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

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"serena joy" by Olivia Rodrigo

As the theme song for her inaugural all‑female music festival, Daisy Chains Fields, Olivia released the incredible "serena joy", which is a cautionary anthem meant to inspire action and change for women around the world. All proceeds from the song, and from the festival itself, are going to numerous charities focused on advocation for and funding women's causes globally. She's already raised over $20 million, which is such an extraordinary feat. There aren't many artists with the guts, conviction, or foresight to pull off something this massive, especially something rooted entirely in helping people around the world on such a massive scale, but Olivia has always stood firmly on her morals and used her platform to make a difference. I've always admired her for that.

Named after a character from The Handmaid's Tale, the song carries the mantra "if they do it to them, they'll do it to you", which is a reminder not to stand by and watch everything fall apart around you, but to be part of the change and the action toward equality and a better world.

Donate to the Daisy Chain Fields Fund here & find out more about their non-profit partners for the festival here!

"As Above" by Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers returned this month with her first solo album in six long years. There is so much to say about this album that I will be diving into in more depth in a full review soon, but if Lost Weekend proves anything, its that Phoebe is truly one of the greats and anytime she releases music it is always well worth the wait. This album as a whole is such a deeply moving reflection and commentary on grief, love and loss. Her songwriting is so powerful and there are many moments throughout this album that exemplify that, but one of the final tracks of the album, "As Above" has continually stood out as one of the most devastating moments of the entire album. I'm truly brought to tears every time I hear this song (and so many others from Lost Weekend), especially at the climax of the song when she sings, "You don't have to believe in magic, leave it to me, I'll make it happen" has stuck with me since I first heard it. 

"Marianne" by Fontaines D.C.

I've been discovering countless incredible new artists this year, but perhaps my favorite of all is Fontaines D.C. and I truly can't believe how long it took me to fully dive into their discography. This month they released the lead single off their upcoming album Dopamine Chamber, set to be released in October, and I've been absolutely obsessed with it. It marks such a strong sonic evolution from where they left off with Romance two years ago, pushing their sound, and rock music as a whole, forward in such an exciting way.

"She's The Best" by Troye Sivan

As the title track off of his upcoming album, Troye's "She's The Best" serves as an ode to the female friendships and influences in his life and the ways they have shaped and inspired him through it all. It's such a special and beautiful song, and the inclusion of Charli xcx's vocals at the end, who has long been one of his closest collaborators, which fits so naturally into the meaning this track holds for him. George Daniel and Jack Antonoff, two of my favorite producers of all time, co-produced Troye's upcoming record which is making me even more excited to hear more than I already was!

"Evolve (CLUBSOS VOL 1)" by 5 Seconds of Summer

Following their massive Lollapalooza set earlier this month, 5SOS took a different approach to the tradition of main acts putting on side shows around the city for the weekend and instead delivered an absolutely insane DJ set filled with special guests and reimaginings of their iconic songs. One of the best moments was this remix of "Evolve", one of my favorite songs off of EVERYONE'S A STAR! This show looked so fun from all the videos I've seen and was packed with so many iconic mashups of other artists' songs woven into 5SOS' own in such a creative way. I absolutely need an entire ClubSOS album - or better yet, a full tour would be a dream!

Check out my full review of EVERYONE'S A STAR! by 5 Seconds of Summer!

"Ugly Things" by Lizzy McAlpine

"Ugly Things" is Lizzy's second single off of her upcoming album Angel, and it is such a beautiful song about the changing dynamics of love following the aftermath of a breakup. Even if that person isn't in your life anymore, your love for them still lingers in countless ways. It is such a beautiful song that captures so much of her signature diaristic, hyper-specific songwriting that is always present in her work. 

"She Doesn't Love Me" by Claud

Claud released the lead single off of their upcoming record Me and the Music, which is their first solo release in three years. The song is alternatively titled "I Love America", a choice that presents so many layers of what this track represents and the different ways it can be interpreted. On the surface, it comes off as a song about a toxic relationship, but there is a larger societal commentary running through it too. 

"The Hardest Thing" by Julia Jacklin

I came across Julia's music this month and absolutely love her latest single "The Hardest Thing". It has such beautiful songwriting and an introspective tone to the emotions she captures. She's such a talented rising indie artist, and I can't wait to explore more of her work when the rest of her new album is released next month.

"Alyse" by Shygirl

Shygirl is such a visionary producer, and I always love the vision and intention that comes through in everything she makes. The journey "Alyse" takes the listener on is so cinematic and dynamic.

"Une seule vie" by Angèle

I’ve been loving everything Angèle's been releasing this year, with her collaboration with Justice, "What You Want", being one of my top songs of the year. This month, she released the lead single off her upcoming album Instinct, which is set to be released in October, and it proves to be such a bold step in the direction of becoming an even more commanding voice in electronic pop music. The production and her performance on this track are some of the most vibrant and interesting she's ever delivered.

"Mia & Sebastian's Theme (10th Anniversary Version)" by Justin Hurwitz

Alongside the special re-release to celebrate a decade of La La Land, composer Justin Hurwitz released a new version of the stunning "Mia & Sebastian's Theme", which plays such an integral part in the film. It is a new arrangement that is meant to take a more calming, less dramatic approach than the original - which brings a new listening experience to this gorgeous song. 

Check out my La La Land soundtrack anniversary post!

"I Think About It All The Time" by Javier Reyes

Following the release of his new album, Shark, last month, Javi released a couple new bonus track that didn't quite make the cut for the full album. "I Think About It All The Time" is my favorite of the two, which is such a beautiful extension of the themes he explored throughout the rest of the record. 

"Memories" by beabadoobee


Bea released another beautiful song off of her upcoming album Pylon, which is finally set to be released next month. It's a track rooted in the dangers of getting stuck in a nostalgia spiral, but also comes through as one of the happiest moments of the album, as she described. I love her songwriting, and the way it captures such a complicated blend of emotions.



It's hard to believe that another August has slipped away into a moment in time! This has been a really fun summer filled with so much incredible music and I loved getting to write all about it here. As always, there is so much more coming and I have so much fun content planned for the coming months that I can't wait to share soon! Be sure to check out more of my New Music Friday posts here, as well as my song of the week series.☆




All credit to photo owners - header designed by Melissa Kacar





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