Sound Off: 10 Songs You Need to Hear Now

Sound Off: 10 Songs You Need to Hear Now

By Shaad D'Souza
May 16, 2025

It's impossible to be across all the new music out each Friday. Luckily, PAPER is here to help you out: each week, we round up 10 of our favorite new songs from artists — emerging and established — to soundtrack your life. From the surreal to the sublime, these songs cover every corner of the music world. The only criteria: they all have to absolutely rip.

Subscribe to our Sound Off Spotify playlist here and check out this week's tracks, below.

Song of the week: fakemink, ecco2k, Mechatok - “MAKKA”

The brute-force intensity of London rapper fakemink works perfectly with ecco2k’s ethereal, vaporous vocals on this raucous Mechatok production. fakemink is already in the middle of a viral moment – his songs “Easter Pink” and “LV Sandals” have both found a natural home on TikTok – and “MAKKA” feels like a song that’s going to cement him as one of 2025’s genuine rising stars.

Neggy Gemmy - "Polly Pocket"

The latest single from Neggy Gemmy’s She Comes From Nowhere contains a little bit of Alvvays and a tiny hint of Stereolab; it’s warm and fresh-feeling, vintage-toned but never stuffy.

Lola Young - "One Thing"

I have a soft spot for Lola Young, the Tyler the Creator collaborator and viral singer-songwriter whose rough-around-the-edges charm is key, I think, to her success. That goes doubly for “One Thing,” which is a filthy sex jam that kinda sounds like mid-2010s Metronomy.

Rihanna - "Friend of Mine"

At this point, Rihanna only really releases music because a film production is contractually requiring her to, but there’s some genuine fun to be had with “Friend of Mine," which rides a surprisingly raucous house beat.

Yeule - "Dudu"

Yeule taps into the daydreamy, singalong spirit of a lot of classic 2000s trip-pop on this light, airy new track.

Wolf Alice - "Bloom Baby Bloom"

“Bloom Baby Bloom” is bold and brash, moving from delicate Latin-tinged pop into aggro glam-rock swagger. Makes an impact!

Acopia - "Talk About It"

The latest Acopia single channels avant-pop pioneers like Anna Domino while incorporating a bracing sense of forward motion; it’s hypnotic and cutting.

Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae - "What I Want"

Relations between the US and Canada aren’t all that bad right now after all: There’s still room for each country’s biggest to collaborate on a song that, while not as big a banger as it probably should be, is still profoundly catchy.

Girl Ultra, Empress Of, Chromeo - "Tomas"

I’m going to the beach later, and will listen to this on the entire journey down. How could you not?

Nate Sib and 2hollis - "back & forth"

It’s always nice to see besties collaborate; this highlight from Nate Sib’s new album is walloping, smart and intensely minimalist.

Photography: Lola Young by Lily West & Eliana Shymansky

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