This week the best new pop music saw high-profile releases along with several up-and-coming artists making a big splash. SZA teamed up with Ty Dolla Sign for a single that hits different, BTS debuted another dance floor-ready track, and Finneas returned to show off his romantic side.
Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop music. Listen up.
SZA — “Hit Different” feat. Ty Dolla Sign
With SZA releasing her first solo music since her debut full-length Ctrl, it’s sure to make Uproxx’s best new pop list. The singer tapped Ty Dolla Sign for the slow-burning number where SZA showcases her feathery vocals and details the highs of a healthy relationship.
BTS — “IONIQ: I’m On It”
BTS just achieved a No. 1 for their first all-English song “Dynamite,” and now they’re back — this time for a car commercial. Debuting the single to promote a new Hyundai car, the K-pop supergroup serves up groovy beats and feel-good tunes with the shimmering tune.
Finneas — “What They’ll Say About Us”
While he may be most well known for his production work on his sister Billie Eilish’s music, Finneas is full of romance in his new single “What They’ll Say About Us.” Over emotive piano chords, Finneas pens a heartwarming love story, transforming it into a moving ballad.
Gus Dapperton — “Medicine”
Gus Dapperton is gearing up for the release of his sophomore record Orca. So far, the singer has previewed the record with two lush singles and now, Dapperton returns with his “favorite” song on the album, “Medicine.” In a statement alongside the single’s release, Dapperton said: “This track defines the album most explicitly. I wrote it as a song that would narrate my life. ‘Medicine’ is about someone who is self destructive so that they can get high off of the process of healing. the hurting phase is of no concern to them.”
Ozuna — “Del Mar” Feat. Doja Cat, Sia
Puerto Rican reggaeton star tapped Sia and Doja Cat for the rhythmic single “Del Mar.” While the song marked the first time either Sia or Doja Cat has ever sung in Spanish, the two singers’ effortlessly deliver each lyric over a hip-swinging beat.
Jawsh 685 — “Sweet & Sour” Feat. Lauv, Tyga
After making a name for himself with the Jason Derulo collaboration “Savage Love,” 17-year-old New Zealand-born producer Jawsh 685 called on Lauv and Tyga for the sugarcoated single “Sweet & Sour.” The track combines a punchy beat with Lauv’s sincere vocal delivery and Tyga’s heartfelt musings.
Ava Max — “OMG What’s Happening”
Ava Max continues to prepare for her debut album Heaven & Hell, which arrives in full next week. Giving fans one last taste of the revved-up release, Ava Max shares the buoyant single “OMG What’s Happening” featuring a club-ready backbeat, expertly-layered production, and her far-reaching vocals.
VanJess — “Come Over”
Sister duo VanJess asserts their dominance with the swooning number “Come Over.” In a statement, VanJess said they were inspired by their roots for the laid-back single: “Early in quarantine we were really inspired looking at old photos of our parents in Nigeria and thought about what being at home living the lyrics of this record would look like in their world. We hope this song makes everyone feel good and dance, we believe energy and soul and tempo still has a place in R&B!”
Yuna — “Invisible”
Yuna shared her defiant studio album Rouge last summer, but that hasn’t stopped the singer from releasing even more music. Returning with “Invisible,” Yuna croons an indelible ballad. “The song is about falling in love with someone, but the other person doesn’t see you,” Yuna said about the song in a statement. “It’s about what that feels like to deal with those emotions. Regardless, you keep falling for them and loving them from afar.”
Michi — “Escondida”
Michi returns with the soaring song “Escondida,” her first song in Spanish. “The value of solitude, even outside these testing times of quarantine, are what pushed me to bring ‘Escondida’ out of hiding,” Michi said about the single. “I’ve always leaned on the company of others to fill a void or distract myself, but it wasn’t until these last two years and the start of my project that I felt connected to being alone, even if with my thoughts, regrets, memories both good and bad.”
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.