Every week, we bring you #SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that hit the web over the course of the week. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features 10 of our favorite emerging and established artists.
MUNA just released the greatest pop song of the year, and it’s all about manifestation, abundance, and having zero shame. (YouTube)
Long story short: Lil Nas X has beef with BET. His latest is a scathing rap-pop middle-finger to the cable network with an assist from NBA YoungBoy. (YouTube)
Conan Gray’s new album Superache is a chronicle of the best and worst parts of young love. On boppy standout “Disaster,” he gets into the perils of overthinking: “Is it purely platonic to call me like every night?” (YouTube)
Willow’s voice is an amorphous, mutating, angry thing on her raging and melodic new track, “<maybe> it’s my fault.” (YouTube)
Christine and the Queens’ summons a dusky club in the ‘80s on her latest, an all-French single that tells a mystical story about coming out. (YouTube)
The sultry warm whispers of Channel Tres & shygirl sound godly over Mura Masa’s absolutely luxe and rich-sounding strain of house music. (YouTube)
Empress Of’s deft vocals + the luscious, multi-textured dance backdrop by Jim-E Stack = dance-floor euphoria. (YouTube)
Indie-pop heartthrob Cuco envelops you in a dream on “Fin Del Mundo,” his blue-tinted love song about facing the end of the world. (YouTube)
Silken layered vocals and lush instrumentals make New Orleans singer Ambré’s R&B a luxurious treat for the ears. (YouTube)
Alex g makes being a (kinda) bad person sound charming on his scruffy indie rock tune punctuated with screams and funny voices, “runner.” (YouTube)