It’s impossible to be across all the new music out each Friday. Luckily, PAPER is here to help you out: each week, we round up 10 of our favorite new songs from artists — emerging and established — to soundtrack your life. From the surreal to the sublime, these songs cover every corner of the music world. The only criteria: they all have to absolutely rip.
Subscribe to our Sound Off Spotify playlist here and check out this week’s tracks, below.
Song of the week: fakemink, ecco2k, Mechatok – “MAKKA”
The brute-force intensity of London rapper fakemink works perfectly with ecco2k’s ethereal, vaporous vocals on this raucous Mechatok production. fakemink is already in the middle of a viral moment – his songs “Easter Pink” and “LV Sandals” have both found a natural home on TikTok – and “MAKKA” feels like a song that’s going to cement him as one of 2025’s genuine rising stars.
Neggy Gemmy – “Polly Pocket”
The latest single from Neggy Gemmy’s She Comes From Nowhere contains a little bit of Alvvays and a tiny hint of Stereolab; it’s warm and fresh-feeling, vintage-toned but never stuffy.
Lola Young – “One Thing”
I have a soft spot for Lola Young, the Tyler the Creator collaborator and viral singer-songwriter whose rough-around-the-edges charm is key, I think, to her success. That goes doubly for “One Thing,” which is a filthy sex jam that kinda sounds like mid-2010s Metronomy.
Rihanna – “Friend of Mine”
At this point, Rihanna only really releases music because a film production is contractually requiring her to, but there’s some genuine fun to be had with “Friend of Mine,” which rides a surprisingly raucous house beat.
Yeule – “Dudu”
Yeule taps into the daydreamy, singalong spirit of a lot of classic 2000s trip-pop on this light, airy new track.
Wolf Alice – “Bloom Baby Bloom”
“Bloom Baby Bloom” is bold and brash, moving from delicate Latin-tinged pop into aggro glam-rock swagger. Makes an impact!
Acopia – “Talk About It”
The latest Acopia single channels avant-pop pioneers like Anna Domino while incorporating a bracing sense of forward motion; it’s hypnotic and cutting.
Morgan Wallen, Tate McRae – “What I Want”
Relations between the US and Canada aren’t all that bad right now after all: There’s still room for each country’s biggest to collaborate on a song that, while not as big a banger as it probably should be, is still profoundly catchy.
Girl Ultra, Empress Of, Chromeo – “Tomas”
I’m going to the beach later, and will listen to this on the entire journey down. How could you not?
Nate Sib and 2hollis – “back & forth”
It’s always nice to see besties collaborate; this highlight from Nate Sib’s new album is walloping, smart and intensely minimalist.
Photography: Lola Young by Lily West & Eliana Shymansky