This Week's Must-Listen Releases: From Alessi Rose to Lexa Gates

Stream this week's must-listen releases, hand-picked by our editors.

Alessi Rose's "First Original Thought"

Alessi Rose keeps her hot streak blazing with “First Original Thought,” a disco-leaning alt-pop banger that turns a petty epiphany into pop supremacy. Produced by GRAMMY winner Blake Slatkin and co-written with Amy Allen, the track glitters with live bass, keys, and strutting drums as Alessi fires off razor-sweet one-liners—“God, it must be hard / Having your first original thought”—and soars into a star-making chorus. Ben Cole’s video doubles down on the cheek with Alessi leading a sweat-drenched exercise class inside an old asylum chapel, all attitude and wry charisma. It’s the first taste of her Voyeur (Deluxe), out November 7, and arrives just as she heads out on Tate McRae’s Miss Possessive Tour—prime timing for a breakout moment.

Zara Larsson's Midnight Sun

Zara Larsson ushers in an endless summer with Midnight Sun, her kaleidoscopic new album out now via Sommer House/Epic Records. The 10-track set sees the Swedish pop powerhouse blending euphoric dance beats and shimmering pop textures with her most unfiltered, emotionally rich songwriting yet—spanning club-ready anthems like “Hot & Sexy” and “Blue Moon” to introspective standouts “The Ambition” and “Saturn’s Return.” Arriving alongside a limited-edition Lisa Frank CD and the finale of her arena run with Tate McRae, Midnight Sun cements Zara’s transition into global tour headliner as she prepares her own worldwide trek this fall. With its mix of nostalgia, vulnerability, and hard-won confidence, Midnight Sun feels like a bold new chapter for Larsson—proof that her brightest era has just begun.

Doja Cat's Vie

Doja Cat returns with her fifth studio album Vie, a bold, genre-blending project that draws on ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s influences to explore themes of love, sex, self-discovery, and adventure. Featuring standout tracks like “Jealous Type” with Kenny G and “Take Me Dancing” with SZA, as well as the star-studded “Gorgeous” music video, the album marks her most adventurous era yet. Complementing the release is an Amazon-exclusive merch collection inspired by Vie, further cementing Doja Cat’s status as one of today’s most innovative pop stars.

Lexa Gates' "Nothing To Worry About"

NYC it-girl Lexa Gates returns with her intoxicating blend of rap and soul on “Nothing to Worry About,” a silky new single where she finds herself balancing ambition, solitude, and self-reliance. Over hypnotic production, she turns the grind of her fast-moving life into mantra-like bars—“Climbing up a mountain, drinking from the fountain”—that pulse with bold energy and raw confidence. Directed by Red Expanse, the accompanying video drifts between Coney Island and New York City, capturing Lexa in dreamy, unguarded moments at the beach and in the streets, shot with a raw, documentary-like intimacy. As she gears up to release her highly anticipated sophomore album I AM this autumn, “Nothing to Worry About” reaffirms Lexa Gates’ place as one of the most compelling voices shaping the future of rap and R&B.

Check back next week for more must-listens.