But don’t worry, we’re going to save you the hassle. We listen to some of the most-hyped and interesting songs each week, and tell you which are worthy of your precious listening time.
Here are our five best new songs to stream this week. And don’t forget to subscribe to our Spotify page for a playlist of our weekly picks, which can also be found at the bottom of this post. Not sure which streaming service is best for you? Check out our post about the best music streaming services, or go in depth and learn the differences between Apple Music and Spotify to better weigh your options.
Taylor Swift — Look What You Made Me Do
An ’80s dance groove lays the foundation for pop star Taylor Swift’s bizarre new single, punctuated by speech-song vocals and strings. There’s a dystopian feeling to the singer/songwriter’s new song that isn’t altogether convincing for those who remember Swift as a leader of the pop country movement, but recent super fans who have been waiting since 2014 for new material will surely help make the tune a megahit. Swift’s upcoming album Reputation is out in November.
DJ Premier & The Badder Band — KRS-One Attacks (and more)
Legendary hip-hop producer DJ Premier appeared with his Badder Band at NPR’s Tiny Desk this week, performing with turntables while the live ensemble layered in tasteful melodic accompaniment. If you haven’t begun your journey into hip-hop history, this live concert is a perfect one to watch with the iconic beatsmith showcasing the skills and the genre he’s helped develop over the past several decades.
MF Doom — Doomsayer (Explicit)
Underground rap king MF Doom has been releasing new tracks this summer in partnership with Adult Swim, the latest being this short, classic-style hip-hop track produced by Alchemist. A head-bobbing cut filled with Doom’s signature tongue-in-cheek lyricism, Doomsayer is a potent combination of tasteful samples and lyricism that will keep you coming back for more.
Beach Fossils — Be Nothing
Too often, a band’s live performance isn’t as clean as it is on the record, but there’s an impressively clean quality to this live take of Be Nothing by Beach Fossils from the band’s recent KEXP performance that actually mirrors the depth of the production on their recent full studio album. Layers of guitars, bass, and percussion coalesce in a wall of sound that could easily be mistaken for a studio take.
Phoebe Bridgers — Motion Sickness
A four-on-the-floor drumbeat propels pop songwriter Phoebe Bridgers’ Motion Sickness throughout its four-minute runtime. Bridgers rides a scooter around Los Angeles in the music video for this latest single, taking you with her on a journey that culminates in a passionate chorus onstage at a karaoke bar.
That’s it for now, but tune in next week for more songs to stream, and check out the playlist loaded with our recent selections below:
