The second week of July is full of sweet surprises, from Reneé Rapp’s addicting second single from her debut album to Billie Eilish’s unexpected contribution to the “Barbie” soundtrack with a signature introspective ballad. Nessa Barrett details her eight stages of moving through a public breakup on her new EP, while Troye Sivan finds himself and relishes in it on his new single from his third studio album. Get ready to add even more summer anthems to your playlist this week!

Reneé Rapp, “Talk Too Much”

This week, Reneé Rapp let her fans in on a very different side to her forthcoming debut album Snow Angel – the second single, “Talk Too Much,” stands in stark contrast to the hauntingly hard-hitting title track. Rapp’s ability to craft heart-wrenching ballads is nothing short of incredible – but on “Talk Too Much,” she delves into her insecurities while entering a new relationship in a fun, light-hearted, and upbeat way, complete with a Y2K-esque bridge of raw audio, where she amusingly rambles about her doubts and conflicted feelings.

Billie Eilish, “What Was I Made For?”

In true Billie Eilish fashion, the devastatingly beautiful “What Was I Made For?” deviates from every other upbeat, disco-pop, quintessentially Barbiecore song on Greta Gerwig’s fastly-approaching film’s soundtrack. For the first time, listeners catch a glimpse of a sadder, potentially darker side to the glamorous, fun-loving titular character played by Margot Robbie with lines like “Takin’ a drive, I was an ideal / Looked so alive, turns out I’m not real / Just somethin’ you paid for / What was I made for?” representing Barbie’s internal struggle to exist in a human world.

Nessa Barrett, “hell is a teenage girl”

Nessa Barrett is taking listeners through a journey chronicling each stage of a breakup on her new eight-track EP hell is a teenage girl. In keeping with her brand of authenticity, she is breaking down each of the eight stages each track represents on TikTok – from romanticization to revenge to acceptance. After going through extremely public breakups and tragedies in front of the world and subsequently being so open about them in her music, it’s easy to see why Barrett has such a deep connection with her fans.

Troye Sivan, “Rush”

Troye Sivan has been a music sensation ever since his 2015 debut album Blue Neighbourhood. Nearly a decade later, the Australian-born global pop superstar is back and better than ever with his third studio album Something To Give Each Other, set to release this fall. Sivan unveiled the project’s lead single, “Rush,” this week, giving fans a taste of what’s to come in this new era, which centers around a celebration of love, friendship, joy, and self-acceptance. 

ASTN, “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Breakout R&B singer, songwriter and producer ASTN just dropped his highly-anticipated new EP Where Do We Go From Here? packed with eight songs full of catchy hooks and captivatingly personal lyrics vulnerably detailing a breakup. The EP features the soulful new single “Element,” accompanied by a stunning music video showcasing ASTN dancing in a club as he sings “When I lose balance you keep me stable / You’re my element, my periodic table.”

Lil Tjay, “222”

After a long hiatus since releasing his 2021 platinum-certified album “Destined 2 Win,” Lil Tjay is back with his first body of work in more than two years – “222.” The 15-track long-awaited project features a host of star-studded collaborators, including Summer Walker and The Kid Laroi, and exemplifies his evolution as an artist and a creator. Alongside the album, Lil Tjay also released a music video for “Stressed” (featuring Walker).

Khloe Rose, “The In Between”

19-year-old budding singer-songwriter Khloe Rose released her third single “The In Between” this week, complete with her signature spellbinding lyrics and storytelling along with her gorgeous vocals. In contrast with her first two singles “Fictional” and “The Other POV,” “The In Between” is more of an upbeat angsty track than a somber ballad, showcasing a different side to the artist, albeit with the same earnest quality she always exhibits.

almost monday, “life goes by”

California-based indie-pop band almost monday released their latest single “life goes by” accompanied by a vibrant music video matching the summery, surf-rock vibes of the track. The quintessential song details the simple joys of soaking up the sun and swimming in the ocean in the summertime.