You're going to look at this week's playlist — it's 37 songs long — and you're going to think "no thanks I only have room in my brain for about 18 new songs". Do not think that. Instead prepare yourself for what is, and we are absolutely serious about this, the best New Music Friday since New Music Friday began in 2015.
That's not to say it's packed with pop's biggest names. You possibly haven't heard of half these people. Very few of these songs are likely to make a huge impression on global streaming charts. But none of that matters, does it? This week's playlist is absolutely packed with top notch pop music.
We actually got a bit emotional when we realised how much great stuff had been released today. It's a real 'maybe we won't shut down this stupid website after all' moment.
Notes:
- RABBII, who we've covered a couple of times already on Popjustice, have released a totally beautiful modern pop ballad called 'Left For Dead'.
- CHVRCHES, as we know, are back, but released their new song on a Wednesday, therefore contravening Rule 1 of the New Music Friday Agreement and as a result are denied Single Of The Week status. Rvles are rvles chaps.
- Absolutely brilliant US pop duo Magdalena Bay have chucked out another extraordinary single. Are they signed yet? Can someone at a label please take action in this area? We don't want to take matters into our own hands and given the shambles that 'ensued' the last time Popjustice launched a record label you probably don't want that either. 'The Bay' are really fantastic though.
- THE RAE MORRIS ALBUM IS OUT TODAAAAAAAAY.
- There's loads of brilliantly eccentric pop out this week, including the Kiesza and Chris Malinchak song, Let's Eat Grandma's brave and long overdue foray into being halfway listenable, and Millie Turner's extraordinary The Shadow, whose spoken word second verse will totally blow your head off.
- V promising big-things-t0-come singer of song Sasha Sloan has released two (1 + 1!) songs today and they're both brilliant.
- Always nice to hear new Streets stuff, right?
- Why Don't We's Ed Sheeran-'penned' Trust Fund Baby (‽) sounds like it's just being sung by Ed Sheeran. It is, like a lot of (BUT NOT ALL) Ed Sheeran songs, literally very good.
- And finally, brace yourself for this one. Kim Wilde — KIM WILDE OUT OF THE 80s — has a new single out today. It's called Pop Don't Stop. If you think that title sounds slightly over the top you're really only 8% of the way to comprehending the pop wrecking ball that's about to smash its way through your brain. Pop Don't Stop is the sort of song that exists far beyond our normal comprehension of things like 'good' and 'bad' but we can state now with some certainty that this song is destined to become a 5pm-on-a-Friday office playlist favourite for many, many Popjustice readers.
UPDATE: It's now 38 songs because we forgot about the brilliant new ionnalee song.
Subscribe to the playlist on Spotify
Subscribe to the playlist on Apple Music