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.
SZA — "F2F"
SZA has returned with a bang with SOS, a rich and varied hour-plus album. A clear highlight is this pop-punk gem, a song that transposes her usual TMI internal monologue onto a gigantic rager of a chorus.
Lana Del Rey — "Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd"
The first single from Lana’s new album of the same name is gorgeous and soulful, a strings-laden ballad that brings us Lana at her most raw and unfiltered.
Caroline Polachek — "Welcome To My Island"
This soaring, ecstatic synth-pop curio is a sweet, dizzying introduction to the world of Caroline Polachek’s long-awaited Pang follow-up, jumping from minimalist chiptune to grand '80s sleaze.
Paramore — "The News"
Paramore’s latest single is a paranoid and tense song about the grueling vibe of reading the news at this point in time. It’s raucous and relatable.
Biig Piig — "Picking Up (feat. Deb Never)"
“Picking Up” rushes from plaintive emotions to drum’n’bass pounder in a split-second, and it’s a thrill to hear it make the move – like taking the final terrifying drop on a rollercoaster.
Blondshell — "Veronica Mars"
Was Logan really that much of a dick? That’s what I find myself wondering when listening to “Veronica Mars” – I don’t think so, but it’s nice to hear the debate litigated in song.
Shygirl — "Posion - Club Shy mix"
A highlight of Shygirl’s Nymph gets a booming, bass-heavy update, turning it into a sinewy, 3am floor-filler.
Florence + The Machine and Ethel Cain — "Morning Elvis - Live At Denver Ball Arena"
Florence Welch and Ethel Cain clearly share a lot of musical DNA, and their voices sound gorgeous together on this live rendition of “Morning Elvis,” given an extra hit of twang courtesy of Cain.
Samia — "Sea Lions"
“Sea Lions” begins as a relatively spare folk ballad before dipping into a skronky, off-kilter kind of IDM, ending with garbled transmissions from some spaced-out radio station.
Gabrielle Shonk — "Aftertaste"
“Aftertaste” is an interesting dose of neo-soul, gussied up to fit in alongside bedroom pop and DIY producer music. It’s a heady combination.
Photo courtesy of RCA Records