The Best Songs of April 2026 // New Music Friday!

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"drop dead" by Olivia Rodrigo

I already know this is going to end up being one of, if not the, top songs of my entire year. It's only been a few days and I'm already completely obsessed. "drop dead" is such a cute, sweet love song, and she captures that initial spark and breathlessness of meeting someone and falling in love for the first time in a way truly only Olivia can. It's so sharply written - especially that second verse, which I haven't been able to get out of my head since the moment I first heard it - and so earnest in the way she depicts herself falling so hard and so fast.

you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is absolutely my most anticipated album of the year, I have been waiting so long for new music from her and "drop dead" is such a strong introduction into what I'm sure is going to be an incredible record to come! 

"Living Room" by Not For Radio

To usher in this new season of growth and renewal, María Zardoya has released Bloom, the three song EP that is the the second installment of her Not For Radio solo project. She introduced the project last Fall with her stunning debut, Melt, which is a collection deeply rooted in nature and the stillness of winter. Throughout that record, she circled the core question, "Is love worth all of the pain?" and spent the entire album grappling with the answer. "Living Room" closes out this brief project, in what is one of the most gorgeous songs she has ever written, which is saying something considering how naturally María can write with this very distinct softness and deep longing throughout so much of her music. To be the subject of a song like this surely feels so special. This is a beautiful depiction of what it means to fully allow yourself to fall in love with no hesitation, fully succumbing to whatever kind of fate or destiny she feels brought them together. 

Check out my full review of Bloom by Not For Radio!

"Lucy" by Holly Humberstone


Holly Humberstone is one of my favorite new music discoveries of the year so far. Cruel World, her new album, is such an incredible project and I've had it all on repeat ever since it was released this month. There are so many songs that struck me and I will absolutely be delving into more of my thoughts soon, but "Lucy" is especially such a powerful moment that I have been feeling deeply moved by. The way she captures the feeling of what it means to be a woman trying to find her place in the world is depicted in a way I never really heard expressed in quite this way before. Even though it was written for her sisters, this is such a universal message that is so important for anyone who needs to hear it. 

"End of August" by Noah Kahan

This is such a beautiful introduction into The Great Divide, which was finally released this month. Noah has such an emotional, honest, and deeply personal way of writing, and "End of August" really captures that. I love the storytelling at the heart of it and the ways it threads itself throughout the rest of the record, it's the foundation everything else builds from. His songwriting is just so deeply moving and captivating. Noah also worked with Aaron Dessner on this song and much of the rest of the album for the first time, and the ways in which his signature production style permeates the entire project brings so much life to every single song as well. There is so much warmth in the arrangement and compliments the emotional weight of the lyricism.

"the van" by Bleachers


Jack's story of finding music and the early days on the road are at the heart of "the van", the third single off of Bleachers' Everyone For Ten Minutes - which is finally set to be released next month! The hyper-specific shoutouts to the details that play such an important role in the Bleachers mythology -  Jersey kids not knowing how to pump gas when driving through Philly, stopping at Wawa, that day on the rooftop, and all of the kids still in the shadow - are exactly what makes this song as special as it is. Glory to the ones who know the van! 🍅

"INTRO (HIT ME HARD AND SOFT TOUR)" by Billie Eilish

Not many others could release a one minute audio of a concert opening and make it so high on the top of my favorite songs list, but Billie will always be the exception! She is set to release her long-awaited tour film and love album next month to commemorate the incredible HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Tour, which I was lucky enough to get to see live twice. The film also marks her directorial film debut, alongside the legendary James Cameron, which is such a cool pairing and I can't wait to see it soon! To tease the release, Billie dropped the audio of the tour's intro, which is a quick and electrifying compilation of some of the album's instrumentals, anchored by the one iconic lyric; "Man am I the greatest" - and honestly she really is! Listening to just this audio transports me back to how incredible the shows were and I can't wait to get to relive it in depth next month as she makes her directorial film debut alongside the legendary James Cameron!

Read more about my experiences seeing Billie live on the HIT ME HARD AND SOFT Tour in New York City & Philadelphia!

"First Light" by Lana Del Rey

Lana finally got her Bond song! Even if it is jst for the new video game rather than the film's theme, it is so exciting to see her officially become apart of the franchise's music legacy in some way. She has been writing gorgeous and cinematic ballads like this for many years, and "First Light" fits into the Bond universe so well. 

"Planting Tomatoes" by Lucy Dacus

"Planting Tomatoes" is such a beautiful song about living in the moment and making the most of the time we have. It is shaped by Lucy's signature diaristic songwriting with a heartfelt message at its core. "You've gotta live the life you're fighting for, you've gotta live a life you would die for" is a lyric that really stands out as a mantra worth living by. 

"Bring Home My Man" by Maya Hawke

"Bring Home My Man" is the beautiful second song released off of Maya's upcoming album, which is set to be released next month. I love the intimate nature of this song and the way it embraces time as something that will inevitably bring change, but recognizing that their love will prevail through it all. 

"No Ifs" by Javier Reyes


"No Ifs" is another great new single from Javi. I haven't been able to get this guitar hook out of my head ever since I first heard it - the effortlessness of that groove really makes the whole song for me. I love all of the music he's been a part of and it's been so great diving into more of his solo work over the past couple of months!

"Tiny Rasin" by Suki Waterhouse

"Tiny Raisin" is so much fun and is completely full of Suki's personality and charm. There is even a little edge that is so exciting to hear her experiment with and I'm looking forward to hearing the ways that translates into the rest of Loveland, set to be released this summer. 

"Moths" by Conan Gray

Wishbone is my favorite album Conan has released yet, so I love that he gave even more to close out this era with a special deluxe version. The several new songs he added enhance the story this album tells in such a powerfully beautiful way. "Moths" is especially a highlight, it is so honest and vulnerable in a way that so much of Conan's best work is.

"RUNWAY" by Lady Gaga & Doechii

"RUNWAY" is the lead single from the soundtrack for the new The Devil Wears Prada sequel, which is set to be released next month. It is such a cool and confident anthem that fits in the fashion-forward theming so perfectly. The song is really brought to life both Gaga and Doechii's larger-than-life personalities and performance styles. 



Thanks for reading! 2026 is really shaping up to be one of the best year's for music in such a long time. Summer is right around the corner and there are so many great new releases on the horizon! Check out more from my New Music Friday and song of the week series. 

-Melissa ♡



All photo credit to owners - header designed by Melissa Kacar



Related Posts:

Bloom by Not For Radio // EP Review

Melt by Not For Radio // Album Review














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