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 10 of our favorite emerging and established artists.
“Dance No More” by Harry Styles
Whoever said DJs don’t dance anymore is a brazen liar who is not to be trusted. And yet, we should all be thanking them for inspiring such a good Harry Styles song. The quirky, high-pitched vocals, the euphoric choral chants, the descending melody, the grooves — is it possible to kiss and disco all the time?
“Más Cara” by Bad Gyal
I hope Bad Gyal continues doing what she likes and working with people she f*cks with into perpetuity because it just works. She’s always authentically herself no matter what she’s doing, and if my middle school-level of Spanish education can understand that, then she must be doing a damn good job.
“Dog” by Cobrah
Cobrah is always full of surprises, but “Dog” might be her most unexpected song to date. What you think is going to be an ode to pet play actually turns out to be an honest and vulnerable confession of Cobrah’s truest desires: to find a partner worth growing old with, not one who just wants her for her body. Soundtracked with dark, thrashing textures and racing synths, you never know where this song is going to go next.
“Where Do We Go” by Ayra Starr
For a sad song, this track is fun is hell. It’ll surely be slotted into every DJ set this summer, thanks to the darkly sexy production and Starr’s ear candy-esque vocals. And what a summer it will be.
“Get Some” by Kim Petras feat. Cortisa Star
Streaming or not, it’s still one of the best tracks of the week. Free Kim.
“Tweak” by GIRLSET
Imagine getting sample clearance for a song like “Weak” by SWV less than a year into your career. Very impressive. I’ve got my eye on the GIRLSET girls, and you should, too.
“Warning” by Cameron Winter & War Child Records
Listening to Cameron Winter has never been a relaxing experience, but this song is particularly anxiety-inducing. As the tension rises so does the tempo, an escalation that literally makes Winter’s warning more and more dire by the second.
“Just Friends” by Honey Dijon feat. Adi Oasis, Suni MF, and Danielle Ponder
In the clurb, we’re all fam just friends. ‘90s house is so back, baby.
“Mediation No. 1” by Diana Silvers
Diana Silvers’ voice is an instrument in every sense of the word. She blends naturally with the flutes and cellos that surround her, almost as if she is one of them. It’s really something to behold.
“Crumbs” by Girl Scout
Girl Scout is right: every day is a funeral. A peak into the brutal realities of the music industry, it’s about time the band stops playing nice and starts burning sh*t to the ground. I support.
