As if Fridays weren’t your favourite day already, Refinery29 will also be gathering the best new music out each week, and breaking down why each track deserves a spot on your weekend playlist.
Another Friday, another celebration of some of the best recent releases in music. This week's selection is a healthy mix of dark and light, featuring tracks that are almost too heavy to bear alongside songs so fun that you can't get enough of them. (Because balance is very important, people.)
From vulnerable singles from Demi Lovato and BINA. to danceable drops from Princess Nokia and Studio Killers, this is the new music you need to know this week.
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AJA, “Red Button”
At only 16-years-old, AJA has already learned a major key in relationships: setting hard boundaries. The Toronto singer's catchy "Red Button" sees her cutting off a toxic ex with ease, its fun pop-rock melody calling back to the "break up him" anthems of the early 2000s.
Princess Nokia, “It’s Not My Fault”
Following the success of viral hit "I Like Him," Princess Nokia returns with another self-possessed aspirational single in which she proudly centres herself as a subject of desire and sensuality. It's not her fault that everyone is obsessed with her, but the rapper is soaking in all of the attention nonetheless.
Mimi Webb,”Good Without”
Mimi Webb's breakup single "Good Without" takes on an almost hymnal quality as she sings about the hard choice to separate from the person she loved most.
"I gave you forever, you gave a month," Webb sings, heartbroken. "I’m never falling for anyone."
Demi Lovato, "Dancing with the Devil"
Penned in the aftermath of her near-fatal 2018 overdose, "Dancing with the Devil" positions Demi Lovato at her most vulnerable as she confesses the severity of her struggles with addiction and sobriety. Though the haunting tune echoes with sadness and despair, there's also a glimmer hope on the other side — Lovato lived to tell the tale.
Felukah, "What She Does"
Just in time for Women's History Month, Felukah effortlessly pays tribute women everywhere in vibey new single "What She Does," praising the women in her life for being so damn good at everything they do.
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Get all our recommendations. Listen to the full New Music To Know in 2021 playlist on Spotify:
Nuela Charles, “Space”
Pop/soul phenom Nuela Charles gets groovy with "Space," a sonically unique offering marked by poignant lyrics and a rhythmic bass line that is out of this world.
BINA. featuring Lex Amor, “Mercedes to Hades”
BINA.'s moody collaboration with Lex Amor "Mercedes to Hades" rips a page out of the South London singer's own diary, describing the emotional hangover of a situationship gone south.
Studio Killers featuring Kim Petras, "Jenny"
Kim Petras adds new energy to Studio Killers' already popular "Jenny" on the remix, with the singers teaming up for the high energy electro-pop take on the friends-to-lovers trope.
Subhi, "Define Me"
Subhi taps into a well of deep self-introspection in experimental song "Define Me," a quietly transcendent track that will have you looking within yourself for answers.