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 nine of our favorite emerging and established artists.
“Destiny” by Ellie Goulding
Drama, romance, acceptance — this track has it all. In an era when artists are racing to have their brash Brat moment, it’s refreshing to hear Goulding take a dreamy, atmospheric approach. It’s a welcome change of pace for the pop star, one that has us excited to see what she does next.
“Dopamine” by Robyn
Piercing synths that make you hear colors, an electro-dance beat that charges the soul like a battery: the foremother of modern pop music is back in her truest form.
“House” by Charli XCX
We predicted the first offering from the Wuthering Heights soundtrack would lean baroque pop; we could’ve never foreseen Charli XCX would give us a spoken word goth rock anthem. It’s shocking just how much replay value this song has considering it’s probably the least accessible single of Charli’s career, but it’s truly like candy to our ears.
“Predictable Girl” by FKA Twigs
Bookending the year with two near-perfect albums is something only FKA Twigs can do. Here, she’s not just giving the club rats what they want – she’s giving them what they need. This is the track you pull out at 3 a.m. when the crowd starts to thin out, or the track you queue up before the pregame ends to get the adrenaline following.
“Berlin TV Tower” by Blondshell
A great song all around, but worth listening to just to hear the lyric: “A man said I look better from the side than dead on / And it’s always coming from a goblin to a swan.”
“This Is The World (I Made It For You)” by Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay are on a generational singles run right now. Their latest release is more of the same luscious production and whip-smart songwriting they’re known for, and builds upon the delightful world they’ve created within their studio walls.
“It Ain’t Nothing” by Scout Willis
Willis’ voice here is so malleable and evocative, and the warm production has all the makings of an Americana classic.
"Circlesz" by GENA
The debut single from GENA, R&B experimentalist Liv.e and drummer Karriem Riggins deliver a smooth, groovy tune to clean the house to, which is of course the highest compliment we can give.
“Him&Him&Him” by Jae Stephens
Clever, hooky, and bursting with personality. Jae Stephens is exactly who she thinks she is.
