluring to let go: “You take on my ability / You’re the death of me and the remedy.” Just like the subject of “WY@,” the pull of this soulful slow-burn is hard to turn down, and easy to get lost in. – Joe Lynch
Kylie Minogue, “Green Light”
Hailing from Kylie Minogue’s excellent new LP Tension, “Green Light” is a bouncy, bright bop that finds the Aussie pop queen singing her verses in a soft, ping-pong staccato before the disco-inflected chorus takes over. And that smooth sax solo? Just icing on the top of this delicious confection. – J. Lynch
Coco & Clair Clair, “The Hills (feat. DEELA) – George Daniel Remix”
Life’s a party for Coco & Clair Clair on “The Hills,” but the party gets dialed up to 100 with the track’s George Daniel (of The 1975) remix – the chill, house vibes of the song swapped for bouncy U.K. club beats. The duo, whose voices are pitched and sped up in Daniel’s version of the song, hop around from event to event, but ultimately can’t help but think of the object of their affections in the inevitable down moments that come with a busy week spent without their love. – Starr Bowenbank
Slayyyter, “I Love Hollywood!”
Slayyyter’s sophomore effort, STARF–KER, tells the tale of gritty nightlife and the dark underbelly of fame over high octane, maximalist production for 35 minutes straight. Listeners are thrust into her world upon hitting play on the album’s indulgent introductory track, “I Love Hollywood!” — bright lights, drug-filled parties and brushes with controversial pop culture icons are just a sliver of the trouble Slayyyter wraps herself up in, but she doesn’t mind one bit, so long as she remains the well-dressed, enviable center of attention. – S.B.
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