This week saw the release of a ton of great new pop music. Olivia Rodrigo released a surprise song, which is featured on the soundtrack for The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes movie. BTS’ Jung Kook also made his official solo debut with a brand new album, filled with incredible collaborations.
Check out the rest of Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.
Conan Gray — “Killing Me”
Conan Gray finds himself struggling with a toxic relationship in the heartbreaking “Killing Me,” as the other person cheats, lies, and deceives him. However, he can’t seem to let go of the love. He described the song being “for when you’re on your last limb begging this person to just please stop torturing your heart.”
Jung Kook — “Standing Next To You”
Jung Kook’s “Standing Next To You” is the focus track of his debut solo album, Golden, which dropped on Friday. The BTS member has more than proved he can also step out on his own, as he showcases his romantic side and his incredible dance moves in the music video.
Olivia Rodrigo — “Can’t Catch Me Now”
After Olivia Rodrigo teased her appearance on the new Hunger Games movie’s soundtrack, she has now released “Can’t Catch Me Now,” ahead of the film’s release. The breezy track has perfectly captured the vibes of the film’s story, as fans have made a ton of TikTok edits already.
The Kid LAROI — “Bleed”
Another single from The Kid LAROI’s new album, The First Time, which drops later this month, “Bleed” is a ballad about the pains of being unable to move on when someone else already has. “How did your heart mend so easy? / Mine still bleeds / Hard to believe you don’t need me / All those memories we made are burnin’ in my brain,” he sings.
Arcángel, Peso Pluma — “La Chamba”
Arcángel and Peso Pluma dropped their new “La Chamba” collaboration, about the two just doing their best to hustle for an extravagant lifestyle. Arcángel wrote a sweet social media message, translated to English (via Remezcla), he said it was “dedicated to all the neighborhoods of Latin America and the whole world, dedicated to those hardworking people and dreamers willing to sacrifice everything to achieve their dreams!”
Willow — “Alone”
“When we’re alone, when there’s nobody there to distract us from our own thoughts, we try to run away from it,” Willow told Rolling Stone about grappling with trauma on her “Alone” track. “But I feel like it’s a really interesting practice to understand and to really see what changes when you don’t try to push it away.”
Niall Horan — “Something In The Orange”
Niall Horan covered Zach Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” for his new Spotify Studios release, which is also doubling as part of his The Show: The Encore album. As it turns out, Bryan loved Horan’s rendition and even shared that the two met recently.
Marshmello, Anuel AA — “Alcohol”
Marshmello and Anuel AA teamed up on “Alcohol,” which, as the title suggests, finds the duo still bringing the carefree club-ready energy — even in the winter. The visualizer features Marshmello driving along past palm trees, adding to the feel of the track.
The Last Dinner Party – “On Your Side”
“‘On Your Side’ is a love song with its hands tied,” the band shared about their new single, from their forthcoming 2024 debut album, in a statement. “It’s about being so devoted to someone that no matter what they do, no matter how much it hurts, how much you know you should leave, you can’t escape.”
Emilia, Tini — “La Original.mp3”
“I always try to show all parts of myself, but I feel like with all the criticism we sometimes face, we hide and don’t want to show our true selves,” Emilia wrote about her vulnerable but fun collaboration with Tini. “‘La Original.mp3’ is about that.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.