Arctic Monkeys share the first single from the forthcoming collaborative War Child Records album, Harry Styles is back with a synth-pop slow jam, and Jessie Ware returns to the dancefloor: it’s Wonderlist!
Arctic Monkeys – “Opening Night”
Over 30 years after releasing the landmark collaborative album HELP, War Child Records has announced a follow-up, HELP(2), due 6th March, featuring a medley of the finest acts around, from Damon Albarn to Beth Gibbons, Fontaines D.C. to Wet Leg, Olivia Rodrigo to Cameron Winter. The first single shared sees the long-awaited re-emergence of Arctic Monkeys; it’s wonderful to get a fresh look into Alex Turner and co’s progression, with “Opening Night” proving a subtle, existentialist slice of lowkey desert rock.
Jessie Ware – “I Could Get Used To This”
After the critical and commercial heights of her last record, That! Feels Good!, some three years ago, disco queen Jessie Ware is back with a sublime new slice of groove pop. “I Could Get Used To This” builds at all the right places and hits in all the right ways, with some glossy vocals and glistening instrumentation.
Harry Styles – “Aperture”
Rejoice! The global superstar known as Harry Styles has popped his head out from self-designed obscurity to kick off his most monumental era yet. There’s a 50-date residency on the way from May until the end of the year, but before that, a new album – KISS ALL THE TIME. DISCO, OCCASIONALLY. We’ve now got a first teaser for the record in “Aperture”, a slow-burning synth-pop jam with soaring vocals and uplifting atmosphere.
James Blake – “Death of Love”
Nocturnal, atmospheric, haunting, the new cut from polymathic powerhouse James Blake is yet another sonic shape-shift from the GRAMMY winner. “Death of Love” is plucked from a forthcoming new album, Trying Times, set for release on Friday 13th March via Good Boy Records, and is as immersive as it is intimate, a foreshadowing of perhaps Blake’s darkest, most daring record yet.
Honey Dijon ft. Bree Runway – “Slight Work”
Honey Dijon teams up with Bree Runway on “Slight Werk”, a new club-ready single landing this Friday. Fusing Honey’s signature dancefloor energy with Bree’s bold, magnetic presence, it’s a driving, exuberant track that feels primed for late-night sets and likely to get a lot of play this weekend.
Kibo – “Headside In Da Skiez (Babysham Supernova)”
Underground rap cult favourite Kibo has been turning the heads of the likes of Skepta, JME and Dave for his freestyling acumen. It’s about time he shared some official music, and with a big year ahead, the lyrical general has started as he means to go on. “Headside In Da Skiez (Babysham Supernova)” is classic Kibo – full of cheek, charisma and craftsmanship.
Snail Mail – “Dead End”
One of the pinnacle sad girls of her generation, Snail Mail is finally going to release her third studio album, titled Ricochet, on 27th March. Opening single “Dead End” is a grungey, heady piece of indie pop with swirling guitar riffage and a rousing vocal performance.
Holly Humberstone – “To Love Somebody”
British pop favourite Holly Humberstone kicks off her new era with a gorgeous, gothic-tinged single, “To Love Somebody”. The first single from her forthcoming sophomore album, Cruel World, due 10th April, is bursting with character and colour, with an instantly undeniable chorus. The video, directed by Ethel Cain collaborator Silken Weinberg, is a hell of a good time too.
Courtney Barnett ft. Waxahatchee – “Site Unseen”
As ever, Courtney Barnett comes up with the goods on “Site Unseen”. The GRAMMY-nominated Australian is dropping her fourth studio album, Creature of Habit, on 27th March, and the latest single is an early standout. Borrowing the artistic excellence of contemporary Waxahatchee, it’s an Americana-tinged, thoughtful jam of the highest quality.
Girl Group – “SuperDrug”
Liverpool-based feminist band Girl Group continue to pull up pop-rooted trees with an excellent new single. “SuperDrug” explores the quintet’s topsy-turvy relationship with the pill, a sharp and satirical anthem of cultural and social importance, plucked from her new 20th March-set EP, “Little Sticky Pictures”.
Kamal. – “how the f* does everybody else manage”
Kamal. arrives at his most ambitious chapter yet with “how the f*** does everybody else manage?” It’s a cinematic, emotionally charged single that opens the door to his forthcoming debut album. This track acts as a first chapter to this new story, posing the central question the album continues to explore, a soulful expression of disbelief and composure through adulthood, grief and pressure. The song builds from sweeping orchestration to a stripped-back piano-and-vocal core before rising into an anthemic build-up, switching seamlessly between soft, almost-bluesy vocals and rap-inflected flows.
Avalon Emerson & The Charm – “Jupiter And Mars”
With the announcement of her upcoming album Written Into Changes coming on 20th March, Avalon Emerson & The Charm have given us a little preview of what we can expect with her new single “Jupiter And Mars”. The multi-hyphenate musician and producer flexes her indie-pop muscles, with soft vocals that ring over a dreamy, strummy beat.
Violet Grohl – “THUM”
Violet Grohl shares a haunting new double-sided single, “THUM” and “Applefish”, as well as “What Is Heaven Without You”, a track to celebrate David Lynch on what would have been his birthday and the first anniversary of his passing. The focus cut, “THUM”, is a barn-storming, waywardly beautiful introduction to a highly talented singer-songwriter who brings much more interest than just a recognisable surname.
Seyi Vibez & Omah Lay – “My Healer”
“My Healer” is a pretty big way to stamp your presence in the afrobeats space this early on in the year. A collaboration between global star Omah Lay and rising powerhouse Seyi Vibez, this track continues the genre’s shift, combining high-energy and experimental sounds with intimate storytelling.
Jada Kingdom – “STILL SEARCHING”
Dancehall talent Jada Kingdom continues to set the standard for the genre with a vibrant new EP, “Just A Girl In A Money Man’s World”. Rooted in her explorations of womanhood and storytelling, the project is sharply produced and vivaciously performed, with “STILL SEARCHING” proving a particularly impressive cut.
The Itch – “Aux Romanticiser”
The Itch continue to build momentum with “Aux Romanticiser”, taken from their debut album It’s The Hope That Kills You, due 10th April. A tongue-in-cheek nod to DIY DJ culture, the track pairs wry lyricism with spacious breakdowns and a euphoric climax, capturing the duo’s balance of introspection and sarcasm: an antidote to an age of pessimism.
Pozer – “Money & Power”
Coming off the back of his first MOBO nomination, Pozer’s still got more to get off his chest with his new single “Money & Power”. Croydon’s finest knows his self-worth, giving us a frank statement on his self-made success over a bouncy jersey-drill beat. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, his big co-signs from the UK’s biggest talents like Stormzy, Dave and AJ Tracey might be able to sway you.
deer park ft. Ivy Knight – “Black Cat”
Having produced for underground stars like Fakemink and Ecco2k, deer park’s name holds more weight than ever. Now felt like the best time to start a new label with collaborator Ivy Knight, commemorating their signing to Scenic Route with their new single “Black Cat”. It combines deer park’s floating cloud rap style with Knight’s dreamy hook, mixing signature sounds in a way that shouldn’t work, but does.
Truman Sinclair – “dust to dust”
Chicago-born, LA-based singer-songwriter Truman Sinclair has shared an impressive new six-track EP, “Rivers of Sugar and Blood”, somewhere between slacker rock and country-tinged folk. The work’s stand out comes in the form of subtle stadium-filler, “dust to dust”.
IDK ft. Black Thought – “P.O”
US rap maverick IDK has shared his latest body of work in the form of “E.T.D.S (Even The Devil Smiles)”. Boasting a star-studded feature list from Pusha T to MF Doom, the mixtape is one of his strongest to date. Stand-out cut “P.O” has an excellent Black Thought feature and is produced by Kaytranada.
Hot Face – “Bumble Been”
London’s garage-punk disruptor Hot Face has unleashed a white-hot debut album in the form of Automated Response, recorded live at Abbey Road Studios with Dan Carey. Standout cut is “Bumble Been”, a bone-shattering, energy-fuelled banger that comes and goes in just over a minute.
panicbaby – “soft prn”
Berlin singer-songwriter panicbaby is a serious one to watch. Having just dropped her latest single “soft prn” – a glossy, late-night confessional capturing the turbulence and confusion of a complex yet captivating relationship – the rising star takes control ahead of her debut EP “f u jonathan” and EU headline tour next month. From Berlin’s stronghold Kantine am Berghain to Camden Assembly in London, she’s underlining her position as a global talent as her universe grows larger, louder, and more self-assured.
M Huncho – ‘Championship”
M Huncho steps forward with “Champion,” a punchy statement powered by discipline, confidence, and intent. Stripped of distractions, the track channels a mentality rooted in progression. A charge towards balance and a long-term vision, presenting Huncho at his most precise and driven. This time around, Huncho’s unbothered about fleeting victories and focused on sustained excellence. It captures an artist fully committed to the bigger picture.
Miso Extra – “Right Here”
Miso Extra returns with “Right Here”, her first release of the year and her first new music since Earcandy. Written in Paris, the track is inspired by Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days, alongside influences from Whisper of the Heart and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. A sharp slice of alt-pop, it pairs glitch-flecked production with an irresistibly catchy hook in both English and Japanese, arriving alongside a video shot in Tokyo.
YAZ – “Difficult”
She first caught attention on YouTube, and now she’s stepping back into the spotlight – this time with music. Her latest single, “Difficult”, is pure pop escapism: glossy, synth-soaked, and built for replay. Riding a buoyant beat, she unpacks the push-and-pull of modern love with a wink and a wince, capturing the chaos of overthinking and emotional back-and-forth: “We go back and forth for hours, for nothing” and “I can be difficult, making it all about me / I don’t wanna be cynical, but you’d be better without me,” she sings. It’s self-aware, catchy, and effortlessly playful – the kind of song that turns romantic confusion into something you can dance to.
V.I.C – “She Said”
With bold, retro-fitted samples and potent trap percussion, V.I.C’s new cut “She Said” emerges with the kind of swaggering, East Coast flavour he’s known to flex. Delivering an electric narration of ambition and purpose, the UK talent breezes past the competition while overcoming the usual confusion and self-doubt that can surface when exploring a new connection.
Madra Salach – “The Man Who Seeks Pleasure”
Irish alternative folk outfit Madra Salach is distinctive and daring in their style, epitomised by their unique and trad-influenced debut EP, “It’s a Hell of an Age”. It’s a deeply emotional, stripped-down and intimate collection of cuts, with the gorgeous slow-builder “The Man Who Seeks Pleasure”.
girli – “Slap on the Wrist”
girli returns swinging with “Slap On The Wrist,” a blistering alt-pop release that fuses fury, clarity, and resistance into a defiant statement of intent. Confronting a system that repeatedly fails survivors and protects perpetrators, the track transforms lived fear and frustration into protest music that refuses to soften its edges. Stark, confrontational, and rage-filled, it captures girli at her most uncompromising, using razor-sharp lyricism to start a pivotal new chapter.
JBEE – “HUNDO”
MOBO-nominated rapper JBEE returns with a commanding statement of resilience on “HUNDO.” The North Londoner shares moments of self-doubt and inner-city pressure, capturing both vulnerability and strength and underlining his refusal to be overlooked. With his highly anticipated mixtape to follow, JBEE cements his status as one of the UK’s most exciting young lyricists.
Henry Grace – “Passing Through”
With rich, naturalistic instrumentation and slick, introspective songwriting, on his sophomore album, singer-songwriter Henry Grace ignites a classic yet contemporary charm. Lead single “Passing Through” is typically invigorating, with a memorable hook and neat guitar work.
