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Songs you need to hear is CBC Music’s weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.
Scroll down to discover the songs our producers are loving right now.
For even more new music, check out our SYNTH playlist on YouTube.
Moondance, Sam Smith feat. Feist
British pop star Sam Smith’s latest album, Hazel Eyes, features a small group of collaborators and only two credited guest vocalists: The TwoCity Chorus and Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist. After reaching out to her through an Instagram DM, Smith and Feist co-wrote and co-produced two tracks together on Hazel Eyes, My Guy and album highlight Moondance. The track’s opening piano notes bring to mind a Feist song like The Limit to Your Love except the love here feels limitless as Smith sings, “The ocean opens up to us/ It’s a rhythm we can always trust.” When Feist eventually joins the chorus, their voices come together in a beautiful tangle that effortlessly dances into the following verse. It may feel like an unlikely duet at first, but now that we’ve heard it, we can’t help but crave an entire album of collaborations between the two. — Melody Lau
Island Time, Majid Jordan feat. Naomi Sharon
Majid Jordan returned with their fifth studio album, Two Roads, last week, and on it the duo float from tender love songs such as See You Again, to retro-inspired ballads such as Best Behaviour. On the twelfth track, Island Time, the pair partner with fellow OVO labelmate Naomi Sharon, for a late summer heater. Against a backdrop of warm breezes and late nights, Majid Al Maskati sings of a magnetic romance on the chorus: “You are my paradise,” he sings, later adding, “You said I’m tattooed on your mind/ Recall my name when you need it.” Sharon’s deep, dulcet vocals compliment his as she echoes back her sentiments of lust. “Most love I have ever felt/ When I surrendered to the feeling,” she sings, drifting over the airy melody. Majid Jordan have written, produced and performed with Sharon before, yet it’s this track that feels like the perfect combination of their talents, as they seamlessly merge the moody Toronto R&B sound with Sharon’s uniquely rich vocals. — Natalie Harmsen
Missing Piece, Alexander Stewart and Frank Walker
Toronto natives Alexander Stewart and Frank Walker turn emotional vulnerability into pure catharsis on their soaring new single, Missing Piece. Shifting from quiet introspection to uninhibited celebration, the track captures the exact moment two lives click together and the sense of freedom that follows. Opening with a delicate, almost melancholic melody, Stewart’s tender vocals set an introspective mood before the driving bassline and glimmering beats take over, building the track into a thrumming, full-throttle electro-synth pop banger. Seamlessly reflected in the lyrics “I was so lost in the lonely nights/ Chasing cheap thrills just to feel alive/ I used to think life was a mystery/ Baby, your love was the missing piece,” the song’s melodic transformation echoes the overarching narrative of finding a grounding and affirming love after feeling lost. As the bright production builds to a euphoric peak, Stewart pulls listeners directly into the emotional slipstream and crafts a sonic journey that feels as liberating as it is romantic. Missing Piece isn’t just a standout single, it’s a high-energy reminder of how dynamic and satisfying Stewart’s sonic evolution continues to be. — Stevie Carter
Level Up, Bambii
Where her previous single, Hot Girls, was a fun and sassy dance floor heater, Bambii’s latest release, Level Up, is for the hardcore ravers. The convergence of Toronto (her hometown), London (where the producer spent much of her summer) and Jamaica (her motherland) is immediately present on the track. Level Up speed runs through a number of electronic genres, from house to drum and bass, reaching its climax with a jungle-style vocal that barks out over booming bass and glitchy synths. And as the self-directed music video proves, the song goes just as hard in a bedroom dance session as it would reverberating through club speakers. — Kelsey Adams