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.
CRCK/LCKS — “Shinkuu Pack”
CRCK/LCKS’s meticulously arranged electro-R&B seems to slowly fold in on itself in “Shinkuu Pack.” The collapsing music suits the melting love at the heart of the song, a feeling aptly summed up by the opening lyrics: “I want to vacuum seal it / your cheeks, your fingers, your sight that never crosses with mine.” Their fascination can border into creepy obsession on paper, yet they sing about their desire so enchantingly, one-sided love sounds like pure bliss in the band’s hands.
GANMI Featuring Ole and tofubeats — “BRAND NEW TRAVEL”
Do not let the above order of artists trick you. GANMI is a dance project you are meant to look at, and while they appear plenty polished at their discipline, they offer nothing to the actual music here. I'm sure they'll look cool in the video! "BRAND NEW TRAVEL" is all about rapper Ole and producer tofubeats creating a speedy, somewhat disorienting track (see that vocal glow) dappled with a few references to dancing, resulting in a track sturdy enough to stand on its own. Listen above.
iScream — “Better Off”
Uncertainty doesn’t make for an obstacle but an exciting challenge to take on for iScream. The vibrant electro-funk beat of “Better Off” helps keep the confidence up in this dance-pop anthem, brightening the trio’s moments of risk-taking into necessarily steps for a better future. “I want to bet on this life / bet on me, heads or tails,” they sing like life is a game on easy mode. With such readiness from the group on however they land from their decisions made, it might as well be.
Mamiya Mani — “Vit Nat No Hakuchuumu”
The debut solo song from former member of idol group Yanakoto Sotto Mute offers up downcast rock placing the spotlight on her voice. Mani's former outfit dabbled in a similar sound, yet here she's creating something with a little more space to play with, allowing her to add a stream of sampled syllables alongside her singing or giving time for the understated guitar melody to mutate. And, when Mani merges all those elements together in the song's climax, it makes for a final sonic burst that leaves a strong first impression. Listen above.
ladepool — “Manaura No Menou”
Reido Pool makes fractured pop that sounds on the verge of breaking but is really just very well put together. Their latest song — a first taste of a forthcoming third album of 2025, also underlining their prolific nature — thrives on a loud/soft tension, with guitar fuzz popping up through softer instrumental touches. It makes for a unsettling sonic texture, but Pool's own voice helps tie the two sides together, and turn this into fractured catchiness. Listen above.
SUPER★DRAGON — “Warai Banashi”
A heavy air of nostalgia surrounds the glossy R&B in “Warai Banashi” with glazed keys and hyper-slick riffs re-imagining the ’80s in a similar manner as Mk.gee’s dreamy new wave. The throwback sound gets SUPER DRAGON in a reflective mood as the idol group reminisce about their dark past as now sweet memories they can laugh about. “Stories that make me crack up / thanks to you,” they sigh in the chorus. It’s a warm serenade dedicated by the idols in SUPER DRAGON to the closest friends they made along the way: each other.
