Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.
This was an especially strong week for singer-songwriter music. Julien Baker shared the second single from her long-awaited third album, the heavy and expansive ‘Hardline’; Rat Tally made her debut for 6131 Records (which helped launch artists like Baker) with the similarly crushing ‘Shrug’; Lael Neale delivered the stirring and meditative ‘Blue Vein’; Lizzie Reid came through with her most ambitious arrangement yet on ‘Been Thinking About You’, the latest preview from her debut EP; IAN SWEET announced a new album with the heartfelt and incredibly catchy ‘Drink the Lake’, while Gia Margaret returned with the dreamy and intimate ‘Solid Heart’. Julia-Sophie released the first single from her upcoming second project, the ethereal yet strikingly resonant ‘I Wish’; and finally, Black Country, New Road served up one of the more somber cuts from their upcoming record, but impressive and textured nonetheless.
Best New Songs: January 18, 2021
Lael Neale, ‘Blue Vein’
Song of the Week: Julien Baker, ‘Hardline’
Lizzie Reid, ‘Been Thinking About You’
Gia Margaret, ‘Solid Heart’
IAN SWEET, ‘Drink the Lake’
Black Country, New Road, ‘Track X’
Julia-Sophie, ‘I Wish’
Rat Tully, ‘Shrug’
