The Best Songs of May 2026 // New Music Friday!
"the cure" by Olivia Rodrigo
The second single off of Olivia's you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is such a cathartic, existential, and melodramatic masterpiece - all of which are traits that have continually made up so much of her best work to date. If the lead single "drop dead" is the embodiment of the girl so in love portion of the album title, then "the cure" in turn feels like the representation of the you seem pretty sad aspect of the time in her life that inspired her to write this. Coming in at the midpoint of the album's tracklist, it's definitely going to serve as a crucial transition piece for the album's overarching narrative.
The build‑up to the bridge and the explosive final chorus is absolutely incredible and feels so powerful with every single listen. It's genuinely one of the best songs Olivia has ever written, and also one of the greatest pop songs of recent memory, which is not an overstatement in the slightest. It was also released exactly on the five year anniversary of her debut album SOUR, which further feels like a testament to the ways in which her early talents for heartfelt and emotive songwriting have only continued to evolve and get better and better every single time.
"upstairs at els" by Bleachers
The final song off of Bleachers' new everyone for ten minutes is such a beautiful ode to the place that has soundtracked all of our days at Electric Lady Studios, and to all of the collaborators and eclectic cast of characters that make up the musical universe of Bleachers and the community that is brought together by their work. Lyrically, it is full of Easter Eggs and paints such a vivid picture of his friends like Lee, Blu, Rex, and Claud (in a vest, of course), to Carly Rae, Laura, Oli, Ray, Zem and The Boss - along with all of the smaller moments that only hindsight accumulate into something so much more important than any of them may have realized at the time. From the "Part of the Band" reference, to the "'Hard Feelings' days into Gone Now nights", and Lana's plaque on the roof, Jack has been apart of so much incredible music made at Electric Lady over the years and this ties it all together in such a celebratory way.
everyone for ten minutes is such an incredible album that celebrates the mythology of the band and Jack's full musical journey so powerfully, but "upstairs at els" is perhaps the best encapsulation of what makes Bleachers so special and continues to shape so many people's lives through this work, myself included. Electric Lady holds a special place in my heart too, so this song really transports me back to the day I got to spend there, and I can't wait to hear it live next month for the first time in the best city in the world!
"Afraid of the Dark - Demo" by Halsey
Halsey released the long‑awaited deluxe edition of The Great Impersonator, and there are several moments on this expanded cut that have absolutely floored me lyrically. This is such a stunning and vulnerable album overall, and this edition gives even more insight into the direction she could have taken with songs left on the cutting‑room floor, with songs that still feel like such an integral piece of The Great Impersonator's narrative nonetheless. Every single new track is absolutely incredible and builds further into the story she presented with this record and the time in her life that inspired it. But the rawness of "Afraid of the Dark" is especially striking in its innate, unfiltered approach.
"Rock Music" by Charli xcx
It's official - the dance floor is dead! Charli xcx gave a glimpse into the next era of her career with the brief but impactful "Rock Music", the lead single off of her upcoming project that kind of sits somewhere between trolling and sincerity in a way that is so genius. She's never been known to do the same thing twice and this is exactly the direction I've been wanting her to take for so long because she's perfectly suited for it. Charli is such a chameleon when it comes to crossing genres and switching up her style, and "Rock Music" feels like another crucial moment of her completely reinventing the rules of her own music universe.
"SS26" by Charli xcx
Typically I try to only include one song per artist on these monthly wrap up posts, but I couldn't resist highlighting both of Charli's new singles released this month. "SS26" is such a perfect thesis statement for her upcoming album - Music, Fashion, Film set to be released this July. Years from now, it's going to stand as the clearest glimpse into the world we're living in right now and serve as a real time capsule. The world she builds within her work always feels like a direct reflection of the pop culture landscape around her, yet filtered through a lens only she could create. Charli is such a genius and compelling artist who has obviously been having a massive (and long overdue) moment over the past couple of years, but even with all of that, she still doesn't get enough credit for the way she captures the world around her in real time, while also building an overlapping conceptual universe around it that feels entirely her own.
"Hit the Wall" by Gracie Abrams
"Hit the Wall" is such a powerful and truly beautiful lead single for Gracie's upcoming album Problem Daughter. It really builds upon the very distinct voice and pointed lyricism she's been developing since her last release, and it's so exciting to see the ways in which she continues to grow and sharpen her perspective with this new chapter.
"End of an Era" by Niall Horan
"Maitreya and the Way Back" by Maya Hawke
The theme song for the character this project is based on - Maitreya Corso, which in many ways is an extension of Maya herself - is best depicted on "Maitreya and the Way Back", a two part song that stands among her most directly autobiographical moments on the entire album. It represents the journey this project depicts beautifully; fully embracing the flaws that make us human, the parts of ourselves we're still trying to understand, and the growth that comes from that self-reflection.
Check out my full review of MAITREYA CORSO here!
"forget him" by Josh Conway
Josh Conway of The Marías released the first glimpses into his debut solo project, which is such an exciting new chapter for him as an artist. He is an incredible producer and I love that his new singles offer a completely fresh glimpse into the signature sound he has been developing and his creative influences outside of his work with the band. It's so cool to see both Josh and María experimenting with solo projects right now and expanding their work individually while still building upon their collective work with The Marías - of course I am still counting down the days until they release more music together again too!
"End of An Era (Live From Mexico)" by Dua Lipa
To commemorate the final Radical Optimism show at her massive Mexico city show last year, Dua released an incredible new concert film for free on YouTube (the people's princess, truly!) and a corresponding live album. She is such an incredible performer and live vocalist and I dream of the day I get to finally see her live for the first time! Until that day though, this live album brings the magic of her music to life in such a perfect way that captures the bright energy of who she is in every regard!
"hate that i made you love me" by Ariana Grande
"hate that i made you love me" is a completely unexpected sound for Ari and shows off a completely different side of her as a vocalist. She described her upcoming album petal to be her most "feral" release yet, and if this lead single is any indication, then it is set to be such an exciting glimpse into her continued artistic evolution.
"Knew Better Part Two" by Ariana Grande
To commemorate the ten year anniversary of Ariana's iconic Dangerous Woman being released, she also released a special deluxe edition this month featuring previously unreleased tracks and rarities from the era. I was so excited to see that "Knew Better Part Two" was finally on streaming officially - as this was a song that I listened to literally countless times (along with many other leaked demos and remixes by Ari at this time) on SoundCloud a decade ago. This is still such a gem for this era of her career, one that is full of Ari's personality, and I love that so many people may be hearing this for the first time!
Check out my full anniversary review of Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande here!
"Bud or Amor" by Javier Reyes
"Bud or Amor" is another beautiful song off of Javi's upcoming album, and again one of my favorites he's released thus far. It's harmonies are striking and feels so intimate in the emotional depth explored. As always, I can't wait to hear more from him!
"Bring Your Love" by Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter
Madonna and Sabrina teamed up on such an iconic collaboration, which they first teased last month during Sabrina's Weekend 2 headline slot at Coachella. As the lead single off Madonna's Confessions II album, this truly feels like an emblematic passing of the torch between two pop icons!
"Coyote" by Kacey Musgraves featuring Gregory Alan Isaac
"Coyote" features such beautiful and emotional writing, and it captures exactly what makes Kacey such an incredible songwriter and artist in modern country music. This song in particular feels deeply rooted in the sounds and themes she explored on her last record Deeper Well, with the gentle introspection and earthly themes that she pieces together in her music in such a distinct way.
"I'll Let You Finish" by Finn Wolfhard
Imma let you finish, but Finn just released one of the best songs of all time! (kidding) - but the lead single off of his upcoming sophomore album is such a cool evolution on the sonic themes he introduced last year on his debut solo album Happy Birthday. The guitar riff is infectious and the outro is so random and funny to include in a song. I'm looking forward to hearing more of his upcoming record this summer!
"Beg For Me - JADE Remix" by Lily Allen & JADE
Lily Allen and JADE are two incredible artists who fit together so naturally, and this pairing feels effortless in the best way. I love the ways this version builds upon the original "Beg For Me" in such an impactful way and blends together their individual artistic sensibilities in such a fresh way.
"Good News" by Rozzi
Rozzi is such an incredible and underrated artist. At the heart of it, "Good News" is about the idea that every hardship, heartbreak, and detour in your life ultimately leads you to exactly where you're meant to be. Fig Tree is such a beautiful album, in part inspired by one of my favorite books and quotes from Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, taking the ethos of the classic novel into new perspective.
Thanks for reading! Summer is already shaping up to be such an exciting season for new music, and I can’t wait to hear and experience all of it. The next couple of months are going to be full of so many incredible concerts and new releases, and I’ll definitely be sharing all of it here! Check out more from my New Music Friday and song of the week series.
All photo credit to owners - header designed by Melissa Kacar
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