It’s Friday night. Your laptop is closed, your Slack notifications are muted, and the only thing you’re answering is the doorbell for your takeout delivery. The weekend is officially here, and whether you’re dancing in your kitchen, zoning out on the couch, or heading out with friends, the right soundtrack makes everything better.
Starting with ethereal pop powerhouse JVNA, who’s in the middle of her most exciting artistic chapter yet. Her new single, “Aphrodite,” is pure hypnotic allure: lush, myth-inspired, and shimmering with feminine strength. But she’s not the only one setting the tone… Disclosure teams up with Anderson .Paak for a funk-laced groove, Tom Odell delivers raw, rainy-Sunday vulnerability, and Ed Sheeran returns with the kind of warm acoustic storytelling that sneaks up on you. Each track is its own mood, but together they create a weekend journey you’ll want to take from start to finish.
So consider this your all-access pass to the weekend’s ultimate soundtrack. From the first beat to the last note, it’s a ride through every shade of feeling; just press play and let it all in.
APHRODITE – JVNA
“Aphrodite” is the kind of song that doesn’t just play in the background; it pulls you in and demands you stay awhile. From the first shimmering notes, you’re transported into JVNA’s lush, neon-dream world, where desire feels dangerous and empowering all at once. Her voice floats over cinematic synths, weaving through the track like a siren call. It’s part love story, part power anthem, with an undercurrent of something darker — like the myth it borrows its name from, it’s beautiful but edged with danger.
It’s also a perfect entry point into who JVNA is as an artist. Born in LA to Taiwanese parents, she grew up with classical piano, studied film scoring, and built her first audience on Twitch, a platform where fans crowdfunded her debut music video. Her work has evolved from personal grief and resilience (Hope In Chaos, 2021) to unapologetic empowerment (Play With You, 2023). Now, with “Aphrodite” and her recent cinematic single “Angels Falling,” she’s stepping into a bolder phase, one where vulnerability and strength don’t just coexist, they dance together. Live, she’s magnetic (just ask anyone who caught her opening for Illenium last month), but even through headphones, she makes you feel like you’re in the front row.
NO CAP – Disclosure & Anderson .Paak
Disclosure’s “No Cap” hits with the precision you’d expect: clean, house-driven beats wrapped in deep, pulsing basslines, then sprinkled with just enough shimmer to keep it playful. Anderson .Paak drops in like he owns the place, every lyric delivered with that sly, half-smile charisma only he can pull off. Together, they strike a perfect balance: the thump and release of a late-night club anthem with the looseness of an after-hours jam session. You can practically feel the heat rising off the dancefloor, the crowd locked in, moving as one. It’s Disclosure’s first release since 2024, and exactly the kind of banger that lets you turn your brain off and let your body take over.
Ugly – Tom Odell
There’s a stillness to “Ugly” that feels almost disarming. Tom Odell doesn’t rush; he lets gentle guitar notes and bare vocals set the tone before allowing piano and drums to quietly gather behind him. As the song swells, so does the weight of his words, as he opens up about insecurities with a candour that feels almost too personal to witness. Every note hangs in the air, delicate but unflinching, until the final moments leave you sitting in the quiet, carrying a piece of his vulnerability with you.
A Little More – Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s “A Little More” blends sharp lyricism with a bluesy undercurrent, pairing self-preservation and moral courage with an easy, lived-in warmth. Stripped-back guitar and gentle harmonies give the track a conversational intimacy — the kind that makes you feel like Ed’s sitting across from you, guitar in hand, quietly working through something he can’t say outright. The official video doubles down on the charm, bringing back former Harry Potter star Rupert Grint for a cheeky new instalment in their ongoing creative partnership.
WANTCHU – Keshi
From the first note, “WANTCHU” drapes itself over you like silk: smooth, unhurried, and impossible to shake. Keshi’s falsetto is pure velvet, gliding across woozy beats and minimalist production that makes every lyric feel like a secret meant only for you. When the chorus arrives, he moves through it with effortless precision, each phrase flowing into the next like water. It’s a late-night track built for lingering — the kind you play when the world has gone quiet, and you’re not ready to let the night slip away.
White Horses – Wolf Alice
“White Horses” stands out in Wolf Alice’s catalogue as the only track led vocally by percussionist Joel Amey, his delivery weaving through a tangle of knotty guitar melodies and a syncopated drum groove that lends the song its krautrock-leaning pulse. The 70s rock influences are undeniable — from the dreamlike production to the warm, textured instrumentation — but what makes it land is the vivid, reflective imagery in the lyrics. When the song crests, the guitars snarl, the drums hit with a sharper edge, and Ellie Rowsell’s voice soars in, equal parts angelic and defiant.
Vampire Bat – Glass Animals
From its first few seconds, “Vampire Bat” doesn’t just play — it slinks into the room. The groove is slow and sultry, laced with attitude, temptation, and a quiet kind of danger that makes you lean in. Glass Animals use it to explore the duality of rockstar life, the constant seesaw between chasing success and surviving the glare of fame. Smooth, teasing rhythms set the tone, echoing the flinty beginnings of a relationship built on unspoken expectations. The drums and vocals move together like a heartbeat, each lyric sliding into place with hypnotic ease. By the end, you’re not just listening — you’re caught up in the fantasy, equal parts enchanted and unsettled.
Bowery – Zach Bryan & Kings of Leon
“Bowery” kicks off with the thrill of a long-time dream realised, Zach Bryan teaming up with one of his all-time favourite bands, Kings of Leon, to create a track that feels like pure adrenaline under city lights. It’s a perfect collision of Bryan’s gruff, heartfelt delivery and Kings of Leon’s restless, reckless energy. The lyrics paint a vivid picture: a night in downtown New York, a live show buzzing in the background, and a woman you can’t stop thinking about as the drinks keep coming. When the chorus hits, Bryan steps back and lets Caleb Followill’s tender, unmistakable tenor take the wheel, giving the song a dynamic push-and-pull between grit and grace. Named after the Lower Manhattan neighbourhood, “Bowery” is steeped in the raw emotion of summer nights — all heat, haze, and the kind of memories that blur into legend.
Milk Of The Madonna – Deftones
There’s no easing into “Milk Of The Madonna”, it hits like a storm breaking overhead. Thunderous guitar riffs and pounding drums set the stage, while Chino Moreno’s impassioned vocals slice through the chaos with that unmistakable Deftones intensity. Coming on the heels of last month’s lead single “My Mind Is A Mountain,” it captures the same fiery energy but wraps it in something darker, more hypnotic. It’s heavy and immersive yet laced with a strange, aching beauty, pulling you deep into its world before you even realise it. As the closer to this playlist, it doesn’t just end the journey — it leaves you in its echo, charged and a little breathless.
