A sword-toting FKA twigs is what we needed this Friday. Helming from 2019’s beloved Magdalene, “Sad Day” is a calamitous kind-of-ballad that has acting sad AND bad as we actually get in touch with our feelings. The song’s captivating video is Tarantino’s Kill Bill meets a drunken takeaway on the way back from a night out, with Twigs and her foe (Hiro Murai) flying through the puddle-filled streets of London like no one’s watching. BRB, we’re learning the choreo before TikTok does.

It feels like only yesterday the singer was teasing disco-esque videos and insane artworks shot by Hugo Comte at the beginning of what we now know (and treasure) as her sophomore album Future Nostalgia. To usher in the album’s 5th birthday – that’s months not years – Lipa has enlisted the help of DJ-extraordinaire The Blessed Madonna to give the album a little spicing up. Resurrecting b-sides, or snagging the likes of Gwen Stefani or Jamiroquai to hop on a track, the two have reimagined Lipa’s latest era as a DJ set that we will one day gobble up and sweat right back out on the dancefloor. Until then, kick back, crank up the volume, and whatever you do, don’t shuffle the mix!

Where my summer bummers at? If you’re looking for tropical beats and melodic steel drums, have Surfaces have got the song for you. The duo transport us to a white sand beach with crystal clear waters in their latest single “Sail Away”, offering the heartfelt chorus-line “Sail away with me tonight/In the morning we can leave it all behind” over funky rhythms and soft guitars. Get us in a hammock right now!

Here’s another New Music Friday release we just couldn’t narrow down to a few songs. Raphael Futura’s highly-anticipated debut album has finally touched down on all streaming services, and what a splash it’s made. The dreamy-electro star puts on a wild showcase, giving us effortless blends of swirling guitars with infectious drums and delicious melodies on “Heartbeat” whilst also summoning us to a funk-filled dancefloor on the album’s title track “Riviera”. It seems as if his mission to bring us all the exotic french wave bangers he could muster is complete, and we couldn’t be more pleased.

It’s certainly been a busy few weeks for Swedish pop sensation Zikai, with a whole heap of singles, EP’s and co-writes all finding their well-received way into the public conscious. Crossing another masterpiece off of her busy schedule, today she releases the ultra-serene “Twenty Something”. This song has it all: hyper-pop vocals, a thrillingly addictive beat, sweet lyrics, the whole nine yards. Zikai paints a euphoric picture of early adulthood, bearing hangovers and all – and we want more.

Fast-rising Canadian singer AJA is back with latest single “Who’s Gonna Love You?”. Here the singer-songwriter tackles toxic relationships, diving deep into the emotional unknown to create a powerful and sincere electro-ballad. “Have you ever dated someone you knew wasn’t good for you? An asshole?” AJA asks. “‘Who’s Gonna Love You?’ is about realising that person is wrong for you and you are better off without them. If someone doesn’t treat you right, move on. You will find happiness with someone who deserves you.” It’s this headstrong camaraderie the singer brings to the iridescent track, soaring into dramatic choruses that won’t leave a dry eye in the house.

This week, Rema dropped a spectacular visualiser for vibe-filled track “Ginger Me”. Inspired by infatuation and desire, the video sees the flourishing of a beautiful love story, complete with dance routines and plenty of introspective sitting-down. The song itself was born after a chance meeting between Rema and The Elements outside of a nightclub in London. The pair headed straight to the studio, with superproducer Steel Banglez in tow, and “Ginger Me” was created that very night – the rest they say is history…

Armed only with an electric guitar, singer-songwriter James Gillespie gets pretty candid on bluesy new track “Run”. The song is a purging of destructive behaviour, the self-realisation that maybe you’re actually a bit of a dick sometimes and being able to admit that to yourself. “‘Run’ has for me always been a slightly odd one because you do spend most of the time trying to hide all the bad parts of you, you don’t want people to see that you’re not as good as everyone else. So it’s a weird one to write,” the singer explains.

Vocoded rap vocals go in tandem with moody guitars and a punchy trap beat for Mougleta’s latest track “Lonely Girl”. The Lebanese-Canadian singer is having a busier Friday than most this week, dropping not one but two new singles, the latter being a collaboration with K-pop powerhouse’s OH MY GIRL. Both tunes are irresistible in nature, and set apart Mougleta as an avid talent who we’ll be sure to see a lot of in the coming months.