Sam Smith, Madonna & More: This Week's Best New Music

Sam Smith, Madonna - Vulgar

In February this year, Madonna introduced an arresting Grammy performance by award winner Sam Smith. “Are you ready for some controversy?” she announced before making a heartfelt speech. “If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative or dangerous,” she said, “You are definitely onto something.”

After that performance, the two went into the studio and whipped up their new iconic track, Vulgar. We knew whatever these two iconic artists' came up with would indeed send shockwaves through the industry, and they didn’t disappoint. With hard electronic elements, Vulgar embodies its name, tying in with an almost spoken-word mantra of the two artists banding together as one united front. A hype-song in every sense of the word, Vulgar will definitely become a fan favourite. 

Kita Alexander - 7 Minutes In Heaven

Hot from performing her sold-out debut headline tour around the country, Kita Alexander has shared her introspective new single, 7 Minutes In Heaven. Filled with dreamy guitar patterns, soft beats and Alexanders' effortless vocals, 7 Minutes In Heaven embodies the quintessential essence of Kita Alexander's discography. Earthy, joyous and easy to listen to, 7 Minutes In Heaven will make you wish summer was back in full force. On the new track, Alexander said, “I wanted to let go of all those boundaries we put on ourselves. The constraints which hold us back from having a good time, be it out of fear or a need for control, an idea of safety. This is a best friend letter to myself, my inner voice telling me to loosen up and have fun.”

PinkPantheress - Angel

PinkPantheress is back in a big way with her new single, Angel, taken from the soundtrack of the hotly anticipated Barbie movie out in July. PinkPantheress has been sitting at the forefront of the new wave of pop for some time, and this new song only further proves her genius. Tapping into her knack for taking the essence of 90s and 2000s sonic movements, bringing them into the 21st century and putting an addictive contemporary spin on them, Angel feels both new and old simultaneously. Much like Boys A Liar, the single that shot her into superstardom, Angel carries the same melody pattern with a super fun Celtic-inspired string section that really seals the deal. 

Tyne-James Organ - Blue

Songwriting mastermind Tyne-James Organ has dropped one of our favourite tracks of his yet, in the form of Blue, delivering heartfelt honesty and his most expansive production to date. Filled with swirly guitars, a driving drum beat and, of course, Organ’s rich vocals, Blue feels uplifting in the most complex way. On the track, Organ sings from his mother's perspective, where she assures him that the world still needs him. Interestingly the final version is "essentially the demo," Organ reveals, confessing that he attempted to re-record the vocals but ultimately returned to the raw and uncut original takes that capture the outpouring of emotion during the song's inception.

Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers - Never Saw It Coming

Yesterday, Australian rising punk-rockers Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers announced their debut album, I Love You and released the new single, Never Saw It Coming. Heartfelt and filled with a warmth that persists past the heavy content of the song, Never Saw It Coming is the first song drummer Neve van Boxsel ever wrote for the band and ever sang lead on. Despite the song being very left of field compared to their other tracks, the band decided to “lean into that”, omitting their usual high-energy output to swap it for something much softer to fit the powerful song. 

You can listen to the Hit List playlist featuring all the above songs and more on Apple Music or Spotify. We also have our Underground playlists that showcase the best of Australia's emerging artists. Find them here.