“Relax, reset,” Priya Ragu implores us to do in the opening line of the crescendo of joy that is her new single “Adalam Va”. The name of the Tamil-Swiss artist’s track translates loosely as “Let’s Dance” in English and we’re certainly happy to oblige when under Ragu’s spell. Declaring that 2022 is the year for us after the less-than-satisfying two that preceded, Ragu accompanies the song with one of the most polished videos we’ve seen in a while. Not only is the full-scale choreography on-point, but she also throws in martial arts moves – is there any end to her talents?

Content creator and musician CC Clarke really said: ‘Welcome to Friday one and all,” with the help of bolshie, weekend anthem “On Read”. Advocating as the title says, leaving a certain person “On Read” – “Two blue ticks don’t care,” she affirms on the track and instead struts herself to a dancefloor. It’s certainly a message we can get behind and with such infectious pop-house as its method of communication, we are basically inviting CC to our next night out as we type. The beauty tastemaker surely isn’t short of invites, however, after being named the ‘Most Influential Online Beauty Influencer’ in 2019, and boasts a whopping 2.1 million Instagram followers. Adding popstar to her resume was a natural move it would appear, and we can’t wait to see what she cooks up next.

London’s Jack Ducker swoops onto our radar this week with his debut single, the perhaps forebodingly titled, “Rockstar”. The 28-year-old artist, writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist flexes a ‘70s sound on the track, with his mix of folk and indie as well as dustings of funk psychedelia and rock. “Ooh, I’m gonna be a big, big rockstar / We’ll pay for everything with my guitar” Jack declares in the song, and in his case, such grandiose claims aren’t actually hard to believe.

Another artist entering the field with their debut cut is Man-Made Sunshine, also known as Conor Mason from rock band sensation Nothing But Thieves. Whilst evidently not the artist’s first foray into the music world, this single marks the beginning of Mason’s side-project which takes a more subdued approach than his band’s work, with dreamy alt-indie, psych-pop and electronica stylings, not too dissimilar from the likes of James Blake. Culminating in an upcoming EP, set to only extend his establishment as a dreamy artist in his own right dexterously exploring sensitive themes like self-discovery and inner growth with aplomb.

Liz Cass dishes up lush, glossy pop on “Something Real”, a synth-driven homage to leaving unhealthy situations behind. “It’s about the search for a genuine connection and looking for that in all the wrong places,” she explains. “Coming to a realisation that only you can break your own toxic patterns.” That is certainly the kind of self-care mantra we need to ingrain into our brains this weekend and what better way to do it than by listening to this gorgeous track while we’re at it?

Also ushering just the kind of weekend spirit we need is Kasien on the eclectic “DO WHAT I LIKE”. One of those tracks that sounds gloriously like a few different songs in one – knitted together seamlessly of course – Kasien exudes a rebellious disregard for genre boundaries, instead opting to do as the title says, beginning with gentle strings before otherworldly pitched-up vocals lead into assertive Jersey Club production. Taking us through a day in his life in the lyrics, we’re just sad we can’t spend every day with Kasien from now on.

Belgium-based hip-hop duo Blackwave shares their new project No Sleep In LA, which sees the duo, comprising Jay Atohoun and Willem Ardui, continue to add yet more musical goodness to our playlists. With retro-funk stylings mixed with poignant, acute lyricism the pair follow their debut record Are We Still Dreaming? , with this 11-track project made after a trip to LA that reportedly revitalised them. From opening song “Back On Track”, we are hooked, and it’s fair to say the duo are indeed back on the path to musical excellence – as if they ever really veered off it in the first place.

Ghanaian musician Black Sherif’s 14-track debut album The Villain I Never Was proves just why the artist is on a rapid climb to music’s upper echelons, as he blends candid subject matter and poignant lyricism, with attention-grabbing soundscapes, earning him fans in the likes of Wretch 32, Fireboy DML, Pa Salieu, and Amaarae. It’s no wonder our boy has such a coterie of artistic greats offering their support, and they’re joined by hoards of listeners around the world. His track “Kwaku The Traveller” was featured over one million times in videos by TikTok users and rose to the number one most Shazamed song on the app’s global chart.

London-based, French rapper Mac Amish drops gorgeous collaboration “Blue Pill” with regular studio partner, Quiet Man, and producer Cotton. The dreamy, laid-back hip-hop track features a chorus that’s instantly infectious and equally reflective, with the gorgeous vocals of Quiet Man paired with the intricate, deft bars of Amish effortlessly. The three artists prove once again their musical compatibility with this collab and we can’t wait to hear what they come up with next.