SONGS YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS WEEK
- Mar 11, 2022
- 5 min read
It's impossible to be across all the new music out each Friday. Last year has proven that, even in the face of hundreds of crises, there's little that can stop artists the world over from releasing hits week-in, week-out. Luckily, we are here to help you out: each week, we round up 6 of our favourite new songs from artists — emerging and established. Check them all out below!
DARREN HAYES | DO YOU REMEMBER
Award-winning songwriter and performer Darren Hayes shares a brand new single in "Do You Remember?" from his long-awaited new solo record, which is his first in a decade. A reminder of love and lust found under neon spotlights, to soundtracks of pulsating drum machines and synth waves, "Do You Remember?" drops at the most perfect of times: as the LGBTQIA+ community comes together to celebrate unity and strength, and as Darren’s fanbase prepares to see the iconic performer return to a stage near them in the near future. "Do You Remember?" following on from the strikingly personal single ‘Let’s Try Being In Love,’ is a song that has been tailor-made for the club; a burner of a tune that is ready for bodies to get sweaty and lose their inhibitions through. Written and recorded in Darren’s home base of Los Angeles, "Do You Remember?" is another strong example of his re-energized talents as a solo songwriter, arranger and producer. From the top-down, each track element was conceptualized and executed by Darren himself, with mixing and mastering completed by Trevor Yasuda, respectively.
NOTD & NIGHTLY | ABOUT YOU
Swedish production duo NOTD and Nashville indie-pop trio Nightly have collaborated and released a new single, "About You." The song has actually been a few years in the making and the result of working together from across the Atlantic, considering they live on different continents. But the two acts say they felt the connection "instantly," and the result is something spellbinding. "about you' is a very special song to us that marks a transition in our creative process, one that has been a long time in the making," NOTD tells Variance about the track. "A few years ago, we were looking for new inspiration, so we decided to DM a few bands that we were big fans of, including Nightly, and they actually responded and sent the topline for 'about you." They continued: "Something instantly clicked in our heads, and we started working on it right away. The whole thing was basically done in a few months completely over the internet, and we only met the Nightly guys in person a few months ago in Nashville. We love those guys and couldn't be more excited for everyone to hear the song that inspired our new direction finally.”
ALICIA MOFFET | THE KNIFE
Platinum Selling pop artist Alicia Moffet will release her highly anticipated EP "Intertwine" on March 25th via The Orchard. Now we get another taste as she releases a new track, "The Knife," which is an excellent meditation on the ups-and-downs of a tumultuous relationship The 8-track collection of songs is produced by the brilliant BYNON (Kelly Clarkson, Sean Paul, Meghan Trainor, Kaskade) and is propelled by Alicia’s smash single “Lullaby,” which exudes her disarming charm while infusing electro-pop with the rich and complex sounds of RnB and soul. The empowering track secured an impressive amount of editorial playlists upon release. The EP also includes an impressive list of co-writing credits, including Jamie Fine, Richard Beynon, Dani Poppit, Alex Saad, Cole Citrenbaum, Connor Seidel, Laurence Lafond-Beaulne, and Zach Zoya. The singer exploded onto the Quebec music scene after winning YTV’s "The Next Star" and later becoming a semi-finalist on The Voice Quebec by the age of 15. At age 23, she has continued to gain popularity since releasing her debut album "Billie Ave" in 2020. The album garnered over 17 million streams and spawned an army of social media fans.
EMMA STEINBAKKEN | THIS ONE'S ON YOU
After releasing the very personal and honest "Hopelessly Hopeless" - which went straight to the top lists on Spotify and the A-list for P3, 18-year-old Emma Steinbakken follows up with her new single "This One's On Me." The song is special to Emma and is dedicated to everyone who listens and has been able to relate to the lyrics she writes, right from the start of her career. For Emma, this empathy is genuine and natural. The song was written by Emma together with Sandro Cavazza and Robin Stjernberg and is produced by the latter. Emma ended last year by warming up for Zara Larsson herself in Oslo Spektrum, opened 2022 by completing the prestigious Sports Gala on NRK in prime time, and performed with "Hopelessly Hopeless" on Gullfisken. Emma Steinbakken's gold-certified debut song "Not Gonna Cry" has already been streamed more than 22 million times on Spotify alone. In 2019, she played her first concert at byLarm, released her debut EP "Emma Steinbakken," and got a record contract in Germany and the USA. She has performed on several of the country's biggest stages, including Bergenfest and Pstereo, and on locations around Europe - such as Hamburg, Brussels and Berlin.
CHANDLER LEIGHTON | WHEN YOU SAY MY NAME
Singer-songwriter Chandler Leighton returns and ignites a big year ahead of her with her sultry new single “When You Say My Name” via Boom Records. The empowering single serves as her first 2022 offering and finds Leighton at her most confident while pushing boundaries as she hones in on her newfound sound by infusing elements of dark pop, electronic, indie, and rekindling her rock roots. “When You Say My Name” was born from the heartache and turmoil Leighton experienced in a past toxic relationship where she was manipulated and stifled. On the new track, Leighton taps into her feminine energy and delivers an enticing yet powerful song that showcases her well-crafted songwriting and lush vocals as she reclaims her power and plays men at their own game. Chandler is known for her passionate and emotive songs with revered electronic mainstays Illenium, Slander, Nurko, and her latest collaborative single, “One More Day,” with Jason Ross and Blanke. “When You Say My Name” marks Chandler Leighton’s intent to establish herself as a solo artist and helps cement her place as a fast-rising alt-pop artist.
ASTN | REAL
Singer-songwriter ASTN, whose music style combines pop, R&B, and jazz elements. The themes of his songs often focus on love and emotions, which complement his style well. Just recently marked the release of his first song with Warner, titled “Gradually," and now he has shared the follow-up entitled "Real." Senior vice president of A&R Ericka Coulter brought ASTN to Warner Records. In a statement to Variety, co-chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck praised the artist’s “ability to move between both pop and R&B influences so effortlessly.” ASTN made his debut in 2017 with "Tell Your Friends," a brief four-song project that turned heads and laid the foundation for his bubbling fanbase. His lead single, "Love No More," is a beautifully written tune that journeys through a breakdown in a relationship. In the years to come, ASTN continued to skyrocket on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, using them to show off his signature smooth as velvet tone and lyrical and sonic complexity. His top-performing record to date, "Flowers," continued the dark, love-inspired style heard in his first EP, accumulating over 20 million streams.
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