Despite the ease of access that streaming has brought to the distribution of music, the volume that's released can make it a daunting task to find unique new stuff every week. In this recurring weekly feature we put together a short list of new songs from the past week that stand out amongst all the noise and deserve a spot in your rotation.
All songs featured in this recurring series can be found in our scrmbl selection 2025 playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
DE DE MOUSE — "When We Love"
DE DE MOUSE surprise dropped his first original solo EP in 5 years out of nowhere last week, titled Just Brokenhearted, and for fans of his work it's nothing short of an absolute treat. He's been very busy working with other artists over the past several years, but on this new release he shows up with the signature sample chopping he's known for and merged it with French touch sounds to end up with something fresh but still distinctly him. It was tough to choose between the 4 tracks on the EP for what to include this week, and while "When We Love" just edged it out for the playlist the whole EP is worth a listen.
e5 — "WUNACOOL"
Rapper e5 wants to "shine perfect" on "WUNACOOL," but has to battle lingering memories of the past to do so on the somber number. The bulk of her latest release finds her delivering lines at a rapid pace, placing confidence and melancholy next to each other while pushing the song forward. Yet it's the moments where the beat slows and her voice takes on a scrambled air that offers a tension to the song, showing the challenges of wanting to move forward when memories slow you down. Listen above.
kiki vivi lily — "Ms.Sunshine"
In the right hands, a laid-back summer song can turn into something closer to a heat-induced trip. Singer-songwriter kiki vivi lily offers up a fittingly bright melody on "Ms.Sunshine," but it gets turned a touch surreal thanks from touches via frequently collaborator Sweet William. The pair add enough sonic details — ranging from electronic burbles to bird samples to digital ringing — to turn it from something breezy to heady. Listen above.
PiKi — "Tell Me Tell Me✩"
ASOBISYSTEM has struck gold with FRUITS ZIPPER and CUTIE STREET, so them taking the step to spin up a new duo featuring Karen Matsumoto and Haruka Sakuraba (from each group respectively) produced by Yasutaka Nakata just sounds like an instant home run. Debuting earlier this month with the first single "Kawaii Kaiwai", the duo's sound is very rooted in the retro-styled vibes Nakata has been channeling as of late. This is especially apparent on their second single, "Tell Me Tell Me✩", which sounds like came directly from the same playbook as idols from the late-80s/early-90s who were embracing a very synth heavy sound. Nakata pulls it off masterfully here, and if he can continue this trend then we're here for it.
RADWIMPS — "Meidai"
Over its 20-plus-year career, RADWIMPS has always sounded best when championing the power of just feeling. New single "Meidai" arrives at somewhat of a transitional period for the group — it's one of its first releases since founding member Akira Kuwahara departed the project late last year — but jets forward on the same guitar-powered rush and direct lyrics highlighting its best work. Vocalist Yojiro Noda touches on very 2025 realities such as social media and misleading news during "Meidai's" verses, but it's the guitar drive coupled with the more emotion-centric words that shine. Listen above.
YonYon — "Busy Girl"
"Busy Girl" is such an apt title for a song from Korean-born, Japan-raised artist YonYon. On top of being active in the Japanese club scene and performing at shows globally, she's dropped 4 singles this year alone collaborating with the likes of SIRUP, Shin Sakuira, and KIRINJI just to name a few and has an album coming out in just over a week. "Busy Girl" as a track is a punchy, percussion forward track with lyrics in English, Korean, and Japanese touching on being absent minded, having ADHD, and constantly being in motion. It's repetitive, but a total earworm in that kind of way that doesn't wear out its welcome. Here's hoping YonYon continues her busy streak if this is the result.
