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Songs you need to hear is CBC Music’s weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.
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On Wires, Carly Rae Jepsen
“The whole world is on fire, but we didn’t notice/ I’m walking on wires in the middle of it/ standing in your, standing in your coat,” sings Carly Rae Jepsen over punchy keys, inviting us into the lead single for her just-announced album, Day and Night, a double disc representing both halves of the 24-hour clock. The Canadian pop singer immediately places us in today’s timeline while still promising to whisk us into a love story with On Wires, a “come hither” track, as she described to NME, that visually took her to bigger places. Jepsen, who was six months pregnant at the time she shot the music video, changed the approach from chasing a man down the streets of New York City to a tug-of-war with a microphone cable that’s holding her back as she tries to march forward.
“The more we talked about it, the more it became [a metaphor for] what was really going on in my life, which was me carving out space for my personal life within the business of music, while I’m in the middle of this pregnancy,” she said. On Wires belongs in the day half of the upcoming project, out Sept. 18, and its ’70s lounge vibe — interrupted by a show-stopping, three-word chorus — sets the stage for a pop star ready to take control. — Holly Gordon
Taste, Ami Cheon
“Baby could I have a little taste/ I want you to grab all on my waist,” sings Winnipeg alt-pop artist Ami Cheon, her downcast vocals slithering over a haunting yet sultry melody. It’s the first single from her upcoming EP, Aries Baby, out July 31. “Taste is a song I created as I discovered my queerness. It feels sexy and fun and fervourous to me,” she shared in a press release. “Like when you’re in the club dancing and life feels hot and perfect and slow and sweaty.” The sensuous lyrics conjure up images of glittering bodies writhing and twisting on the dance floor, as she sings about wanting to be with her person for a night. The bass thumps along and vibrates through the chorus, which she delivers with an entrancing, Lana Del Rey-ish charm to convey the magnetic connection she shares with her love interest. The pitched-up and slowed outro adds another dose of hypnotic energy to the song. — Natalie Harmsen
Calling All Angels, Amy Millan and Martha Wainwright
There is perhaps no better modern-day duo who could take on Jane Siberry and k.d. lang’s 1991 duet Calling All Angels than Amy Millan and Martha Wainwright. The two recently wrapped up a tour together and to cap it off, they’ve released this heavenly cover. Surrounded by minimal production, their version of Calling All Angels gives plenty of space for the singers’ distinct voices to shine as Millan takes the lead and Wainwright patiently hums underneath until they beautifully converge in a tender tango. “I’ve always wanted to find a way for us to sing together,” Millan said in a statement. “This Canadian gem of a song by the great Jane Siberry (originally sung with k.d. lang) was the perfect beginning for us to get this gentle chance to convene with angels.” And how lucky we all are to receive this gift. — Melody Lau
Ratata, Sarahmée
Sarahmée is here to shake up the summer with her new track, Ratata. The Senegalese Québecoise rapper returned with her first single of the year earlier in June, teasing it as a song for all the “baddies” to add to their seasonal playlists. Over heart-pumping bass and a pummeling drum rhythm, she’s reminding her naysayers that she isn’t one to be messed with: “J’ai plus rien a prouvé, oui, je suis là pour tout cassé/ appelle qui tu veux, je suis bénie depuis le bac à sable (I have nothing left to prove, I’m here to shake it up/ call whoever you want, I’ve been blessed since the sandbox).” With its explosive energy and Sarahmée’s emboldening bars, Ratata is reminiscent of Charger by French trio Triangle des bermudes, which has become an unofficial 2026 World Cup song. Whether on a dance floor, or as a pump-up before a game, Ratata is sure to inspire confidence (and little playful cockiness). — Kelsey Adams