The Best New Songs We Heard in January
Weâre just days away from the 2024 Grammys, but the year has already started off strong on the music front. A new Ariana Grande single, a new Kali Uchis album, and...a rap beef? Thereâs a lot to keep our ears busy and our playlists full. From pop bangers to indie gems, here are the best new songs weâve heard this month.
You can listen to all the picks on our Spotify playlist, too.
âyes, and?â by Ariana Grande
âI will in fact say it with my chest: This is Ariana Grandeâs year. With the first true hit of the 2024 from her upcoming album Eternal Sunshine, Grande showed that no matter the criticism that comes her way, sheâs ready to dance on though. The house and ballroom beats make this the perfect song for a Wicked pregame in November, where Grande will star as Glinda on the big screen.ââSamuel Maude, associate editor
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âProve It to Youâ by Brittany Howard
âBrittany Howard is getting funky. The Alabama Shakes frontwoman is on the verge of presenting yet another solo endeavor, this time with more psychedelic influences, as exhibited in this lead single. âAll I wanna do is prove it to you,â she sings in the chorus, and she might as well be talking about her musical prowess, because this song is a transcendent, consuming banger.ââErica Gonzales, senior culture editor
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âHissâ by Megan Thee Stallion
âMegan Thee Stallion is back with this track that gagged the internet, and with her sublime rhymes and clean bars, itâs clear that this rap queen has a rightful place on the throne.ââSM
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âA Love Internationalâ by Khruangbin
âLike most Khruangbin songs, this one makes me feel like Iâm lounging on a beach somewhereâwith a rum punch in one hand and ceviche in the other. If you currently live somewhere cold like I do, âA Love Internationalâ is a sweet escape.ââJuliana Ukiomogbe, assistant editor
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âTe Mataâ by Kali Uchis
âThis song feels like a dramatic novella that I would watch in my grandmotherâs living room whiles sheâs cooking rice and beans for dinner. I canât explain it, but itâs true.ââBriannah Rivera, editorial and social media assistant
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âItâs So Goodâ by Jamie xx
âI get excited about any new Jamie xx release, but the pulsing bass in his latest song, combined with the sound effects of a party, makes you feel like youâre on the dance floor at a warehouse in Brooklyn, even in the comfort of your living room. Like everything else the artist does, itâs justâŠso good. (Sorry, had to).ââClaire Stern, digital director
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âI Want You Foreverâ by DâAngelo and Jay-Z
âA nine-minute DâAngelo song featuring Jay-Z? Say no more. The track, which is featured on the Book of Clarence soundtrack, is smooth, sultry, and everything you want from a winter release.ââJU
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âMr. Vampireâ by ITZY
âDonât let the title fool you, this track from ITZYâs BORN TO BE is more hot than spooky. The albumâs title track and âUNSTOPPABLEâ are also hard-hitting standouts, but this more subdued gem is still bursting with energyâand maybe a little bit of romance? The line âBite me, bite you, boom boomâ goes hard.ââEG
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âLego Ringâ by Faye Webster and Lill Yachty
âThis Faye Webster and Lil Yachty collab is almost Perfume Genius-like with its grungy guitar and breathy, distorted vocals. Who knew an ode to a mood ring could sound this cool?ââEG
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âSAME MISTAKEâ by DESTIN CONRAD and Alex Isley
âDESTIN CONRAD just dropped his new album SUBMISSIVE2 and while itâs full of jams, âSAME MISTAKEâ featuring Alex Isley is by far my favorite. I love a good R&B song about heartbreak and missed connections, and this one does not disappoint.ââJU
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âShower Songâ by Tierra Whack
âA debut album from Tierra Whack arriving in 2024? Weâve been blessed. After a brief stint as a movie star, the Philly native returns with yet another playful track about singing in the shower. Sheâs immensely creative yet doesnât take herself too seriously, and Iâm excited to hear more on her LP World Wide Whack, due out in March.ââEG
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âSHOW ME OUTâ by UMI
âI absolutely love this song, especially the airy and dainty way that UMI delivers lines like: âBaby, can you show me out? / Buy me things to brag about?â Itâs the last track on her new EP talking to the wind and I really recommend the entire project. âNot necessarily,â the song that comes directly before it, is pretty great, too.ââJU
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ân.h.i.e.â by 21 Savage and Doja Cat
âOnly Doja Cat would literally say âad-libâ as her ad-lib. Itâs hard to believe that this is her first collab with 21 Savage, but I hope itâs not their last. The two have great musical chemistry and Iâll be bopping along to this for the foreseeable future.ââJU
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âNo Evilâ by SiR
âSiR is known for his silky vocals but here, teasing his first album in years, he sounds almost unrecognizable as he distorts his voice to a near-theatrical degree. Thereâs an especially chilling effect on lines like, âPardon my superstition / But with my supervision / I see so much of myself / My past, my pain, my pride and my ego.ââ âEG
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âLead Me Onâ by FLETCHER
âAt a happy hour a few weeks ago, every coworker in the room was in some type of situationship (for the record, this sadly includes me, gah!). We boldly proclaimed 2024 was the year of the situationship, and FLETCHER confirms our take with the lead single off her new album, In Search of the Antidote, which touches on the appeal of the world-famous will-they-or-wonât-they make a move. âSo why donât you just lead me on? / âCause something is better than nothing at all,â she says. Maybe a little too real.ââSM
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âIgual de Un Ăngel (with Peso Pluma)â by Kali Uchis
âKali Uchisâ new Spanish-language album OrquĂdeas is a masterpiece, and this collab with Peso Pluma is one of the many reasons why. Itâs downright heavenly, with the kind of hook you can replay over and over again.ââEG
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âMi CorazĂłn (feat. Camilo)â by Jacob Collier
âAfter receiving a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year for Djesse Vol. 3 in 2021, Jacob Collier returns with his musically adventurous sound for the collaboration filled Djesse Vol. 4, which will be the final chapter of the four album series, out this February. On this single, Collier brings in Colombian singer Camilo to create a fun fusion of their two sounds that will get anyone off the couch.ââSM
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âYoung Miko: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 58â by Young Miko & Bizarrap
âRising Puerto Rican rapper lets loose on the mic with producer Bizarrap (who just collaborated with Shakira on her famous post-breakup anthem). She flexes about jet-skiing in Mallorca, counting up stacks of money, and having a girl uploading stories from the passengerâs seat of her Bentley. Lifeâs good from Young Mikoâs POV, but she makes sure to show her vulnerable side, too.â âEG
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âWhat's Love (feat. MUNA)â by Empress Of
âIf youâre seeing stars while listening to this intergalactic track, youâre in good company. Empress Of and MUNA team up for a planetarium pop track that puts everyone with a broken heart on a rocket and asks: âIf a love canât make you, break you, shape you / Then whatâs love?â Water signs beware, this one is made for you.ââSM
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âEverythingâs Beautifulâ by Hiatus Kaiyote
âI love how lead singer Nai Palmâs vocals can go in a million different directions and yet all of it makes sense. Here, she sings about enjoying the simple pleasures in life, wrapped up in Hiatus Kaiyoteâs signature funk spin.ââEG
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âB Like Thatâ by Matt Martians
âIâm sure Iâm not alone in anticipating The Internetâs comeback (which looks like it could be soon), and this new release from keyboardist/producer Matt Martians is helping to keep me sane. With his signature smooth blend of jazz and hip-hop, he makes waiting easy.ââEG
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âDangerous Gameâ by Blu DeTiger
âI remember finding Blu DeTiger on TikTok and becoming entranced by her bass covers. As sheâs expands beyond viral fame with her original music, she emerges with this fun, punchy single ahead of releasing her debut studio album in March. âEG
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