Sound Off: 10 New Songs You Need to Hear Now
Music

Sound Off: 10 New Songs You Need to Hear Now

by Shaad D'Souza

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.

Kali Uchis & SZA —  "fue mejor"

Kali Uchis' underrated 2020 release sin miedo finally gets its dues with this superstar remix of "fue mejor" featuring SZA. The pair have a natural chemistry and SZA sounds great singing in Spanish.

Casey MQ — "What About Us (oklou's cover)"

The first single from Casey MQ's new remix collection is this gorgeous, gossamer cover by oklou. It's just a taste of what's sure to be a huge album, also featuring Hannah Diamond and Avalon Emerson.

Sega Bodega — "Angel On My Shoulder"

There are shades of Crystal Castles in this new one from Sega Bodega, a troubled and beautiful piece of rave-inflected electronic pop.

Soccer Mommy & Kero Kero Bonito — "rom com 2021"

Soccer Mommy and KKB are a strange combination on paper, but on "rom com 2021" it totally works. Both bands share a fascination with '90s and early 2000s aesthetics, and here they come together for a bright, dazed piece of electro pop.

Katy B & Jaz Karis — "Open Wound"

As ever, Katy B remains our queen of writing amazing pop songs about being a little too anxious after taking drugs. "Open Wound" is her trademark mix of emotive and danceable.

Token & Rico Nasty — "High Heels"

Token's new song features a clanging, evocative beat that sounds like the rattling of subway cars. Paired with Rico Nasty, "High Heels" is an infectious piece of street rap.

Not Waving — "What Is Normal Today?"

Not Waving's new collection, recorded as the soundtrack for the latest Fendi menswear show, is glamorous and impossibly chic, featuring samples of Silvia Fendi's voice throughout. The acidic techno track "What Is Normal Today?" is a pulsating highlight.

Ashnikko — "Panic Attacks In Paradise"

Ashnikko shows her emotional side on this acoustic guitar ballad, a stark contrast to the tough-as-nails persona on Demidevil. It's a gorgeously self-reflective track in the pop-punk tradition.

Kedr Livanskiy — "Celestial Ether"

Kedr Livanskiy has always said she's a fan of footwork and here she brings it into her otherworldly zone, melding a footwork beat with the chirp of birdsong.

Tirzah — "Beating"

Tirzah is in another world on her new album Colourgrade, utilising sounds that are entirely foreign and totally beautiful. The frame of a pop song lurks outside "Beating," but it's the song's formlessness that makes it special.

Photo courtesy of Kali Uchis/ SZA