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.

Slayyyter — "Over This!"

Every single from Slayyyter's debut album sounds completely different, and "Over This!", a raucous pop-punk kiss-off, is no exception. The only unifying force is her charismatic, undeniable personality.

Aly & AJ — "Symptom of Your Touch"

Aly & AJ have graduated to sophisticated, enthralling pop music without a hiccup. "Symptom of Your Touch" is lovelorn and glamorous, classic-sounding but undeniably now.

Njomza and Russ — "winter in atlanta"

Los Angeles-based musician Njomza strikes somewhere between Bon Iver and Billie Eilish on this downtempo, heart-wrenching Russ collaboration. It's an exciting taste of her new EP.

Youngn Lipz — "Spaceship"

The new track from Youngn Lipz recalls the best of '90s R&B with its gently strummed guitar loop. But it's a track as modern as they come, the rising MC slipping easily and naturally into any number of distinctive flows.

Angel Olsen — "Smaller"

Good things really do come in small packages — this one-minute Angel Olsen demo is breathtaking, a dour but beautifully-sung goodbye to an ungrateful, ungracious partner.

Conan Gray — "Astronomy"

"Astronomy" showcases a new side to Conan Gray, spectral harmonies and plainspoken acoustic guitar showcasing a moodier tone and more abstract kind of songwriting. It's an unassuming-but-significant sign of maturation.

Alice Skye — "Party Tricks"

The slow-building "Party Tricks" is gut-wrenching, a cinematic and heartbroken ballad that's impossible to look away from.

India Jordan — "Feirabend"

Featuring pummelling drums and a near-constant build, "Feirabend" absolutely didn't come to play. India Jordan is partial to a chaotic-speed dance track, and on "Feirabend" they perfect their own chosen form.

MARINA and Pussy Riot — "Purge The Poison"

MARINA's political era continues, with this Pussy Riot-aided track that plays like a fiery, embodied update of her OG hit "Hollywood".

A. G. Cook and Charli XCX — "Xcxoplex"

Charli XCX flips the most abrasive track from A. G. Cook'sApple on its head, turning it into an anthemic head-rush of a single.

Photography: Sophia-Liv (Courtesy of Slayyyter)

Fashion

Coolest Person in the Room: Jacques Agbobly

Story by Andrew Nguyen / Photography by Diego Villagra Motta