Empress Of & Jim-E Stack — "Turn The Table"

Empress Of’s new EP, Save Me, contains some of the sharpest, most sophisticated dance-pop released this year. "Turn The Table" captures the project's humid, glamorous spirit: Building slowly to an absolutely massive chorus — a distorted, funhouse mirror version of a Top 40 hook — it’s emotional and euphoric in equal measure.

Alex G — "Runner"

The first single from Alex G’s new album, God Save The Animals, is an all-timer — an ambling indie-rock ballad that turns yearning and anthemic as soon as the chorus hits.

Taylor Swift — "Carolina"

Taylor Swift’s theme for Delia Owens' adaptation of Where The Crawdads Sing suffuses the ornate production of folklore and evermore with a gothic, foreboding vibe that captures the heady atmosphere of the film’s southern setting.

Emma Rena — "Charlie Went Blind"

Emma Rena’s latest single is a totally oddball pop ballad — a song whose hook sounds like it should be on the Top 40 and whose production sounds like it was made in someone’s bedroom. It’s a delightful, ingratiating combination.

ko aka koala — "why is everyone so scared of me"

ko aka koala’s new single, "why is everyone so scared of me," is a wild, intensely spare 2000s throwback that recalls Britney’s Blackout if 99% of the production was stripped away entirely.

Julia Wolf — "Hot Killer"

Julia Wolf’s new track is a piece of bossed-up trap-pop that plays like a feminized version of The Weeknd’s “Starboy.” Arriving on the heels of her Gov Ball performance, it’s another girlboss pop vignette.

planet 1999 — "i<3u"

“i<3u” is a highlight from planet 1999’s new EP, this is our music — a wispy, vaporous ballad anchored by Caro’s gossamer vocals.

Soccer Mommy — "Feel It All The Time"

"Feel It All The Time" is a twangy look towards the sunlight for Soccer Mommy, whose new OPN-produced album grapples with her attempts to reckon with the anxiety and depression expressed on past records. Somehow emphatic and casual at the same time, it’s a late-album moment of triumph.

Beyoncé — "Break My Soul"

“Break My Soul," Beyoncé’s grand return single, is a rhythmic and deeply weird piece of house pop that finds euphoria in casual moments of liberation — hearing a new track, quitting your job, releasing your trade.

Lil Nas X & YoungBoy Never Broke Again — "Late To Da Party"

"Late To Da Party" is one of Lil Nas X’s smoothest, sharpest rap songs ever — a driving three-minute blast of energy that’s minimal, but totally unforgettable.

Photography: Rodrigo Álvarez