Despite the ease of access that streaming has brought to the distribution of music, the volume that's released can make it a daunting task to find unique new stuff every week. In this recurring weekly feature we put together a short list of new songs from the past week that stand out amongst all the noise and deserve a spot in your rotation.
All songs featured in this recurring series can be found in our scrmbl selection 2026 playlist on YouTube, Apple Music or Spotify.
Daoko — “SYNC”
Patrick: A stroll featuring enough flourishes to take it into the surreal. It's not like “SYNC” is pure pleasantry from the start — while Daoko sounds sturdy as moves forward, the music itself can feel quite woozy, especially the early verses which practically quiver. Yet it gains sturdiness gradually, with confetti-like bursts of electronic sound adding some sonic exuberance to it all.
DONGURIZU — “Attsuma”
Patrick: Duo DONGURIZU cling to summer vibes on the speedy “Attsuma,” a highlight from their sun-dappled EP COCO PLUM. Key to this song is the speed of it, dashing ahead like the group itself is running towards seasonal fun. It's accented by tropical flavor via percussive details and some well-timed flute.
GNJB — “Runaway”
Ryo: Maximalism has been GNJB’s thing with their typical production jazzed up by frantic piano licks and zigzagging guitar riffs: a scrambled vibe that makes a name like Enon Kawatani or Vocaloid producer Jin an appropriate candidate to write their songs. A touch of electro-house enters the idol group’s music in their sleek new song where its synth-funk arrangement zips by like their usual. As the track dazzles, all the constant movement shakes up the idols to re-sharpen their focus to keep their attention on their one and only. Slippery as GNJB make their love seem in “Runaway,” it’s nothing they haven’t dealt with before.
Homecomings — “halfway”
Ryo: If a cookie commercial is what it takes to give us a new song from Homecomings, then so be it. I can’t blame those in Bourbon’s PR: the band’s hushed indie-rock remains prime mood-setting music, which has already been synced to a drama series earlier this year. As their best songs often do, “halfway” hangs in a middle line between soft melancholy and sweet contentment. This fuzziness underscores a charming story whose relationships lie in a similar grey zone between friendship and romance, with the big emotional payoffs coming from the subtlest gestures. Homecomings essentially write a bite-sized film of their own in “halfway.” It’s no wonder why they’re scoring them.
iri — “Period”
Patrick: It's surprising more artists haven't tried to take a stab at replicating Sakanaction's nervy rock sound as it continues to prove a massive hit. Credit to always-versatile creator iri for putting her spin on the familiar gallop. “Period” rumbles out of the gate with the kind of guitar melodies that would make Ichiro Yamaguchi smile, carrying an urgency bordering on the anxious. Her husky delivery, though, reveals new depth to this style, and also helps keep everything centered, showing iri is up for playing with other sounds but always ready to leave her own brand on it.
Lienel — “Ai No Dabada”
Ryo: From its cabaret sound to its hook-crammed structure, saying that Lienel’s new single resembles M!LK’s “Sukisugite Metsu” would be an understatement—but can you blame the Ebidan group for picking up these pieces for their own when it hits just as potent as their older sibling’s? Only an arrangement as dramatic as this one seems sufficient to express the scale of the their devotion, and they chase down their intense sincerity with cartoonish idol-pop silliness: they make space for a mini award show skit and a salsa dance breakdown throughout the track, but I’m stuck on the chorus that’s full of infectious wordplay. “Ai No Dabada” begs the question: what else was left on the cutting room floor during the M!LK sessions?
