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.
Ai Furihata — “COLD MOON”
Five years after her solo debut, Ai Furihata maintains her rep serving drama-heavy, ‘80s-flavored jams with “COLD MOON.” This title track from the Aquors member’s upcoming mini album plays the classic city-pop trickery where the glossy sheen masks the heartbreak lying underneath: “Please just ad lib / your lines that comes next,” she sings with a deep sigh, like she can’t bear to hear the bad news. Synced to the tune of misty-eyed funk, it’s another episode of melodrama that the voice actress brings to life so well.
BPM15Q — “Kawaii Glitch”
It's somewhat hard to believe — or perhaps something I choose to not believe for the sake of my own age-related concerns — that club-dwelling idol duo BPM15Q have been around for a decade now. “Kawaii Glitch” reminds they still have the knack for adding a dash of cuteness to even the most abrasive electronic sounds. Produced by TeddyLoid, the song strikes a balance between blown-out intensity and melodic sweetness, with just enough moments of melancholy (“I miss you.....”) to cut through the energy. They've still got it. Listen above.
e5 ft. Collie Wave — “KANTAN”
While a highlight of e5’s new album is her reunion with old friends killwiz and HAKU from the Dr.Anon days, MODE POP also features this noteworthy link-up with South Korean rapper Collie Wave — another artist dipping in between the bit-crushed realms of digicore and hyperpop. If the neon beat rages on more volatile than the rest of the album, it’s the work of outside producer kimj, who lays down his signature blown-out EDM sounds that’s been buzzing across the Korean hyperpop underground. “KANTAN” brings together an overseas collab of like minds that’s been overdue.
in the blue shirt — “Dew”
Ryo Arimura's in the blue shirt project doubles as a kind of sonic laboratory. The producer has always worked best when breaking sound down to something near particle like and re-assembling it into something new but lively. New song “Dew” starts with one vocal sample but then builds it into a mini-epic, featuring turns into jazzy lanes and eventually a guitar-backed section playing with aggression...but never turning intimidating. From something simple, in the blue shirt creates something complex. Listen above.
MFS — “Espa”
Don't let the limboing pace of “Espa” distract from the fierceness rapper MFS brings to the track. The Tokyo MC showcases her swagger over a Latin-informed beat courtesy of producer Naco — a Kyoto club staple and head of the 85acid label. The music itself is like a particularly far-gone party, but over the tipsiness MFS rises up to take total control. Listen above.
omeme tenten — “POLARIS”
Omeme tenten’s self-titled full-length represents more a culmination than a fresh debut with the rock band culling their best material that they’ve been cooking up since 2023’s 2020 EP. Their most memorable tracks find them turning melancholy into something sweet through gutsy indie-rock, and “POLARIS” continues that trend with the band’s charged riffs dispelling the worry that can come with distance between a crush. When spread across the album with the past hits, it only makes this new song more impressive from how it loses none of the exuberance on display in their earlier work even with years apart.
