As if our beloved RiRi dropping a long-awaited single in one day wasn’t enough, SZA has added her own brand of R&B perfection to the mix with “Shirt”. Alongside a music video featuring Judas and the Black Messiah star LaKeith Stanfield, the release marks a new era for SZA following the critical and commercial success of debut album ctrl in 2017. She’s really kept us waiting for this track after previewing it on her Instagram story two years ago, however, as the moody, bass-driven cut lands on our playlists, we’re just glad the R&B supremo is sharing her vision with us once again.

Multi-hyphenate musician, rapper and dancer FelixThe1st shares haunting cut “Let Me Land” complete with a visual based on 1993 fantasy-comedy cult film, Groundhog Dog. Directed by Dylan Friese-Greene, Felix’s time-looped video documents the concept of “being expressive enough to create something beyond your imagination. I really wanted to make something crazy for the visuals,” he explains. “And my guy Dylan really brought the vision to life once again!”

Crybabyamy, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter, chants ugly truths in her intoxicating single “Validation”. A hymn to the terminally online Gen-Z, the song sees groovy production by Rob Milton (Holly Humberstone, The 1975) and sincere lyrics about the cognitive dissonance between our real selves and our online counterpart, an issue that the singer admits to struggling with. The chorus in this one is a killer – good luck getting it out of your head!

In anticipation of her forthcoming EP “Me at 23”, Josie Man releases there zesty electronic track “unbreak your heart”, accompanied by a glorious music video. Man’s softspoken vocals are in stark contrast with the house type-beats in the production, which call to mind mid-2000s alt-pop hits from the likes of Ellie Goulding and Sky Ferreira. The lyrics in “unbreak our heart” are a manifesto of unconditional love: “We should be unbreaking hearts, not breaking them!” Josie Explains. “Never underestimate the power of love. I’ve experienced it myself.”

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Montell Fish has an outstanding creative imagination on his latest experimental EP “Her Love Still Haunts Me Like A Ghost”. Fish proves his knack for any genre, as the seven-track project features guitar-heavy glamorous cuts, tight funk rhythms, harsh industrial electronics, and Prince-like falsettos. There is a beautiful weirdness to the whole enterprise, making this record a gratifying and viscerally thrilling auditory experience.

Singer-songwriter Bellah Mae has really hit the ground running with debut single “Boyfriend of The Year”, a release that proves pop domination is on the cards for 2023. The introduction to the West Midlands-hailing artist amalgamates pop-punk, country, and pure pop perfection as she calls out a toxic ex-boyfriend for affording his new partner the respect he deprived her of. Diaristic relatability and magnetic pop hooks have seen the track already cut through on TikTok: “I wrote it from my personal experiences,” Mae explains. “But the number of messages I’ve had from girls and guys sending me paragraphs about their own situations is incredible.”

The Irish-born, West London-based singer dropped a sparkling new single last Wednesday ahead of her debut mixtape, “Bubblegum,” set to release this January. Biig Piig’s angelic vocals are underpinned by shimmering synths, tied together with a funky disco-esque bassline, culminating in the perfect tune to accompany a late night drive. Co-signed by the likes of Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X – who are currently dominating the industry – this young artist has also been making waves. Often throwing surprise concerts, she chases a feeling of intimacy with her listeners, making her one to watch out for in the coming months.

UK drill underdog French The Kid unveils a blazing new single and music video “White Wine”. Sonically crafted by the sought-after producer M1OnTheBeat, who has lent his engineering chops to the likes of industry tycoons Drake and Headie One, this fresh track brings the heat. Complete with skittering hats, and the artist’s signature focused flow, “White Wine” is sure to become a staple. With stamps of approval from connoisseurs like Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders, we’re sure French The Kid won’t be dropping the pace anytime soon.

Fresh on the scene, 21 year-old Frankie Beetlestone puts out “Popstar” – a sardonic take on our fame-hungry youth. “Popstar is basically just a song about how everyone wants to be famous these days,” Beetlestone muses. That said, he isn’t operating from a place of superiority – actually poking fun at himself: “It’s also a bit of a joke about myself releasing music.” Taking a hands-on approach, the young artist also creative-directed the track’s accompanying visuals. Set in a quintessentially British pub, an air of surrealism is breathed into it by dolled up old women (a la Nadia Lee Cohen), and imbued with an ironic flair like that of German photographer Juergen Teller. This playful tune was immediately added to our rotation, and its melodic hook has us breaking the repeat button.