New Music Sunday: The Best 5 Songs Released This Past Week Pt. 1

If you’ve been following our New Music Sunday playlists, you may have noticed over the past few weeks that I have been alluding to a new post format on the way. Well, it’s here! Every Sunday, we will still be compiling a playlist of the best new music released from that week (this week has 50 songs!!) but this post series will now be reserved for highlighting the best five songs of the week and a bit about them.

Oh, before we start, here are some noteworthy album & EP releases to take note of:

Phoenix – Charlotte Cardin
Just Until…. – Cordae
All The Ways We Are Together – Dreamer Boy
Created From Filth and Dust – Lilith Czar
When The World Stopped Moving: The Live EP – Lizzy McAlpine
People Don’t Change – Noah Cyrus, PJ Harding
Nurture – Porter Robinson
Sadie Hawkins II – Sadie Hawkins
The Rise & Fall of Loverboy – Sir Sly

Check out the first five of the updated series below (in chronological order).

“Head Cheerleader” – Pom Pom Squad
Release date – April 20 

“My feelings always make a fucking fool out of me.” Same. If you can’t relate, I don’t think you’re a real person. That’s not the only relatable line from Brooklyn-based punk band Pom Pom Squad, led by Mia Berrin. “Head Cheerleader” is one of the singles released ahead of the four-piece’s debut album Death of a Cheerleader, set to drop on June 25. Berrin stated in a press release that the song (and accompanying video) is “a turning point in my project in the same way it marked a turning point in my life. The song is about accepting yourself radically.” The song also features backup vocals by Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara. 

“Smile” – Wolf Alice
Release date – April 20 

One of the only artists on The 1975’s label that doesn’t COMPLETELY sound like them (and I say this jokingly and with love), Wolf Alice, is releasing new music in June after four years past their last release, Visions of A Life. “Smile” is the second single, released after “The Last Man On Earth,”—the former certainly encapsulating  the band’s sound better than the latter.  In an interview with Annie Mac, lead singer Ellie Rowsell describes the track is about “people that make assumptions about you.” The band has also described it as a song they imagine playing live. Rowsell states in a press release, “I miss that feeling of singing on stage. It’s like screaming into a pillow or something— you can get away with being more nasty. There’s a whole other part of me missing.”

“Cake” – Lydia Ainsworth
Release date – April 21 

If St. Vincent and Robyn made a baby, you’d have Lydia Ainsworth. The triple threat (singer, songwriter, and producer) is set to release her next album, Sparkles and Debris, on May 21. “Cake” is the newest single out of three released tracks ahead of the LP. According to a press release, “Cake” is inspired by Townes Van Zandt, Ainsworth singing from the perspective of the women that Van Zandt had sung about throughout his career. The track builds quietly, giving Ainsworth time and momentum to strengthen her voice as the music swells. The video released with the song was shot by Takeshi Suga and takes place in Tokyo. Check it out above.

“Good Evening Tennessee” – Houston Kendrick
Release date – April 23

Do you ever hear a song by an artist you’re unfamiliar with and wonder why they’re not the biggest artist on the planet right now? Same. And that’s how I felt when I stumbled upon Nashville-based, 25-year old Houston Kendrick, who first made waves on the internet with his 2018 mixtape, PINK. “Good Evening Tennessee” is a part of Kendrick’s new 10-track LP, Small Infinity. From what I’ve heard so far, Kendrick has an uncanny ability of switching gracefully between rapping and singing, a combination that’s often attempted but rarely executed well. I’m still working my way through the album and I’m excited to see what’s next for Kendrick. 

“Change” – Maths Time Joy, Rich
Release date – April 23

If you haven’t had the chance to read our story on this song, here’s another opportunity to learn more about it. Grammy-nominated producer Maths Time Joy’s first track with singer/songwriter Rich (well-known for his work in the duo Refs and Thirdstory), titled “Change.” The song comes ahead of several collaborations between the two artists to come, and it’s certainly worthy of waiting for more to come. If you’re a fan of Thirdstory’s unbelievably angelic harmonies and gut-wrenching lyricism, you’ll find similarities in “Change,” a song born from the moment Rich realized he was in an abusive relationship. The melody of the track was inspired by folk songs Rich grew up singing with his family. Paired with Maths Time Joy’s production genius, the track may be reminiscent of some artists like James Blake or James Vincent McMorrow.

The New Music Sunday playlist is still going strong and is updated weekly with the week’s best music (no song limit)! Follow it below: