The Best New Songs We Heard in June 2025

“Lorde has this uncanny ability to make music that seems to be speaking directly to me, and on her new album, Virgin, that track was ‘Shapeshifter.’ The song is for anyone who has been used for fame, money, a connection, or any asset they might have. It’s for people who have been toyed and played with, who long for a real, lasting love, instead of something surface-level. I won’t reveal exactly how I relate on ELLE.com, but this song has made me cry a few times since its release. By incorporating intoxicating strings that make the song almost feel like a prom night, it really encapsulates the feeling of wistful longing. My Pisces heart truly quakes.”—Samuel Maude, content strategy manager

“Celine Song knew what she was doing when she picked Japanese Breakfast to record an original song for Materialists. Sweet, wistful, and gentle, ‘My Baby’ is for the lovers who lead with their hearts. If you listen closely, you’ll hear some hints about who Dakota Johnson’s character chooses at the end of the film. No spoilers here, though.”—Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, culture

“Miss Sabrina, you’ve done it again. This campy, countrified single has me salivating for the pop star’s next album. It’s witty, playfully cruel, and wildly catchy, a natural evolution from her Grammy-winning record Short n’ Sweet. But really, it was this track’s music video (or rather, mini movie?) that made me thrilled to see her next era unfold.”—Madison Feller, digital deputy editor

“Simz comes in roaring on ‘Lion,’ just one of the many standouts on her latest album, Lotus. The British rapper likens herself to Nefertiti and a young Lauryn Hill with swift bars, accompanied by Nigerian singer Obojangyar hyping her up in the chorus: ‘Don't break your neck looking for something like this / And you will never find something like this.’ No lies told.”—EG

“Addison Rae is asking the right question on ‘Money is Everything’: ‘Can’t a girl have fun?’ She can, apparently, and does throughout her star-making debut album, Addison. This track, a highlight, feels like a taunt to those who don’t have the same level of success as her. If you’ve got it, you’d better flaunt it.”—SM

“Does Cynthia Erivo ever rest? I’m convinced she is built differently than the rest of us. In June, she hosted the Tony Awards, performed at World Pride, did press for Wicked: For Good, and dropped her new album, I Forgive You. ‘I Choose Love’ is a standout, with a catchy chorus and lyrics that are relatable. Having to hurt someone in order to pursue the love you deserve? Been there, done that.”—SM

“I’m calling this my ‘Girl, so confusing’ of 2025. This cut from Lorde’s new album, Virgin, is not only a banger but also a tearjerker, which captures all the knotty feelings of chasing your mother’s approval. (In the chorus, she points out ‘all of the medals that I won for ya.’) Over a bouncy rhythm, the pop star expresses her frustrations with and, more importantly, empathy for her mom. She said the song has brought the two of them closer together—which gives us even more reason to love it.”—EG

“While we’re welcoming back Lorde, let’s also direct some of that energy to Blood Orange (a.k.a. Devonte Hynes), who returns with his first new song under the stage name in three years. For the homecoming, he recruited a cool group of collaborators—Caroline Polachek, Eva Tolkin, Tariq Al-Sabir, and Daniel Caesar—who come together on an ethereal yet electric track about letting go.”—EG

“The title track off Marina’s album Princess of Power was a grower for me. The song throws it back to a ‘Bubblegum Bitch’ Marina, one who is full Britpop and not afraid to be a little cheesy. The track is just fun and, as the lyrics allude to, see the pop star stepping into her own light.”—SM

“New Amaarae? Thank God. Two years after her acclaimed last album, Fountain Baby, the singer is gearing up for another release, called Black Star, this year. Her lead single boasts her one-of-a-kind flair, this time mixing highlife, kpanlogo, and zouk influences. As for what the titular acronym stands for, Amaarae said in a statement, ‘Like ‘Pleasure Principle’ or ‘Love To Love You Baby,’ I don’t know how much clearer one can get when they ask you to ‘SLUT ME OUT.’’ Noted.”—EG

“Clipse are gearing up for their first album in over 15 years, and they’re setting the bar high with this single. Over a sickening (celebratory) sampled beat by Pharrell, who produced the whole album, brothers Pusha T and Malice prove they only get better with time. Mentally, I’m still not over the ‘draw when it’s sketchy’ line.”—EG

“Heidi Klum has been dancing to this track on her Instagram, so take it from the Project Runway host: Mariah Carey has a certified bop. Personally, I’m dumbfounded that Carey found the way to use the word ‘rigmarole’ in a song. She’s a wordsmith, an English major, and a legend.” —SM

“Miss Addison Rae, I’m not going to say I was unfamiliar with your game, but I admit I underestimated it. With her self-titled debut album, the 24-year-old proves that the stage, not TikTok, is where she’s always been destined to be. Her homages to Britney Spears, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and the like are clear on this record, which oozes with Y2K influences and ethereal, airy vocals. I didn’t realize we were due for a new Big Apple anthem, but this album opener, with its Baltimore club-type drums and slogan-worthy lyrics, is up there with Frank Sinatra and Alicia Keys’s love letters to NYC.”—EG

“For anyone who’s ever struggled with any sort of body image issues, the frenetic, obsessive energy of this track (especially those pre-choruses) will cut to the core. Lorde has shared how difficult it was to drag this song out of her, but I’m so grateful that she did.”—MF

“JADE only knows how to drop smash hits, in my opinion, and that includes this track from her upcoming album, That’s Showbiz Baby. Her calmest offering yet, the song embraces classic pop melodies and rhythms, and is a welcome break from her otherwise forward-pushing tracks. It seems like the highly-anticipated album will be well-balanced, full of highs and lows, and completely star-making.”—SM

“Mark Ronson said he and Raye wanted to make a song ‘that sounds like a perfect summer day with your first crush.’ Well, mission accomplished. It’s also not lost on me that Ronson, one of Amy Winehouse’s famous collaborators, made a song with one of her successors, in a style that honors her, and with a title that’s also named after a woman. I’m going to believe this is a secret ‘Valerie’ tribute.”—EG

“Something mystical happens when Annahstasia hits her lower register. Her notes hum and hypnotize you like a spell. The folk artist’s magic is all over her new album, Tether, especially in this closing track. ‘Why can’t you be easier / Easier on me / Can you be a believer? / In all my possible / Possibility,’ she sings in the first verse. Knowing that she was pushed into making music that didn’t fit her true artistry earlier in her career, these lyrics take a deeper meaning.”—EG

“‘I’m iconic, baby,’ Kesha says on her new track, ‘THE ONE.’ And, you know what, she’s right. With the latest song from her upcoming album, Period, she showcases what she excels at: creating flat-out good pop music. It’s the most straightforward track from the album thus far, and it’s also the strongest.”—SM

“Low-rise jeans are back, butterfly accents are swarming, and fedoras seem to be having a resurgence, making Eli’s early 2000s-sounding track feel very with the times. With melodies that seem like they could be off a Hoku project, ‘Girl of Your Dreams’ is a perfect throwback banger.”—SM

“When Zara Larsson swung by the ELLE offices recently, she described this song as having an ‘endless summer’ kind of vibe, and I couldn’t agree more. Landing just in time for beach party season, the latest single from the Swedish singer will have you on your feet all night long.”—EG