Every week, we bring you SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that just hit the web. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features 14 of our favorite emerging and established artists.
“Blue Moon” by Zara Larsson
Everyone say thank you, MNEK, for bringing out the best, most fairylike side of Zara. I can’t wait to bop to this at a Brooklyn gay bar now all the way through next summer. — Kevin LeBlanc, style editor
“Take Me Dancing” by Doja Cat feat. SZA
Well, they did it again: Expect to hear this song everywhere for the next two years. So glad Doja is no longer rejecting her fate as a pop-rapper — we need her now more than ever. — Jillian Giandurco, editorial associate
“Baddie Baddie” by Ice Spice
Filled with instant quotables, and the M.I.A. sample is major. Welcome back, Ice. — Giandurco
“Let Alone The One You Love” by Olivia Dean
This entire album — mixed and mastered within an inch of perfection — deserves a spin on a six-figure sound system, but this song in particular is full-body-chills-inducing in the first 30 seconds. Her voice is like a heartbreaking hug; welcome to the league of British greats, girlie pop. — LeBlanc
“Play This Song” by Mariah Carey feat. Anderson .Paak
Sounds like a Silk Sonic B-side, but I’m not mad about it. Mother’s still got it! — Giandurco
“One Of The Greats” by Florence + The Machine
Who pissed off Florence Welch? It may not be as witchy as the band’s previous single, but the haunting harmonies at the end are genuinely bone-chilling. — Giandurco
“Dracula” by Tame Impala
A Halloween novelty song but make it good. Tame Impala are finally trading in their vibes-based stoner music in favor for funk and groove, which I co-sign. — Giandurco
“Mothers of Riches” by Cate Le Bon
The most lush, cinematic take on “dramatically looking out the window on an airplane” music of the year. This is also probably what was playing in 17th-century Venice as courtesans got ready every morning. — LeBlanc
“Vacancy” by Ari Lennox
Can’t tell if “Vacancy” has always been a sexy word, or if that’s just the Ari Lennox effect. Either way, this song is working on me. — Giandurco
“Second Sleep” by Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay are so good at making music that sounds like a dream (no pun intended), and the build at the very end is like being in the deepest, most lucid part of REM. — Giandurco
“XOXO” by Maude Latour
Can’t wait to pull this one out next time I’m on the aux and watch as my friends all add it to their playlists. It’s a tired sentiment, but had it been released earlier, this track would have been a genuine contender for song of the summer. — Giandurco
“Islands of Men” by Geese
How blessed we are to live in the same lifetime as Cameron Winter. Like every Geese song, this starts in one country and by the three-minute mark, you’re paragliding over a different continent, high on the instrumentations and one-of-a-kind sound they’ve perfected on this album. — LeBlanc
“Starburst” by Danny Brown
One of the weirdest and unpredictable beats I’ve heard all year, but I’d expect nothing less from Danny Brown. The second half of the song is truly confounding in the best way. — Giandurco
