Sound Off: 10 Songs You Need to Hear Now

Cassandra Jenkins - "Only One"

New York musician Cassandra Jenkins follows up her 2021 breakthrough An Overview on Phenomenal Nature with this lush, gentle track that smudges together shades of jazz, new age and exotica.

Chanel Beads - "Unifying Though"

Can an anthemic song also sound supremely laid-back? That’s the question posed by “Unifying Thought,” a hazily euphoric highlight from Chanel Beads’ new album Your Day Will Come.

Jamie xx, Honey Dijon - "Baddy On The Floor"

Pleasant sample house from Jamie xx and Honey Dijon, clearly gunning to be played around 5pm at every festival this summer.

Fontaines D.C. - "Starbuster"

“Starburster” is all swaggering tension: the song builds and builds and builds before all the tension dissipates in a second. It also contains its own in-joke about the constant build in the form of frontman Grian Chatten’s comic, over-the-top gasp for breath.

Sevdaliza, Villano Antillano, Tokischa - "Ride or Die Pt. 2"

This column is quickly becoming a Tokischa stan page, and for good reason: She keeps collaborating with interesting people, remolding her craft in weird ways, and generally being funnier and cooler than most musicians. I love her moody turn on this Sevdaliza track, which is less ostentatious than past guest verses but just as captivating.

Tei Shi - "Falling From Grace"

There’s an appealing wispiness to this slow-building ballad from Colombian-Canadian musician Tei Shi, her vaporous voice layering and wavering as if it’s blowing in the wind.

Amaarae, KAYTRANADA - "Angels In Tibet"

It’s kind of insane that the Amaarae/Kaytranada linkup didn’t happen sooner – Amaarae’s serpentine, bouncing vocals are a perfect match for Kaytranada’s fluttering drums.

Willow Kayne - "Robot Lovers"

Shades of Tove Lo on this slinky, wryly camp, darkly-toned pop track from Willow Kayne. Kayne’s sinewy vocals are stitched to a backbone that’s loud and forceful, giving the song a wonderfully embodied feeling

Local Natives - "Throw It In The Fire"

This new track from Local Natives grows at an appealingly laid-back pace, its gentle groove eventually swelling into something grand and buffeting.

Sia, Paris Hilton - "Fame Won't Love You"

Sia and Paris team up on this song from Sia’s forthcoming record – an unlikely collab about the trials and tribulations of celebrity.

Photography: Courtesy of Sia