Charli XCX and Ariana Grande kept Brat summer alive, while Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker continued rolling out Brent fall. Blackpink’s Jennie provided a “Mantra” for pretty girls, and Halsey wrote an incredibly unique love letter.
Check that out and more in Uproxx’s Best New Pop Music roundup below.
Jennie — “Mantra”
Last week’s “Best New Pop” featured Blackpink’s Lisa, and this week was also tinted by Blackpink. Jennie released “Mantra” for every pretty girl unaware that 1) she’s a pretty girl and/or 2) deserves a mantra. That sentiment is underscored by the first scene of Jennie’s “Mantra” video, which shows a young girl in the backseat. She’s entirely unaffected by the traffic while singing, “This that pretty-girl mantra, this that flaunt ya, just touched down in LA.”
Charli XCX Feat. Ariana Grande — “Sympathy Is A Knife”
Brat is now autumnal. Brat is eternal. Brat is undefeated. Charli XCX released Brat And It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat, and perhaps the crowning achievement is that the run-on title is actually precisely accurate. The core tenants of Brat live on, but the additional songs pack a refreshing zhuzh. “Sympathy Is A Knife” featuring Ariana Grande finds two of pop’s brightest stars laying out the perils of stardom in the plainest (and catchiest) terms.
Maggie Rogers — “In The Living Room”
Get ready to cry! Maggie Rogers released “In The Living Room,” and the standalone single immediately induces yearning (“The hindsight’s been / The hardest part”). The Grant Singer-directed video finds Rogers untangling from a past lover, lying stoically next to her in bed. She writhes while singing, “All of the things / We pulled apart / I let it go it doesn’t matter / The seasons change / It broke my heart / But I will always remember you / When we were dancing in the living room.” Fans will undoubtedly scream-sing this one during Rogers’ recently launched The Don’t Forget Me Tour — Part II.
Mxmtoon — “Rain”
Mxmtoon’s Liminal Space rollout has been positively pleasant. The artist born Maia went to Nashville and never looked back, as “I Hate Texas” and “The Situation” mastered the country-pop ratio. Now, “Rain” basks in acoustics and anecdotal reflection — the perfect appetizer before Liminal Space arrives on November 1.
The Kid Laroi — “Aperol Spritz”
The Kid Laroi staked his claim in reviving the old-school music video with “Girls,” and his Alex Lill-directed “Aperol Spritz” video reinforces his commitment to visuals. In it, Laroi sprints away from countless fan girls, desperate for a piece of him. Eventually, he lies in a sea of women while melodically rap-singing, “I drink Henn’, she drink Aperol Spritz / Girl, I promise you ain’t had it like this / There’s a whole lotta girls up in here, but / Can’t nobody f*ck with my b*tch.” Chivalry isn’t dead?
Tori Kelly Feat. JoJo — “Bottomline”
In September 2023, Tori Kelly spoke with Uproxx about her Tori EP revitalizing Y2K. In April, she released her Tori. full-length album, but she wasn’t ready to leave Y2K behind. Tori. (+ a lil more), the album’s deluxe version, is here — and what’s more nostalgia-inducing than JoJo (meant as the utmost compliment)? Kelly and JoJo’s voices blend beautifully in the chorus, and the song’s infectious soundscape has Jon Bellion and Monsters & Strangerz’s fingerprints all over it.
Chelsea Cutler & Jeremy Zucker — “A-frame”
Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker cornered the market on “cozy fall” with their collaborative Brent series, and the coziness is hitting apex on Brent III, their forthcoming LP. The acoustic-based “A-frame” revels in simple pleasure and pure romance, down to the fact that Cutler and Zucker wrote “A-frame” at a cabin in Big Bear, California. “Brent III has been in the making ever since Jeremy and i met back in 2016, but this week in Big Bear was the first time we sat down and realized after all these years, we still had more to say,” Cutler wrote in a press release. The rest will be revealed when Brent III drops on November 1.
Halsey — “I Never Loved You”
Remember when Halsey published I Would Leave Me If I Could.: A Collection of Poetry? I can’t help but think of The Great Impersonator, Halsey’s forthcoming LP, as a poetry book. It is not a poetry book; it’s an 18-song album. But every single has showcased Halsey’s immutable vulnerability through sharp lyricism, with “I Never Loved You” as the latest.
Artemas — “How Could U Love Somebody Like Me?”
Genre-melding sensation Artemas sings, “How could you love somebody like me?” Is that a rhetorical question? It’s impossible not to become infatuated with Artemas’ distinctly immersive soundscapes and blunt lyricism. The UK-based singer/songwriter and producer set the bar high with Yustyna, his mixtape from July, and “How Could U Love Somebody Like Me?” proves that he’s capable of surpassing expectation every time.
Kyra Machida — “Connect”
Kyra Machida may be new to you, but she isn’t new to pursuing music at all costs. The Japanese artist knew at eight years old that she wanted to be a pop star, and she has been immersed in music professionally since age 14. That context is necessary to understand “Connect,” Machida’s latest single. The electro-pop/R&B song finds Machida reconnecting with pure self-expression and raw emotion — a culmination and an introduction simultaneously.