Singles In Your Area: w/c Apr 28

Billy Woods, Quadeca, HAIM, Illuminati Hotties & Pup, and JID drop brilliant new singles, while Fiona Apple covers a classic

Apr 29, 2025

Okay, its a bumper crop this week after I took last week off, so I’ve focused on a wider range of tracks and anything Kiwi, and bumped a literal ton of hip-hop and rap into the ‘Also new this week’ - also there’s a playlist!

Anyway, here are a bunch of songs I was listening to while wondering if Lorde even knows she is famous …

ADDISON RAE - "Headphones On"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 25): #02

Its retro electro-pop sound is not as good as previous single “High Fashion”, but the scenic video shot in Iceland more than makes up for it.

ARCADE FIRE - "Pink Elephant"
via /r/Indieheads

The title track from their forthcoming record is an Arcade Fire throwback, very Funeral/Neon Bible on this one.

BILLY WOODS - "BLK ZMBY (ft Steel Tipped Dove)"
via TheNeedleDrop

It’s short but it is another sure sign that Billy Woods might be on the verge of dropping one of the year’s best albums.

BON IVER - "There's A Rhythmn"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 18): #05

Speaking of the year’s best, Bon Iver’s latest is the focus single from the release of his brilliant new record SABLE,fABLE.

CHURCH & AP - "The Eyes"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 18): #05

Auckland duo Church & AP are back with a new single, and it’s awesome. ‘She the type to spike a drink and let me sip on it’ is a great line.

DOM DOLLA AND KID CUDI - "Forever"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 25): #04

Honestly, I had no idea Ministry Of Sound was still a thing.

FONTAINES D.C. - "Before You I Just Forget"
via TheNeedleDrop

Another off-cut from the Romance sessions - it’s good, but its little more than a demo and you can hear why they cut it.

GREEN DAY - "Smash It Like Belushi"
via TheNeedleDrop

A new single featured on the deluxe edition of 2024’s Saviors, this is fairly mid even by latter-day Green Day standards.

HAIM - "Down to Be Wrong"
via Pitchfork

Every new single from HAIM is better than the last; this one is the third from upcoming album I Quit, due out in mid-June.

HENNY X MASSE, KYMZA AND THE 046 - "Tell Her"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 18): #03

‘Bangers on fuckin’ bangers, mang!’

ILLUMINATI HOTTIES - "Wreck My Life (ft PUP)"
via TheNeedleDrop

PUP are in the midst of an album cycle and didn’t need to do a collab with Illuminati Hotties, but they did and both groups are better for it. PS: the Hotties performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert and it is great.

JESSIE MURPH - "Blue Strips"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 18): #06

Well, we have the answer to the question ‘What would happen if you put Cardi B and Lana Del Rey in a blender?’ and it isn’t good, guys.

JID - "WRK"
via TheNeedleDrop

This song is so good - and the news of a new JID album so welcome - that I can forgive him for guesting on Katy Perry’s (pre-astronaut) album 143 last year.

JORDYN WITH A WHY - "Hauora Melodies"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 18): #08

Recorded and filmed in 2023, this one is an eye-opening track about the experience of Māori medical students in the New Zealand system.

KENNYON BROWN - "Hula Hoop"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 18): #02

Kiwi born but based in Australia, this is a fun hip-hop/funk track that should be all over radio by the time you read this.

KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD - "Deadstick"
via TheNeedleDrop

Holy hell, these guys are so random: “Deadstick” finds the gang bringing Steely Dan jazz rock and an elaborate horn section back to the Gizzverse.

KRUZI - "Rollin (ft Dat378, Dvyne, Ash Eru)”
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 25): #02

90s throwback gangster rap sounds make this the best song titled “Rollin” since the old Limp Bizkit days. This is probably better, honestly.

LANA DEL REY - "Bluebird"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 25): #03

Another pared back, agonisingly beautiful track from the New York songstress.

LORDE - "What Was That"
via Pitchfork

My favourite music related Reddit post this week was titled ‘Does Lorde know she’s famous?’ after the NYPD shut down the concert she filmed for this video when a bigger than expected crowd arrived and spilled out of the park, with the post accompanied by comments like ‘i was there, it was insane‘ and ‘I couldn’t move. It wasn’t a bad thing tho until I had to pee’. It’s a super interesting track too; as someone who wasn’t swayed by Solar Power, this has me intrigued.

MODEL/ACTRIZ - "Diva"
via Pitchfork

The Boston based noise rockers dropped this in the past week, ahead of the release of new album Pirouette on Friday. I like it!

MORGAN WALLEN - "I Ain't Comin' Back (ft Post Malone)"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 25): #01

Post Malone returns the favour after Wallen guested on his hit single “I Had Some Help”, though I don’t think this is necessarily a good song.

MYLEN AND C:RCLE - "Walls"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 25): #09

Kiwi drum and bass producer Mylen links up with Slovakian DJ C:rcle for a solid, if unobtrusive, track.

NAIA - "Her"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 25): #03

Solid R&B from Kiwi singer Naia.

QUADECA - "MONDAY"
via /r/Indieheads

Another beautiful track from an artist who I reckon is on the verge of breaking into the mainstream with his next album.

SAM BARBER - "Man Of The Year"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 25): #05

Missouri-based country singer-songwriter Barber follows up his 2024 debut Restless Mind with his first new song of the year.

SLEEP TOKEN - “Damocles”
via Online

Named for the Greek myth about the perils of being in the ruling class, this is the second single from upcoming album Even In Arcadia full of complaints about fame. As a fan, I’m a little concerned.

SQUID - "The Hearth and Circle Round Fire"
via /r/Indieheads

One of the weirder tracks from Squid’s recent (and really very good) album Cowards. No video, but the visualised features ants walking across your screen.

STALLYANO AND SIONE TOKI - "In My Room"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 18): #07

I did not like this, but it wasn’t made for me.

TABLEFOX - "Digging In"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 25): #08

Mainstream rock music is something of a rarity these days; Auckland rockers Tablefox wear it well. And the bass player sings, which is a rarity, too.

THE LADZ OF THE MIST - "R.U.A. (ft Lion Rezz)"
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 25): #01 | Hot 40 Singles (Apr 25): #10
Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles (Apr 25): #20

A distinctly Kiwi sounding country-hiphop track from a group calling Ruatoki home (just south of Whakatāne).

THE SWELL SEASON - "Stuck in Reverse"
via Pitchfork

It’s been 16 years since Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová broke up and then released their second album Strict Joy. Wait, does this mean they’re back on?!

TWENTY ONE PILOTS - "Doubt (demo)"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 18): #09

The Pilots performed this version of the Blurryface track in Poland and then released it straight to streaming because why not.

ZULAN - "Forever"
Hot 40 Singles (Apr 18): #08

The DJ and producer samples so much of the beat from Crystal Waters’ “100% Pure Love” that I half-expected ‘From the back to the middle and around again, I'm gonna be there 'til the end’ to be the first lyric.

Also new this week:

Oh, one more thing:

Fiona Apple has recorded a cover of “Heart Of Gold”, the Neil Young classic from his album Harvest, for a new covers album of Young songs also featuring Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, Sharon Van Etten and the Lumineers.