Songs of the Week - 23/02/2026
These are the essential tracks you need to check out this week!
Photo Credit: Claire Reynolds
Macie Nyah - 'Pancakes for Breakfast'
Macie Nyah’s Pancakes for Breakfast is a warm, affectionate track built around the tiny choices that show how deeply someone cares. The tender charm in the writing perfectly suits Macie’s vocal style, giving the whole song a gentle glow that feels instantly comforting. This is the sweetest start to a year that looks set to have something huge in store for Macie Nyah.
favourite daughter - 'you but different'
favourite daughter’s you but different is a sharp, self‑aware second single that leans into the chaos of wanting closeness while knowing you might be repeating old patterns. That tension is delivered in a witty and painfully honest way, turning spiralling thoughts into something that feels both playful and uncomfortably familiar. As the sophomore single of the favourite daughter project, you but different shows how confidently this artistic vision is taking shape.
Rose Rey - 'Dirty Martini'
Rose Rey’s Dirty Martini arrives with the kind of confidence that makes you instantly want to pay attention. It is Rose's first release in almost a year, leaning straight into the thrill of a night that might get out of hand. The track moves with a punchy, late‑evening energy built for crowded rooms and flirty decisions. Rey delivers each line with a smoky sharpness that fits the song’s mood perfectly.
PÆRISH - 'The Luck You Had: Live at L'Ancienne Abbaye Saint-Léger'
PÆRISH continue to showcase more from their Acoustic Sessions – Live At L’Ancienne Abbaye Saint‑Léger project with a new reworking of The Luck You Had, the final preview before the full audiovisual EP arrives on 27 February. This version pulls the song into a gentler space, trading its original weight for something more open and atmospheric. The arrangement leans into soft acoustic lines, subtle keys and a wistful saxophone part that brings a new emotional colour to the track.
Alfreda - 'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN'
Alfreda expands her TEASERAMA! universe with STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, a burst of maximalist pop that leans fully into desire and fantasy in the most theatrical way. The track blends bright bubblegum energy with a knowingly heightened sense of character, pulling from cabaret, drag culture and larger‑than‑life alter egos to build something playful and chaotic.
Mabes - 'Sleep Tonight'
Mabes returns with Sleep Tonight, an ethereal and dreamy release that opens a fresh chapter after a standout comeback in 2025. The track leans into warm melodies and reflective songwriting, marking a shift toward a more expansive pop sound while keeping the intimacy that defines Mabes' work. It sets the tone for what is shaping up to be an even bigger 2026 for Mabes, introducing a sound that feels renewed and quietly assured.
Vanitas - 'Nobody'
Vanitas launch into 2026 with Nobody, their heaviest single yet. The track is a fierce burst of progressive metal driven by sharpened frustration and full-force intent. It hits hard with crushing riffs, cinematic symphonic layers and a vocal performance that channels pure rage. This feels like one of Vanitas' darker releases to date, seeing them enter a more aggressive space while keeping the precision that has fuelled their rise.
PET NEEDS - 'Ducklings'
PET NEEDS continue their deserved rise with Ducklings, an indie‑punk jolt that takes aim at the strange churn of modern capitalism. The track snaps between dry wit and jagged riffs, carrying a restless momentum that suits the band’s sharpest instincts. As the second single from their upcoming album Elbows Out! This Is Capitalism, it adds another punch to a record shaping up to be one of their most pointed and characterful releases to date. There is no doubt in my mind this will be the band's best work to date.
Jidé Kuti - 'Equivalent Exchange'
Jidé Kuti opens his year with Equivalent Exchange, a beautifully crafted love song carried by his standout vocal performance and increasingly stellar songwriting abilities. The track draws on subtle anime‑inspired influences to add a touch of colour to a story grounded in real feeling, giving the song a warmth that sits close to the heart. It is a love song in its purest form, shaped by emotion rather than cliché, delivered with a softness that feels instinctive to Jidé's songwriting.
DARSY - 'Sabotage'
DARSY steps forward with Sabotage, a dark electro‑pop cut built on tight production and a sharp sense of intent. Impressively first performed during the San Marino Eurovision selection, it carries a pulsing energy that suits the track’s theme of pushing through distraction and holding your focus. The sound is energetic and direct, driven by a harmonious vocal track that cuts cleanly through the darker electro textures. It’s another strong move from an artist who feels on the cusp of blowing up.
Rae Charlea - 'idon'twannajustbeyourfriend'
Rae Charlea leads a new era with idon’twannajustbeyourfriend, an indie‑leaning shoegaze track that dives straight into the sting of unrequited love. Written after a chaotic night out, the song captures that mix of hope, disappointment and raw honesty that hits hardest when feelings aren’t returned. The guitars sit in a hazy, distorted space that mirrors the song’s slow emotional unravel, closing in with shouts and screams that cut through the mix. It’s a unique soundscape that shows real artistic instinct and builds even more excitement for what's to come.
Melody Coles - 'More Than Once'
Melody Coles follows a strong 2025 and her January single Standing on the Edge with the stunning More Than Once. This track sits in a softer kind of heartbreak, the kind that comes from feeling out of place and trying to make sense of your own mind. As has become so familiar now with Melody’s writing, lyrically this song cuts deep, but the pain is soothed by her vocals, holding the songs emotion in a way that feels steady and honest.
Wot Gorilla? - 'Stay Home'
Wot Gorilla? dropped their incredible new album Stay Home last week, their first full length in fifteen years. It is a record full of highlights, with the title track being one that stands out straight away. The song pulls you in fast and doesn’t waste a second, shifting between clean precision and a heavier push that gives it real bite. It is a hard‑hitting proof of Wot Gorilla?’s longstanding brilliance.
Record Pink - 'Edge of the Ride'
The end of last month saw Record Pink drop their infectious new track Edge of the Ride. It starts light and acoustic before bursting into a bright pop rock rush. The shift gives the song its spark, snapping it into full pace with a real anthemic lift. The duo sound sharper than ever, stepping into 2026 full of light with their best release to date.
Eppie - 'Sunkisses'
Last week saw Eppie release Sunkisses, the final single before their upcoming collection Songs of Sunshine. It’s a track built around the ache of missing someone who’s gone, using the sun as a small point of hope in a moment of change. The band lean into their psych‑influenced alt‑pop sound with clarity, keeping the emotion upfront. There’s a lift in the chorus that gives the whole thing its glow, a warmth that feels true to where the band as they move towards the release of Songs of Sunshine.
mug - 'Down'
mug’s new track Down pushes their shoegaze sound into sharper focus, built on tight instrumentals and atmospheric vocals. The guitars stay dense but controlled throughout, giving the track a hazy feel that’s quickly defining their self‑coined mug‑gaze. The song flawlessly carries the weight of battling someone who keeps dragging you under in life. It’s a strong step forward for mug, both thematically and sonically, as they begin to really settle into who they are as a band.
Moa - 'Daydreaming'
Moa’s new single Daydreaming is a bright synth pop track that pulls inspiration from the 2000s while folding in touches of hyperpop and kpop. The production moves with real lift, built on upbeat rhythms and a glossy energy that makes it hard not to dance while listening. At its core it’s about finding something good in a place that felt dark, the moment when someone brings a bit of light back into your world. It’s a joyous release from an artist who’s carving out her own path with real intent.
Lara Fitzsimons - 'Daddy's Girl'
Lara Fitzsimon’s second single Daddy’s Girl hits with a confident, restless energy that builds from acoustic to electric. What starts as a folk‑leaning track shifts into a grittier pop-rock sound. As the arrangement grows the mood grows with it, pushing the track into a space that feels even bigger and more assured than Lara's sensational debut. It’s a bold release from an artist growing fast and finding her footing with real purpose.
Amity - 'City of Stars'
This week's Songs of the Week are rounded out by Amity's City of Stars, a powerful and emotionally charged release built around a striking piano-led sound. The song dives into the collapse of a toxic relationship, capturing the shift from devotion to something far more damaging with real honesty. It’s one of Amity's most gripping releases yet, showcasing exactly why he has become so highly regarded.
