‘ORAL’ – BJÖRK, ROSALÍA
This dreamlike collaboration between two of music’s most visceral performers makes a big statement. The song dates back 25 years and was originally inspired by a dancehall beat, coming to light again in 2023 with the aim of highlighting the ecological impact of open-pen salmon farming in Björk’s native Iceland. It’s a track full of yearning and hope to have something with that certain someone. “Let me introduce one to the other / The dream and the real,” Björk pleads, her signature growl finding ethereal harmony alongside Rosalía’s sumptuous vocals.
‘MEMORY LANE’ – ZARA LARSSON
Taken from Zara Larsson‘s forthcoming EP ‘Honor The Light’ and released alongside new track ‘Winter Song’, ‘Memory Lane’ is about looking back on the good and the bad of the past to understand why you are the way you are. “So I walk myself down memory lane / I still hold on to all the joy and the pain,” the Swedish artist sings hopefully atop a zig-zagging synthy beat, remembering late night rendezvous and underage drinking, all so that she can thank herself “for who I became”.
‘A2B’ – ELIO
“I been going / A thousand miles an hour lately,” Elio exhales on the shifty, speedy ‘A2B’ which zooms at the same pace of her restless thoughts. It’s all over in just two minutes and 10 seconds, but the pop singer’s new track thumps and grooves with the kind of vibrant, unstoppable energy of a go-getter who operates on a totally different frequency (“I can take you from A2B / If you can keep up with me”).
‘SNOWFLAKE SUZIE’ – ETTA MARCUS
Etta Marcus has always had a special talent for pairing melancholy with quiet optimism, reality with dark portraits of the make believe. ‘Snowflake Suzie’ exists in a similar space, its indie beats crashing forward like the whirlwind protagonist who leaves a path of destruction behind them. “Suzie in the sky with diamonds / But she’s fading out,” the South London artist sings, recalling “someone I think everyone has crossed paths with at least once in life”.
‘MASTERMIND SPECIALISM’ – ENGLISH TEACHER
“Couldn’t make a decision,” English Teacher singer Lily Fontaine confesses on ‘Mastermind Specialism’ beneath a lulling guitar melody, mirroring the repetitive nature of her swirling thoughts that can never quite reach a conclusion. The Leeds four-piece’s subdued new single recalls Fontaine’s relatable “decision paralysis”, an “ache that has murmured in me” when it comes to any questions, big or small.
More new tracks on our Brand New playlist
