Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...

The Queens-based Pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nia Marie turns breakup panic into a sleek, replay-ready single with Juan Arango at the controls. "Selfish" hits like the message you typed, deleted, typed again, then sent before courage ran away. Nia Marie is back with a Pop/R&B breakup single that feels close, moody, and painfully honest without dragging its feet. It has that late night playlist pull, but it also...