A year-defining week of new music.
12. Joan - Want U Back
Pop duo Joan have put out a few bops in their time but Want U Back sticks the fastest. It comes with the announce of a new EP Cloudy and it's a perky cut that drips with charisma.
11. Carlie Hanson - Stealing All My Friends
Carlie Hanson has never held back in her songwriting but this cuts deep. Having watched friends and idols die from drugs she penned this emotional ballad. "Drugs keeps stealing all my friends," she sings in the chorus.
10. Holly Humberstone - Overkill
Holly Humberstone is only three drops into her career but she's already proving herself to be the next big thing. Overkill blends indie rock with pop sensibilities, housing a slick chorus that sticks instantly.
9. BLACKPINK - How You Like That
Following their Lady Gaga collaboration, BLACKPINK are back with their own material. How You Like That houses the pop power we've come to know them for. It's a heavy-hitting pop/rap/dance collision that showcases all the budding superstars' potential.
8. Dominic Fike - Chicken Tenders
Dominic Fike is gearing up to release his debut album and the campaign starts with Chicken Tenders. It's a breezy tune that brings together his rap and pop stylings. It's sure to rack up big streaming numbers.
7. Kelly Lee Owens - On
London experimental songwriters and producers Kelly Lee Owens is putting out some of the best material of her career and On is proof of it. It's a liberating song that continues to gain momentum as the production gets bigger and freer.
6. Arca & ROSALÍA - KLK
Arca and ROSALÍA were always going to create fire when they collided and KLK does just that. It's a militant, industrial dance song that warps everything thrown at it.
5. cupcakKe - Discounts
cupcakKe is dropping the best bars of her life proving she can compete with everybody in hip-hop right now. Discounts is full of zingers, lifted by a thunderous delivery that never lets up.
4. Megan Thee Stallion - Girls In The Hood
With a number one single to her name, Megan Thee Stallion is now officially unstoppable. Girls In The Hood packs all that confidence. She knows she's on top and this is a well-earned victory lap.
3. Burna Boy - Wonderful
If anyone was going to make us smile in this time, it's Burna Boy. He radiates good vibes and Wonderful is one of his sunniest yet. It's a tribute to Africa and also a celebration of how global his music has become.
2. Jessie Ware - Remember Where You Are
Jessie Ware's entire fourth album What's Your Pleasure? is excellent but there's something particularly poignant about its closer. Once the beat dies out, she watches the sun rise in this decadent ballad that asks, "Why don't you take me home?"
Read our interview with Jessie Ware here.
1. Haim - I've Been Down
Like Ware's, Haim's entire album deserves a shout out. It's the best of their career but there's something instantly powerful about I've Been Down. It comes at the point of the album where Danielle starts to see a way out of her depression. "I'm not dead yet," she declares as her delivery becomes stronger. It's the album's fist pump and it feels bloody good.
If you're a fan of what we've served here, you'll love our Top Tunes playlist:
