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 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.
Airi Suzuki — "Oops!"
Just as her recent collaborations with Oishi Masayoshi nudged her music ever so closely to the world of anime, Airi Suzuki takes back the title of idol diva in “Oops!” She’s done empowering dance-pop before, though this sassy R&B inspires in her a different personality, more cocky than confident. The singer doesn’t feel much need to deliver some point home in the chorus, just consisting of la-la-las and a hip shake, as if her importance is already self-evident. Fans from her C-ute days have been knowing Suzuki can be cool and tough; it’s been due time she gets a little spicy.
FARMHOUSE — "1day - L"
A day-in-the-life number where everything feels hectic but also sort of fun. Rapper FARMHOUSE from the group SUSHIBOYS picks up the pace significantly for his latest solo offering, rhyming over a speedy 2Step-inspired beat that conveys urgency, but over which the MC makes everything seem effortless. Listen above.
Penguinrush — "Yume Journey"
Quartet Penguinrush offers a great argument for keeping one's foot on the pedal and just plunging ahead on "Yume Journey." The band opens the song with skittering electronics and vocal hiccups before coalescing into a guitar-assisted dash that never slows down over the next three-and-a-half minutes. It's not just about pacing though, as Penguinrush keep every second of the sprint catchy, even as it near the finish line. Listen above.
XAMIYA — "GG"
The bratty punk of “GG” marks the most in-your-face effort to come from XAMIYA yet. It’s still got some of the handiwork of their more introverted bedroom-pop. The instrumental is built from just a fuzzy guitar chord and a simple drum loop. KAMIYA sounds like she’s pantomiming a snarling punk frontwoman — maybe YUKI during her JUDY AND MARY days — in front of a mirror with a hairbrush in hand. But the duo’s no longer a daydreamer with their head in the clouds. They instead get loud and busy, dying to break out of their shell.
Yuki Chiba — "Maybach"
After cranking out multiple hits with in-demand producer Koshy, Yuki Chiba sources a beat from Murda Beatz to switch up his sound. While his songs done with Koshy like “Team Tomodachi” evoked the fight music of Memphis, “Maybach” shifts its influence to Atlanta: the church organs and squeaky keyboard arpeggios driving the shiny trap beat recall the classic anthems of Zaytoven. And as Chiba flexes about his rap-star lifestyle, the flashy arrangement elevates the extravagance into something larger than life.
Yuta Orisaka — "Yamanba Mambo"
Leave it to evocative folk artist Yuta Orisaka to turn a tune made for NHK programming into a party. "Yamanba Mambo" appears as one of the newest entries in the public broadcaster's long-running Minna No Uta music series, but it's a loose-limbed bit of fun from a creator often turning introspective. The horn blurts shove it forward, delivering most of the energy, but Orisaka's freewheeling singing really gets the party vibes going. The kids tuning into this will have a blast...but they shouldn't be the only one. Listen above.
