Photos courtesy of rommulas, Nabil, allan potter
Each week, The FADER staff rounds up the songs we can't get enough of. Here they are, in no particular order.
Spotify and Apple Music playlists, or hear them all below.
rommulas, “PALETA”
Boylife member rommulas’s new song “PALETA” is stirring up discourse, earning many a comparison to Arca. Fair enough: it’s chaotic, clamoring, and explosive like music. In general, though, I appreciate how its bringing rommulas and 2hollis’s digitized rage-pop into a new, more provocative terrain. — Tobias Hess
Syd, “Jasmin 17”
Every song on Syd’s new album Beard is so great I changed my Songs You Need pick three different times before finally landing on “Jasmine 17:” A breezy, Afropop-lite bop that just feels like summer. On it, Syd pays homage to the Le Labo perfume her lover likes to wear which, I imagine, smells just like this song: totally intoxicating.— Steffanee Wang
Clyde Crooks, “Maybe Selena”
Los Angeles-based musician Clyde Crooks’s “Maybe Selena” has the roving, compositional quality of The Postal Service or Frou Frou, but with a very 2026 melodic catchiness. He’s a close friend and musical confident of FADER favorites Jordan Patterson and Superfan, all of whom boast the same total, sincere artistic confidence. — Tobias Hess
Lexie Liu & Yves, “POP GIRL”
Chinese popstar-in-waiting Lexie Liu has dabbled in K-pop, rap, and electronic over her career. For her latest era, she’s tapped NYC rapper BAYLI, neo-perreo queen Isabella Lovestory, and LOONA alum Yves for a double-single titled POP GIRlS CLUB. I’m especially partial to the rave-ready A-side with Yves, where Liu lowkey channels HorsegiirL on the chanted hook. — Vivian Medithi
D’Leesa, “Healer”
I’ve been captivated by D’Leesa’s DIY Sade-esque pop compositions for a year, and have been delighted to see the internet hop on her quickening bandwagon. Her June song and lowkey hit “Healer” is an example of her breathy vocal's unique quality and her production’s playful magnetism. – TH
Davido, NO11, “Gimme Dat Ting”
I love seeing a GOAT link up with a newer artist. On "Gimme Dat Ting, Davido taps rising Afrobeats talent NO11. The track seamlessly melds Amapiano with Afrobeats, bringing a fresh heat to this summer track. —Kylah Williams
Jackzebra, “Blessed”
I was starting to miss when cloud rap felt fresh. Luckily, Sichuan rapper/producer Jackzebra of SURF GANG glides through this crystalline beat in just the right way, with hushed refrains that remind me of bladee's always listenable Icedancer.— Drew Neiman
Fox BD, “I’m Adapted”
Across his latest mixtape Finessin Distribution Deals, Arkansas rapper FX BD tosses off absurdist punchlines with a totally straight face, no matter if he’s trading bars with Sexyy Red or twin brother YTB Fatt. He definitely knows he’s funny, though: just listen to how he adlibs his own bars on “I’m Adapted,” like his inner monologue is too hysterical to keep it to himself. — VM
Yard Act, “New beginnings”
Post-punk outfit, Yard Act shows us that sometimes new beginnings means going back to what works: straight eighths, power chords, and lyrics about self-redemption. It’s so refreshing to hear a good old British rock song in 2026. —DN