The Best New Songs We Heard in May (2024)

From Billie Eilish’s gorgeous new album to WILLOW’s thrilling experimental music to, oh yeah, a full-on rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, music kept us busy in May. Here, we’re rounding up our favorites new releases from the past month, whether they’re from the biggest pop stars on the planet or rising indie darlings.

You can listen to all the picks on our Spotify playlist, too. (Want more music? Check out last month’s picks.)

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With reporting from Samuel Maude, Juliana Ukiomogbe, Claire Stern, and Carine Lavache.

“While every song on the new Billie Eilish album could be on this list, the standout for me is this beautiful love song. Perfect for any wedding processional, Billie exclaims, ‘I’ll love you ‘til the day that I die.’ We’ll love this track until the day we die, too.”—Samuel Maude, associate editor

“Hello, it is I, yet again rendered speechless by Willow Smith. Her new album empathogen is an exploration of her psyche and her sound, especially on this track. The way she twists her voice, the swelling harmonies, the bass line, the way she belts ‘I can’t get out!!!’ —she portrays anxiety so well. The repetition in the back half of the song is so satisfying.”—Erica Gonzales, senior culture editor

“Somehow, Gracie Abrams captures that right-before-a-date feeling with ‘Risk,’ the first single off her upcoming album, The Secret of Us. It’s the perfect song with Taylor Swift flair for when you’re absolutely convinced someone is your husband after just seeing little blurbs on a dating app. I’m invested in this upcoming album, and after just one listen of this track, I’m convinced everyone else will be, too.”—SM

“In ELLE’s music issue, Normani said this Dopamine track ‘bridges the gap’ between her breakout smash ‘Motivation’ to where she is now. And it shows. ‘Candy Paint’ has a danceable rhythm that invites you to move but feels more mature at the same time. It just made me even more excited for her debut album.”—EG

“Club kids unite! With another single off her upcoming album Brat, Charli XCX states the only thing we should be referencing is her. ‘I’m your favorite reference, baby / Call me Gabbriette, you’re so inspired.’ Yeah, we are inspired to make this the summer of XCX.”—SM

“I’m still amazed María Zardoya and Josh Conway were able to write a gorgeous album together post-break up without going full Fleetwood Mac, but as the former couple and current bandmates told ELLE.com, taking some space to be in their ‘Eat, Pray, Love era’ definitely helped. ‘Echo,’ a dreamy, reflective track about letting go, is one of the fruits of their labor.”—EG

“This track from Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism is a lost-in-space primal scream with ‘Holding Out for a Hero’ vibes. It’s an under-the-disco-ball banger.”—SM

“If ‘Glue Song’ is a sweet and sappy love song, this is the dark flip side about wanting to and playing with fire. Inspired by Fiona Apple and Incubus, beabadoobee teases her upcoming album with a bit of chaos and a lot of self-awareness.”—EG

“Her debut album, What A Devastating Turn of Events, is a stunning showcase of Rachel Chinouriri’s songwriting abilities, from grand and sweeping rock ballads that swallow you whole (‘The Hills’) to fun and relatable tunes (‘Dumb Bitch Juice’) that feel like talking to a friend. ‘Cold Call’ is a standout with its balance of head-banging guitar chords and tender vocals.”—EG

“You really just had to be there when this song dropped. I’ll never forget hearing ‘a minorrrrrr’ for the first time. Sublime! So many quotables. I’ll definitely be playing this all summer and can’t wait to hear it at every party for the months (and probably years) to come.” —Juliana Ukiomogbe, assistant editor

“If you need your 2000s R&B girl group fix, look no further than FLO, whose new single ‘Caught Up’ is sure to keep guys’ wandering eyes in check. In a statement about the song, the trio said, ‘We know our worth and ‘Caught Up’ is a friendly reminder that we are not to be played with.’”—EG

“Rapsody is in love, and she isn’t afraid to show it. On this collab with Erykah Badu, on her new album, Please Don’t Cry, she raps about being loved up, sneaking looks across the room, and even her dreams of becoming a mother one day. It’s smooth, tender, and intimate, just like a relationship should be.”—EG

“I'm convinced there’s nothing Willow Smith can’t do, and her latest album, emphathogen, proves it. This track captures the feeling of anxiety against the kind of jazz/funk fusion that will leaves your ears craving more.”—Carine Lavache, senior content strategist

“Imagine telling your partner that you wish you could run off with someone else? ‘You lost in a race, love, you can’t compete / It’s ruthless, I'm sorry,’ Charlotte Day Wilson sings on this track from her newest album, Cyan Blue. Her warm vocals are so mesmerizing she makes the bad news sound good.”—EG

“Ms. Eyelash has done it again. While I’m not entirely interested in the lore behind this song, I also can’t help but be intrigued by the messy and complicated state of affairs on ‘Wildflower.’ It’s all so emotional, dramatic, and vulnerable—my favorite qualities in a Billie song.”—JU

“Fresh off her first Grammy win, Coco Jones is back with the lead single from her upcoming debut album. Here, she dives into the usual frustrating cycle and emotional rollercoaster that happens when an ex continues to hit you up. The title says it best: ‘Here we go, uh oh!’ And for the true R&B heads, it also samples Lenny Williams’ iconic soul ballad ‘Cause I Love You.’”—JU

“In early May, Ravyn Lenae released a two-pack of singles, ‘Love Me Not’ and ‘Love Is Blind.’ The latter is my favorite, particularly because it sounds so soft and dreamy. Over minimal production, she croons about heartbreak and the devastation of saying goodbye to someone you love. If this is what we can expect from her upcoming album, Bird’s Eye (out on August 9), count me in.”—JU

“I don’t think NewJeans are capable of not creating a bop. Nearly a year after releasing ‘Super Shy,’ they dropped a new set of singles just in time for the summer. This one in particular is, like they sing in the chorus, ‘sweet like bubble gum.’ There’s an almost retro, 2000s-like flair to it, which makes the song even more irresistible.”—EG

“Bad vibes are no match for Ayra Starr’s confidence. On this track from her latest album, the Grammy nominee is unwavering in her focus and completely unbothered. An inspiration to us all.”—EG

“Shenseea is poised for global domination, and it’s evident in the collaborators on her sophom*ore album, Never Gets Late Here, from Brazil’s Anitta to fellow Jamaican Masicka to New Jersey’s Coi Leray. On the closing track on the album, she joins forces with Nigerian superstar Wizkid, so you know it’s already a hit.”—EG