Rachel Chinouriri’s Conversational ‘It Is What It Is’ and 4 More Cool New Pop Songs This Week
Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
These tracks from artists including Alfie Templeman, Debbii Dawson, Nxdia and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist.
Coolest Pop Song of the Week: Rachel Chinouriri, “It Is What It Is”
Whether you’ve caught wind of Rachel Chinouriri through her TikTok-viral lullaby “So My Darling” or her blog-approved confection “All I Ever Asked,” the singer-songwriter has established herself as a must-follow for any pop fan looking for potential new stars. The London native has charmed festival audiences, and opened on Lewis Capaldi’s tour after sending the hitmaker a drunk DM; she possesses the ability to apply her vocal lilt to dance-friendly sprints like her 2022 single “I’m Not Perfect (But I’m Trying),” as well as jazzy nod-alongs like this year’s “What a Devastating Turn of Events,” which doubles as the title for her upcoming debut album.
There’s a lot to like about Chinouriri ahead of that project, due out May 3, and now new single “It Is What It Is” can be added to the list. As the whistle hook and bass creep are introduced on the track, two of Chinouriri’s friends caution her against reaching out to a dude — “No, no, NO, Rachel!” — in voice-note form, setting up the conversational tone and emotional exhaustion she adopts on the song’s verses. The way Chinouriri talks through her knotted-up feelings about an imperfect relationship, then pauses to drop a pristine chorus, is reminiscent of how The Streets’ Mike Skinner constructed his best songs two decades ago. This is storytelling and pop craft at a high level.
What a Devastating Turn of Events contains more moments that showcase Chinouriri’s talent and ambition, but “It Is What It Is,” arriving two weeks ahead of the album, makes for a strong introduction to her appeal for unfamiliar listeners.
Here are some more new pop songs worth checking out this week…
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Debbii Dawson, “Happy World”
Debbii Dawson’s voice and the production of “Happy World” are meant to evoke smoky ‘70s pop-rock, and the single from the new RCA Records signee hits its mark, filling a brightly colored workout with a sinister edge and showy guitar work.
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Alfie Templeman, “Hello Lonely”
“Pull up a chair and tell me how you’ve been feeling!” Alfie Templeman cries to open “Hello Lonely,” an ecstatic anthem that applies an unabashed disco groove to the mundanity of life’s quiet moments, greeting a necessary exhalation with movement and jubilance.
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This Is Lorelei, “I’m All Fucked Up”
This Is Lorelei, the solo project from Water From Your Eyes’ Nate Amos, has come up with one of the most rip-roaring pop singles of the year by locking in on a rock grooves and never letting go, as “I’m All Fucked Up” swivels between hollowed-out verses and choruses that musters up enough energy to get the pit shuffling.
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Nxdia, “Jennifer’s Body”
What if you knew the dark forces at play behind the titular character of the cult classic Jennifer’s Body, and wanted her anyway? That’s the cheeky concept of Nxdia’s spirited new single, which bounces along for under two minutes with pop-rock menace and amped-up attitude.
