The Summer I Found Good Music: A guide to this summer’s most playlist-worthy releases

Well, we might not be spending this summer driving to Cousins, and Conrad Fisher probably is not trying to talk sense into us on the beach (although, yes, we’re still thinking about him every time 'we can’t be friends (wait for your love)' comes on). But this summer is still one to remember. What else could you possibly need? The music, of course!

Consider this your guide to the best new releases of the season, to soundtrack the memories you will want to hold onto a little longer. Don’t let August slip away into a moment in time... stay here for a while and find your new favourite artists on the scene.

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Niko Rubio via NY Times

Niko Rubio - 'tokyo'

Niko Rubio’s 'tokyo' doesn’t so much begin as it seeps in. The opening is all warped and woozy atmospheres, with her spoken introduction immediately setting the tone for a drifting, slightly disorienting journey. It slips effortlessly into that psychedelic, left-of-centre pop space that feels carefree on the surface. Think the colourful unpredictability of Remi Wolf, but filtered through a darker, more nocturnal lens. The track feels as though it is constantly melting and reforming in real time, drifting between playful experimentation and hazy introspection. Traditional textures and contemporary electronic production blur together until the song resembles a hallucinated memory of multiple musical worlds colliding. Rather than presenting those influences separately, Rubio lets them bleed into one another, making 'tokyo' far more fluid. Her voice is the track’s real hook. It moves through the verses and choruses with a syrupy, elastic quality, at times seeming to dissolve directly into the instrumental, which only deepens the song’s dream state. That blurred line between vocal and production really allows you to sink in. 'tokyo' is gloriously trippy without tipping into gimmickry, embracing psychedelic excess while remaining emotionally magnetic. It feels like a temporary alternate reality, one that becomes harder to leave with every listen.

myohmy via Instagram

myohmy - 'tragedy of youth'

‘tragedy of youth’ begins deceptively gently, with an airy, comforting surface that slowly reveals a deep undercurrent of isolation and emotional numbness. myohmy captures the strange disconnection that comes with realising you are watching the time pass, turning the song into a stunning piece of synth-led alternative pop with a dark, intimate atmosphere. Beneath its layered production is a palpable sense of emptiness, of things lost and moments that cannot be reclaimed. The song feels like a quiet plea to survive youth rather than simply enjoy it, holding both fragility and resilience in the same breath. It transforms the marks that youth leaves behind into this haunting question of how to make it through it all, and myohmy can create this atmosphere so beautifully that they are absolutely one to watch this year.

Anna Lynch - 'Feminine'

Whenever a new track from Anna Lynch lands on our desk, it is worth paying attention to. 'Feminine' feels like a confident acceptance of self, inviting the listener into that same sense of freedom. There is a natural ease to the song that makes its emotional honesty feel instinctive rather than performative. Rather than shying away from intense emotion, Lynch leans fully into it, embracing the qualities that make her distinct and allowing vulnerability to become a source of strength. The track, or rather a manifesto on life, advises that you should not soften the parts of yourself that refuse to stay silent. There is something so refreshing about the way Lynch resists the pressure to make herself smaller, and that refusal gives the song much of its power. If being expressive or emotional, or unapologetically present labels you too much, 'Feminine' suggests that perhaps the problem lies elsewhere. Anchoring it all are Lynch’s warm vocals, which continues to define her evolving signature sound.

Sabyna via Instagram

Sabyna - 'Pretty Ugly'

What a voice! Sabyna possesses the kind of commanding vocal presence that feels destined for radio playlists and festival stages. 'Pretty Ugly' captures the sinister, creeping feeling of believing you are somehow not enough alongside the exhaustion that comes from watching those thoughts repeatedly take hold of your life. Sabyna writes from this painfully common place: the frustration of falling back into familiar patterns, the disappointment in yourself for letting those feelings return, and the particular sadness that comes with recognising their shape before they have even fully arrived. Sabyna confronts these thoughts in real time, and that immediacy makes the song difficult to shake off. She is fragile yet strong at the same time. 'Pretty Ugly' stands out as it acknowledges insecurities and doubts, creating a safe space for listeners where darker thoughts may often keep hidden. It allows reassurance, and this is an unexpectedly comforting song.

'Like I Need Water' artwork

HEIGHTS - 'Like I Need Water'

Discovering HEIGHTS feels especially exciting right now, and the release of 'Like I Need Water' arrives at exactly the right moment to dive fully into her world. In an Instagram post, she described the song as 'an honest conversation… about growing up, trying to figure out who I am and the pressure of wondering what my future is supposed to look like,' and that sense of searching runs through every second of the track. Rather than offering neat answers, HEIGHTS allows those questions to exist in their unresolved state, sending them out into the void with a vulnerability that feels disarmingly real. The song feels affecting in the way it captures the uncertainty of becoming. It has all the emotional texture of a coming-of-age soundtrack, yet its appeal extends far beyond youth. Listeners of any age can recognise the feeling of moving forward without knowing exactly where the path leads, who might be waiting at the other end, or how love fits into the life they are trying to build. Musically, the track mirrors that emotional limbo beautifully as its dreamy, airy production give the song a floating quality. There is motion in the music even when the lyrics remain uncertain, as if HEIGHTS is learning to live inside the questions rather than rushing toward certainty. Overall, 'Like I Need Water' allows this lack of conclusion, dances within it, finding beauty in the act of searching itself.

'Crush On You' artwork

cikho - 'Crush On You'

cikho’s 'Crush On You' feels like the exact moment your brain decides one person is suddenly the main character of your entire existence. It’s the butterflies within that strange little universe you accidentally build around someone when you like them a little too much. 'Crush On You' has this wonderfully blurred, soft-focus quality, with every element twisting and melting together into something warm and vibrant. cikho pulls from a colourful mix of influences, creating a sound that feels nostalgic and fresh at the same time. What makes cikho so exciting is his ability to create a world within each track. There is an intuitive quality to his artistry where every choice feels intentional, while still leaving room for experimentation. His sound has innate curiosity, allowing listeners to step into something truly creative. If 'Crush On You' is your first introduction to the world of cikho, then what a wonderful day it is about to become for you!

'Only Once' artwork

Lara Buchanan - 'Only Once'

Lara Buchanan’s 'Only Once' carries that instantly familiar feeling of comfort found in the best sad-pop songs, reminiscent of the emotional intimacy found in a Gracie Abrams track. The song captures the specific kind of heartbreak that comes from being promised a future you had already started living in, being handed the dream, allowing yourself to believe in it, only for it to disappear almost as quickly as it arrived. It sits in that painful space between what was real and what could have been, exploring the grief of losing something that never really got the chance to exist. Lara’s lyricism and world-building take centre stage, with an understanding that sadness is rarely simple. It can be nostalgic, beautiful and strangely comforting all at once. The magic of a great sad-pop song lets you feel everything at once. 'Only Once' is for the moments spent staring out of the window, replaying that one conversation over and over to somehow find comfort in that very thing that caused the hurt. It feels like heartbreak with a melody, where in that sadness, you can dance.

'Nostalgic Baby' artwork

Maella - 'Nostalgic Baby'

Maella's latest project, 'Nostalgic Baby', feels intoxicating from the opening sounds of the entire EP. It feels like stepping into a world that exists somewhere between memory and fantasy. 'Lore' is a standout example of this, an atmospheric track driven by some of the most intriguing production I’ve heard recently. Every layer feels carefully placed, and the end result is something immersive and unpredictable. Across the EP, each track brings something distinct to Maella’s dark pop universe, pulling from different emotional and sonic corners while still feeling connected by a shared atmosphere. There is a cinematic quality running throughout, with haunting textures and nocturnal production. The title track is another highlight, transforming vulnerability into something euphoric. Over a club-ready pulse, Maella embraces the parts of herself that are sensitive, artistic, dreamy, and unapologetically different, turning self-awareness into a form of liberation. Honestly, Maella is simply cool and has the confidence to inhabit this intriguing world she has built up around her - lucky us that we get to be a visitor.

'From Dust' artwork

Iona Luke - 'From Dust'

Iona Luke is proving that some of the most memorable summer music doesn’t have to come wrapped in sunshine and light, sometimes the best soundtracks to the season exist in the shadows. With her EP 'From Dust,' Luke invites listeners into a darker, more atmospheric side of summer with a beautifully haunting sense of vulnerability. Across each track, her distinctive voice takes centre stage, carrying every lyric with grit and nuance. There is a sense of honesty and her ability to move between fragility and strength which gives 'From Dust' its depth. She has created a project that feels entirely personal to her experiences. 'Bones' stands out as a particular highlight, exploring the delicate line between love and hurt and longing becomes so deeply intertwined with pain that separating the two feels impossible. There is something unsettling and haunting in Luke’s delivery here, with her vocals stripped back to reveal a rawness that contrasts beautifully against the EP’s more emotionally charged tracks. It feels like a moment suspended in time, and it feels vulnerable and tender. Iona has a clear understanding of herself as an artist. She embraces the darkness, the uncertainty, and the tenderness without ever losing her sense of identity. She sits inside each complicated emotion, beauty and pain tied together within this project, and it makes for something to remember.

Because, as Belly says, "everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August."