Welcome back to our lovely second installment of the Best New Songs We Had On Repeat Throughout 2023! We’ve got incredible songs by artists like YUNGBLUD, The Story So Far, Daisy Grenade and more. That’s all we’ll say here, we don’t want to spoil too much.
As mentioned in the first round of our favorite songs, we’re only including new, original singles that have been issued in 2023. These tracks are not in favorable order but instead listed by their release date. We just couldn’t rank them, therefore, all songs deserve the same amount of attention and praise. In case you missed our first batch of songs, you can check it out here. Let’s get into it!
“ONE NATION UNDERDOGS” — Royal & the Serpent
Released: May 26, 2023
In 2023, Royal & the Serpent flipped the typical album cycle on its head and decided to release music in a really unique and modern fashion. She broke up what could have easily been a full studio album into several parts, coined the Rat Trap Saga. Releasing songs in batches of two every couple of weeks throughout the year, she kicked off with RAT TRAP 1: the blueprint in May. Boasting two incredible singles, “ASTROTURF” and “ONE NATION UNDERDOGS,” the latter ended up being one of Royal & the Serpents’ best efforts to date.
An ode to self-love, acceptance, and equality, the song is a punk rock call-to-action doused in aggressive guitars, driving drums, and heartfelt lyricism. “ONE NATION UNDERDOGS” begins with a spoken-word play on the “National Anthem,” saying, “I pledge allegiance to the drag/And the United Gays of America/To safety in public, from queer to trans/One nation underdogs/Not invisible, with liberty and justice for all,” before blasting into the music.
The song overall is extremely catchy, upbeat, and inspiring, but the lyrics are really what makes it special. The first verse says, “I deserve the right to love my life/To change my mind, to go outside/To stay alive, to be in public and survive and/I should get to feel like I’m a human/Just as real as politicians, Christian women/Straight white men and all their friends.” It is a beautiful anthem for minorities that was much needed this year. —Tate Logan
“Boomerang” — Towa Bird
Released: May 26, 2023
This track is indie-pop-rock perfection. “Boomerang” features an infectious chorus that will instantly get stuck in your head, along with catchy vocal melodies and layering throughout. The track has a feeling to the instrumentals that exudes 2011 in 2023. You’ll feel “New York City’s never felt so sad” in your bones.—Patrick Walford
“Got It Bad” — Daisy Grenade
Released: June 2, 2023
From touring with Meet Me @ The Altar to opening for Fall Out Boy on their summer U.S. tour this year, Daisy Grenade has slowly imploded onto the scene. “Got It Bad” is an anthemic pop-punk, riot grrrl tune that encompasses the anger, while melodically communicating the tension in a situationship and the fallout. The simple yet infectious guitar riffs in the song bring in a refreshing reverb to the scene that we don’t see often with non-male acts. With a 1-2-screw-you punk vibe, the track is bouncy, biting, and bright. It’s something that people in the alternative scene can latch onto that incorporates elements of modern bubblegum punk and indie rock that audiences can appreciate.—Lizzie Baumgartner
“Lowlife” — YUNGBLUD
Released: June 7, 2023
Never content with sticking to one path, YUNGBLUD once again took the wheel and carved his own route in 2023. “Lowlife” is the glistening jewel in this year’s crown, a quintessentially British and stark piece of schoolyard pop-rock. Channeling Mike Skinner of The Streets in his delivery alongside a chorus designed to stick to you like tar, it’s a reminder that even the most well-known personalities find themselves in the swamp like everybody else. Leaving no stone unturned whilst delivering radio-ready bangers like it is second nature, YUNGBLUD continues to be more than just music. —Jack Rogers
“Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)” — Dream Wife
Released: June 9, 2023
Dream Wife’s 2023 album, Social Lubrication, was an incredible record across the board, but one particular song stood out among the rest. “Hot (Don’t Date A Musician)” is a hilarious, satire-fueled masterpiece of punk rock. Reminiscent of the riot grrrl movement, the vocal delivery balances between perfectly lackluster droning and attitude-filled shouting. Bathed over gritty guitars and bold tempos, you can’t help but punch your steering wheel to the beat of the song.
It is an ongoing joke in our scene that musicians can be narcissistic assholes, and that is exactly what this song pokes fun at. Men can often be intimidated by women in the scene, and Dream Wife just isn’t having it. “Don’t date a musician/They’ll think you’re competition/I was never competition/I was just hot,” the tagline sings. They go on to list a multitude of other professions you should date instead of a musician, including lifeguards, plumbers, electricians, and many more. The funniest line of the song is undeniably, “You thought I was gonna say bartender/Watch out/They might be a musician.” —Tate Logan
“Deep In The Willow” — Knocked Loose
Released: June 14, 2023
It didn’t seem possible but Knocked Loose did, in fact, craft even more heavy and titillating singles in 2023. The surprise summer drop of both “Deep In The Willow” and “Everything Is Quiet Now” rocked the metal world to its core. Featuring Bryan Garris’ classic urgent, high-pitched screams and irresistibly catchy breakdowns, “Deep In The Willow” showcases something fresh. Backing vocalist and guitarist Issac Hale truly shines as a certified shredder in tandem with his deeper vocal register. We would not blame a single listener for keeping the track on repeat just to hear him gutturally call out, “The tables turn,” because honestly…same. Beyond the track itself, it was easy to rewatch the music video over and over again with its ironically sunny horror movie feel featuring straw men antagonists.
Overall, while genre fans may be divided on Knocked Loose, it’s clear that true music fans from all walks of life are excited to witness the band’s takeover. After all, the quintet had a slot at Coachella, and onlookers included the Billie Eilish. Here’s to hoping 2024 brings even more Knocked Loose tracks—or a full LP—that show the group continuing to push the envelope. —Maria Serra
“I Hope I’m Not Sick” — Loveless
Released: June 20, 2023
From your phone screen to the world, the rise of Loveless as a band, not just on the internet, has been one of the best success stories of 2023. And it’s
because of songs like “I Hope I’m Not Sick” that their journey has been such a breeze. Part soulful and sensational piece of forward-thinking pop-rock, part stark look at what it means to be in touch with your mental health ebbs and flows, it’s a song that represents the band perfectly. Vital, vulnerable, and vibrantly addictive, this is still only the tip of the iceberg for Loveless, and that is very exciting indeed. —Jack Rogers
“A Lesson In Dramatics” —Save Face Ft. Jhariah
Released: June 22, 2023
Something unique about Save Face and Jhariah is that both are able to channel the spiritual essence of the original sounds of fan favorites such as, My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco, that no other band currently has tapped into like they have. “A Lesson In Dramatics” is a theatrical rouse that transports listeners back to the early 2000s movie montage of an intense throwdown or simply an epic friend adventure that’s a little dangerous.
The intensity of the song doesn’t give any pause; this is a song about vengeance and being risky that results in some peculiar predicaments. Nostalgic guitars and distorted, upbeat vocals tie together a collab between these two acts that need to be given attention because of their dedication to their unique yet, classic concept.—Lizzie Baumgartner
“Strangers” — MOD SUN
Released: July 7, 2023
Let’s just be frank here: MOD SUN had one hell of a year—a rollercoaster of good and bad, highs and lows. Following the release of his Big Noise sophomore album, God Save The Teen, MOD SUN’s life took an explosive turn amidst a highly publicized and tumultuous breakup. Piggybacking off of the February album release, MOD emerged from the ashes of his shattered engagement with the cathartic release of “Strangers,” a pointed track and accompanying music video filmed in Paris—the very city where he had proposed to his former fiancée a year prior.
Transforming his pain into art, “Strangers” serves as a reflection on the complex dynamics of love, loss, and loyalty. Through an array of candid and vulnerable lyrics, MOD graciously captures the bittersweet essence of his fractured relationship, set against the backdrop of melancholic undertones. Evoking memories of their relationship and shared passion for music, MOD sings, “Guess we really did go up in flames in the end,” harking back to the pair’s first collaboration together, aptly titled “Flames.”
The song’s chorus, capturing the heart of the track, “Went from strangers to lovers to strangers again,” seizes the conflicting emotions and lingering connection between two individuals who were once deeply in love. In a year marked by MOD‘s remarkable releases in 2023, “Strangers” stands out as a pivotal and monumental release, a landmark to his ability to weave personal experiences into public art. —Paige Owens
“Childhood Eyes” – Yellowcard
Released: July 21, 2023
When Yellowcard first returned in 2022, many would have been satisfied with the band just being active in some capacity again. Such a sentiment makes the fact that we also got brand new music, as well, the perfect cherry on top. Making things even sweeter is that with “Childhood Eyes,” from the EP of the same name, they are firing on all cylinders. Nostalgic, thoughtful, and spine-tinglingly beautiful, it is a song about seeing the world through the wide-eyed wonder of being young again and how it makes the person you are now all the more appreciative of what you have. —Jack Rogers
“Big Blind” — The Story So Far
Released: August 3, 2023
A lot has changed since The Story So Far last released music. Five years on from their breezy full-length Proper Dose, “Big Blind” arrived out of nowhere but served as a firm statement of intent that the band still knows how to inspire awe. Incorporating all the elements that have made them one of alternative music’s shining lights over the years, it’s a celebration of where they have been and where they are heading. With gorgeous chord progressions, scream-along-ready refrains, and a fresh perspective on things, it’s a pitch-perfect palette cleanser ahead of what could be a defining 2024. —Jack Rogers
“Still Love” – Teenage Wrist feat. Softcult
Released: August 4, 2023
This year was both stunning and exciting for grunge fans as genre mainstays Teenage Wrist and Softcult collaborated to deliver an ever-ethereal track, “Still Love.” Every time the two duos came on in my car, I magically materialized into wearing an oversized plaid shirt and Doc Martens; it is just that powerful. Beyond the alt-grunge niceties, Teenage Wrist’s Marshall Gallagher also shared that the track may have been partially inspired by playing Sunny Day Real Estate on loop following COVID lockdowns. Not only did this collab have a thrilling climax as Gallagher and Mercedes Arn-Horn’s vocals overlapped over urgent guitar lines, tinged with goth sonics, but both artists released their own works in 2023. Teenage Wrist’s Still Love, and Softcult’s See You In The Dark EP are both worthy of listening on repeat for days on end. —Maria Serra
“keep a window open//” – KennyHoopla
Released: August 18, 2023
KennyHoopla stayed booked and busy all year long with the release of the BLINK AND YOU’ll MISS IT// EP with Travis Barker featuring “SABOTAGE//,” “MARRY KILL F*CK//,” and “T SHIRT//” as well as collabs with Grouplove and Bloc Party. However, the artist’s August one-off single “keep a window open//” is a pure sunny shoegaze masterpiece. Combining the grit of DIY punk and dreamy surfer indie guitar lines, this track harkens back to earlier KennyHoopla offerings à la “plastic door//” released back in 2020.
The Cleveland native is entirely experimental with his sound yet completely in a league of his own with sonics exclusive to his name. It’s fascinating to see a young artist ready to take over pop-punk, emo, indie, and more, and it’s deserved. All in all, “keep a window open//” is a tall glass of cold water, a breath of fresh air, and a long road trip alongside a loved one with the car top rolled down. —Maria Serra
