Happy Valentine’s Day! Pop music consistently provides the perfect balance between sad and slay, and most, if not all, of this week’s songs are fitting for those of any relationship status. From some killer new remixes of fan-favorite tracks to a few collaborations sprinkled in, this was truly a stacked time for releases.
Continue scrolling for Uproxx’s Best New Pop roundup from this week.
Lizzo, SZA – “Special”
Lizzo enlisted SZA to open the first verse of the new remix of “Special,” where both women put aside any external judgment from people who don’t know them and aim for uplifting each other instead. They had been teasing it since last year after Lizzo brought SZA out during her concert to perform the version together.
Dove Cameron, Khalid – “We Go Down Together”
Another solid collab out this week, Dove Cameron and Khalid perfectly complement each other’s vocal strengths on their new ballad, “We Go Down Together.” Cameron described their uplifting duet as “very personal and special,” given that the song is about sticking by someone’s side no matter what.
Beyoncé – “Cuff It (Wetter Remix)”
While it might not be the Renaissance visuals just yet, Beyoncé’s “Cuff It” remix still gave fans a treat. Sampling the instrumental of Twista’s 2009 song, “Wetter,” Bey also adds a new opening verse. Initially, it was only available for purchase through her website, but it didn’t take long for the song to finally hit streaming.
Taylor Swift – “Lavender Haze (Felix Jaehn Remix)”
Swift dropped a new remix of her recent Midnights single, “Lavender Haze,” with DJ Felix Jaehn giving the previously-dreamy song a whole new energy. Jaehn, whose previous remix credits include Omi’s 2014 song “Cheerleader,” speeds up the pacing of Swift’s song to create an EDM-influenced intensity. Still, the autotune and instrumental never feel overwhelming as some remixes can.
The Kid Laroi – “Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1)”
The latest track from his upcoming debut album, The Kid Laroi reflects on getting older on “Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1).”
“Growing up, I watched my favorite rappers’ interviews / I ain’t believe ’em when they said, ‘It ain’t all what it seems’ / But now I’m here, realized they were tellin’ truth,” Laroi sings, noting that his rise to fame isn’t all he thought it would be.
Gracie Abrams – “Amelie”
Gracie Abrams details a fleeting connection from the past on “Amelie,” as she struggles to make sense of it all. “It allowed me to walk away from versions of myself that I no longer recognized. It allowed me to let go,” she said of the song. Abrams is set to drop her album, Good Riddance, later this month.
Tove Lo – “Borderline”
“’Borderline’ is a song about being on the edge of love,” Tove Lo shared about her new song, which was co-written with Dua Lipa. “The drama you cause inside yourself and with another person if you feel insecure. You test them. This song has existed for a long time and I’ve always felt it was incredibly special so getting to release it now has sort of a full circle feeling.”
The music video is fun but also has some… chaotic crash test dummies. However, as someone who already finds mannequins, dolls, and anything in that wheelhouse incredibly creepy, this definitely didn’t help that fear.
Jessie Ware – “Pearls”
“Pearls” builds upon Jessie Ware’s shimmery disco influence that she presented in 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure, proving that this sound is where she is at her strongest. She even notes on the song that she’s purely here just to dance — and what a perfect party track to create to do so.
Mau y Ricky – “Miami”
The duo, Mau y Ricky’s “Miami” is a personal reflection from Ricky about meeting his wife. Meanwhile, the band flips the tone for the music video, leaning into what people perceive to be the Floridian city’s culture in a funny way.
Rebecca Black – “Destroy Me”
“[The song] is about trying to find a way to let that go in a way where it feels like I have power over it, like, ‘Yes. Go ahead and destroy me. Everyone does it,’” she told Them about one of the standouts, “Destroy Me,” on her new album. “The reality is we’re all trying to find empowerment from really dark places in our lives.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.