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.
Chilli Beans. — "Tragedy"
Though Chilli Beans. have been branching out their sound — pop beats here, slow jams there—good, old-fashioned power-pop like the one driving their new track, "Tragedy," remains the most satisfying to hear from the band. The guitars steadily chug along yet the narrator’s mind is anything but calm: "What’s up with me, why am I like this? / I’m too tangled up to fix it," vocalist Moto sings about her frustrating crushes and anxieties over a deceptively sweet melody. With a pair of catchy riffs, Chilli Beans. make personal tragedy feel so breezy.
Kan Sano — "Sore Kara"
Just in time for the warmer weather of spring, keyboardist and production whizz Kan Sano offers a skippy pop number exuding a sunny attitude. The melody and jazzy touches gives it a nice hop, but it's Sano's own singing that gives it that little extra sparkle, sometimes manipulated ever so slightly while mostly just being delivered cleanly...about the end of a relationship, offering a bit of a cruel twist to an otherwise bright song. Hey, heartbreak happens when the temperature goes up too. Listen above.
KizunaAI — "White Balance"
Since returning from her "sleep" earlier this year, pioneering virtual artist KizunaAI has gotten into her feelings. Return single "Kamone" commented on the silence between her and fans during that hiatus, while "Mazaru" offered a more nervous energy via its skittering percussion. That latter feeling — of goosebumps conveyed via a fidgety beat and AI's own longing — drives "White Balance," which uses a lithe UK Garage backing to get hearts racing. She helped set the pace for this world just under a decade ago, and during her return, she's standing out by going emotional. Listen above.
Manaka ft. Lilniina — "lol"
Manaka had been riding the Y2K wave for her turn from Little Glee Monster into internet pop girlie, singing on airy R&B tracks that work in the thumps of Jersey club in place of Timbaland breakbeats. The sassy club-pop of "lol" from her new Pretty Machine Gun EP meanwhile channels a pop era slightly later into the 2000s. "I love VIP / like Paris & Lindsey," guest Lilniina sings in a heavily Auto-Tuned drawl. And riding a low-key beat with flashes of crunk, Manaka recalls a scaled-down version of Hikaru Utada on a Tricky Stewart production circa 2009. The two form their own Bling Ring in "lol," and they sound like they’re having a blast.
N-FENI — "Hibi"
N-FENI seemed ready to indulge in the excitement of summer after banging out a song flush with bold power chords. But from the sound of their melancholy track, "Hibi," the singer-songwriter is starting to get worn down from the everyday grind before they can bask in the sunshine. They wallow about their meaningless days over sleepy emo rock: "Why do I have to go again," they sigh before they open about their unsatisfying job. As the peaking guitars hit like a cold water to the face, N-FENI shrugs it off and carries on yet another drag of a day.
uami — "Hata"
Prolific artist uami excels at turning the experimental and fantastical into music with a pop core. Latest single "Hata" offers something of a detour from her usually fragmented work, though, as it captures the creator operating in a more straight-ahead mode. This is a relatively upbeat number featuring her hushed delivery and a peppy keyboard line, made only slightly shadowy by the multi-tracked uami's singing underneath it all. It's a chance for one of Japan's better left-field creators to remind of their songwriting chops. Listen above.
