Charli XCX & Lorde Beat The Drama Allegations & 8 Other New Songs Out This Week

The Charli XCX and Lorde lore dates back to 2014, the era of Tumblr, Instagram filters, and this interview in which the Brat singer was confused for the New Zealander and ran with it. Fans suspected “Girl, So Confusing” was about the “Royals” singer from the jump, and she made good on her promise to “work it out on the remix.” What starts out as a “pop girl vs. pop girl” bop turns into a meditation on femininity in the industry, ending with the gag-worthy line: “I ride for you, Charli.”

Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated collab already feels as mythic as the Babylonian gardens its lyrics reference. Dripping in synths and stacks of vocals — courtesy of Swiftian legends Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner — “Us” is a moody track “Taylor-made” for dramatically sprinting through the forests of your memory.

After paying homage to Brandy and Monica’s iconic 1998 collaboration, Ari gives the two R&B queens another chance to duke it out on this retro-feeling remix that lets each lady plead their case. Fighting over a man has never sounded so delicious.

When was the last time you heard a K-pop group get this funky? The South Korean girl group embraces ’90s-reminiscent production for a sugary-sweet bop about a supernatural love affair. You may just want to bust out a boombox and dance in a parking lot to this one.

It’s hard to think of a better title for this breezy new Japanese House cut than “Smiley Face.” The dreamy indie-pop bop starts at a breakneck pace and never quits, much like the feeling of falling in love — fitting, considering its lyrics document Amber Bain’s real-life love story of falling for an out-of-state girl on a dating app, buying a plane ticket to see her, and eventually getting engaged.

It was only a matter of time until Cardi B collaborated with rap’s rising star Peso Pluma. The Mexican singer and rapper holds his own against Cardi’s flow in this angsty and intense Spanglish banger from his new album Éxodo, which feels like the sonic equivalent of texting the knife emoji.

Maren Morris continues her repertoire of “it’s OK to breakdown” bops with this Julia Michael collab penned specifically for the overachiever in us all. The lyric “everyone needs an intermission” is the perfect plug for Morris’ upcoming EP of the same name. And it’s not hard to imagine captioning your summer photo dump with “I’ve got clear skin from all the sleep / Clear mind from therapy / Yoga four days a week,” both literally and ironically.

On this tears-in-the-club-sounding bop, Yungblud peels back a layer to show off a more vulnerable side. In a statement, the English alt-rocker described the track as his means of “embracing the light, realizing what’s beautiful in the world, and fighting the darkness.” And with a spinning production and the 26-year-old’s typical lyrical swagger, it’s hard not to feel the infectious optimism.

Name-dropping a musical icon like Stevie Nicks is a surefire way to snag attention, but New West will keep you enthralled with this groovy and vintage-sounding ditty that sounds like a poolside round of shots while you’re already struggling to stay above water (in the best way possible).