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

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"stupid song" by Olivia Rodrigo 

Trying to put the strong, all‑encompassing emotion of what it feels like to love so deeply into words is the pursuit of so many of the greatest artists' lives - especially one as emotive and diaristic as Olivia - but acknowledging that you could never fully articulate the extent of your love becomes, in itself, the truest expression of it. That's exactly what "stupid song" represents for me and is one of the many highlights off of her new album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, so it was very difficult to choose just one to share here. This song is so addicting and moving, as she showcases her strength for songwriting and capturing a feeling that is complicated, yet so universal. 

This is very well going to end up being my album of the year for 2026. I truly cannot foresee another record topping girl so in love - and if something does manage to in the latter half of the year, then I can't even imagine how incredible that album will have to be!

"Lost Boys" by Phoebe Bridgers

The drought is finally over! Alongside the official announcement of her upcoming album Lost Weekend, set to be released this August, Phoebe released the lead single "Lost Boys". This is her first solo album release in six years, so this moment was highly anticipated and long overdue! She has such a talent for painting a vivid portrait of a moment in time through her lyrics and this song is no different. It is a much different tone than I was anticipating and I'm excited to hear the ways in which it builds into the narrative of the overall project. 

"I Knew It, I Knew You" by Taylor Swift

As a part of the Toy Story 5 soundtrack, Taylor released a beautiful new single to coincide with the film. It’s so quintessentially Taylor in a way I've missed so much, and I love seeing her tap back into her singer‑songwriter roots with a bit of country influence woven through it, which perfectly ties into the Jessie perspective she's writing from. Taylor worked with Jack Antonoff on this track, and their collaborations have consistently been some of the strongest of her entire career. I always love hearing what they create when they come together. They really brought a lot of the Bleachers sound into this song in particular, which is always an exciting sonic crossover when that happens. It is akin to the classic "You've Got A Friend In Me", but with a feminine approach that feels unmistakably her own. 

"Sun Has Set" by beabadoobee

The lead single off of Bea's new album is taking a grungy, garage‑rock direction that feels so perfectly suited for her. It builds upon her past work in such a natural way with a sound she fully embodies. Her full album is set to be released in September, and she worked with so many incredible people on it, making this easily one of the most highly anticipated releases of the second half of the year!

"WINK WINK" by Charli xcx

Charli released a new surprise single off her upcoming album Music. Fashion. Film. ahead of its release next month. This time, she gives us a track that's fun and tongue‑in‑cheek in a way that definitely shouldn't be as much of an earworm as it actually is. Half spoken‑word, half infectious pop chorus, all packed into just over two minutes. It's so quick, yet somehow just enough.

I do get the sense that she's leaning into a direction with this project that is intentionally more alienating and satirical than anything she's done up to this point, perhaps as a way to deter certain levels of attention and divide the mainstream space she's been placed in over the past couple of years. She's taking more artistic liberties than ever and proving yet again that she will never make the same thing twice. Some of this work so far is some of the most avant‑garde and abrasive work of her career, yet still feels so indicative of the pop genius she has always been.

"Hummer" by Tame Impala

Sending Hearts to All My Dearies - A Tribute to The Smashing Pumpkins is set to be released this August, with Tame Impala's rendition of "Hummer" being the first glimpse into the new tribute album for the band. He reimagines the song in a way that feels so true to his signature style but also honors the original so well. I'm also going to be seeing Tame Impala live next month in Philly and I couldn't be more excited!!

"forever" by Josh Conway

Josh Conway released his debut solo project plum this month, and it has such a cool, varied sound throughout that's truly entrancing to listen to from front to back. It goes in a lot of really interesting and unexpected places, and I especially loved the final track on the album, "forever". He's such an incredible producer, and I love getting to hear this side of him as an artist outside of his work with The Marías.

"Tunnels" by Finn Wolfhard

With each new release, Finn continues to grow more confident and refined in his sound. I love hearing him become more assured with every song, and his upcoming sophomore album Fire From The Hip is absolutely going to be the clearest reflection of that artistic growth thus far. "Tunnels" is rooted in the universal coming-of-age experience as he navigates trying to find his place in the world and make sense of everything around him, spiraling about it all in real time. Finn captures hyper-specific moments and conversations through his lyrics that create such a relatable snapshot of this phase of his life. 

"High and Sad" by Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines + Noah Cyrus

It feels so special to see Franklin Jonas and Noah Cyrus reunite all these years later for such a stunning country duet. "High and Sad" was originally released as a solo track by Franklin Jonas & The Byzantines earlier this year, but this new version with Noah adds such a gorgeous new dimension to it. Their voices blend so naturally, bringing out the traditional Americana‑folk sound of the song in a way that’s deeply honest and evocative of both of their talents.

It's also such a sweet rekindling of two artistic collaborators who worked together when they were both just eight years old, recording the English‑language dub of Studio Ghibli's Ponyo in 2008. Seeing them come together again on a song that holds so much meaning and emotion is truly something so special.

"Look at My Life" by Gracie Abrams

The second single off of her upcoming album Problem Daughter, "Look at My Life" offers an honest and introspective look into Gracie's mind and struggles with her mental health. It carries her signature diaristic tone that she always writes from, holding nothing back in sharing her experiences. 

"High Hopes 3000" by ROLE MODEL

ROLE MODEL released the lead single off his long‑awaited album Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, an infectious anthem about searching for connection in an ever‑changing world. It also seems like with this project he's building upon the sound of his past work through a newly evolved lens, while simultaneously tapping into some sort of character or alter ego in the process. 

"at least you got To Love Somebody" by Holly Humberstone

This month, Holly released a 4‑track EP featuring live acoustic versions of some of the best songs off her latest album Cruel World. That's one of my favorite pop albums of the year, and I love getting to hear these stripped‑down versions of the songs. This reimagined, even more intimate version of "To Love Somebody" is such a highlight from the project and has been on repeat all month!

"I Could Disappear With You" by Javier Reyes

I have been featuring Javi's new singles on my wrap-up posts almost every single month this year so far, but this is another beautiful track off of his officially announced new album Shark, which is set to be released finally next month!

"BUTTERFLIES" by Justin Bieber

Justin has released a full live album from his first weekend set at Coachella Bieberchella back in April. It was such an exciting moment for him to be back, and he sounded incredible throughout the entire show. He hasn't performed live in so long, and this set was the perfect reminder for anyone who needed it that he's truly one of the greats!



Thanks for reading! There are so many more exciting new releases just on the horizon and I can't wait to hear it all! This was also particularly such an exciting month for music for me, as I got to see 5SOS and Bleachers live pretty much back to back in New York City - both of which were the most incredible nights that I will be writing all about soon! I'm also counting down the days till I get to see Tame Impala and Djo live for the first time in just a couple of weeks now too - summer is off to a great start so far! 

I'm working on a ton of new content right now that I will finally be posting soon, be sure to come back to check it all out! 💕

-Melissa ♡



All photo credit to owners - header designed by Melissa Kacar



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