Tika's joyful fantasy, and 6 other songs you need to hear this week

Every week, CBC Music producers come together to highlight some of Canada's best new releases. The rule: if it's a song you need to hear, you'll find it on this list.

This week, we have songs from:

• Bülow covering Frank Ocean.
• Anomalie and Chromeo.
• Shawn Mendes.
• Dear-God.
• Jazz Cartier.
• U.S. Girls featuring Rich Morel.
• Tika.

Scroll down to find out why you need to hear them, too. 

What are some Canadian tunes you're currently obsessed with? Share with us on Twitter @CBCMusic.

Tune into CBC Music Mornings every Thursday to hear CBC Music's Jess Huddleston and Saroja Coehlo reveal which of these tracks is the standout new Canadian song.

'Lost' (Frank Ocean cover), bülow

This year, artists have been responding to our pandemically heightened appetites for nostalgia with an array of cover songs, and this moving version of Frank Ocean's "Lost" has satisfied a craving. Bülow warms up the original's alt-rock sound by transforming it into an intimate guitar song, its straightforward accompaniment focusing the ear on her signature steamy vocals. As she gets deeper into the narrative — all about travels with a cocaine-addicted girlfriend — the rhythm guitar starts to warp and distort, a gutting contradiction to the assertion that there's "nothin' wrong, no, nothin' wrong with a lie." — Robert Rowat

'Always Been You,' Shawn Mendes 

There's a scene in Shawn Mendes' recent Netflix documentary, In Wonder, where the Canadian pop star is driving on a Toronto highway while previewing a new tune. The song, which we now know to be "Always Been You," fades out for a brief moment, only to come swinging back in full with a giant burst of horns and drums. Mendes is animated as he describes the feeling of "heaven" when the instruments part and his voice pushes in with the repeated refrain, "It's always been you." 

Perhaps struck by the love bug since his last, self-titled album — his relationship with fellow pop star Camila Cabello is a clear presence throughout his new album, Wonder — Mendes is now preoccupied with the idea of grandiosity. And "Always Been You," co-written by Canadian songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr., is as grand a romantic gesture as any. While we still prefer Mendes' more intricately carved-out pop hooks (for that, we'll refer you to "Teach me How to Love" and "Dream"), there is definitely a time and place for big proclamations of love — and "Always Been You" is that moment. — Melody Lau 

'Santa Stay Home,' U.S. Girls feat. Rich Morel

When landfills overflow
Around the globe
You sit up there in your
Red judge robe
This charade has got to end
Mr. White Christmas, this is what I recommend

U.S. Girls' Meg Remy doesn't mince words in the opening verse of her new Christmas song, written with American songwriter Rich Morel. Floating atop jingle bells and light piano, those first six lines give way to a highly singable, anti-consumerist rant set to a glitzy kick-drum-and-tambourine beat. It's not your average festive song, but it really is a delight to sing the line "Presents don't mean shit" while dancing along to Remy's irresistible vocals. And she's not wrong! Her advice — "Santa stay home, get to know yourself"  — is honestly good advice for us all this year. — Holly Gordon

'Slamdance,' Dear-God

It never fails to amaze me when an artist perfectly captures a sound from an era they weren't even alive to experience in real time. Dear-God's Robert Ortiz was born just after the millennium mainstream was shifting from nu-metal and punk-rap to make way for slightly more digestible hybrid chart-toppers like Linkin Park and Bring me the Horizon. Yet somehow, Ortiz captures the electricity of Limp Bizkit and Beastie Boys on "Slamdance," his voice thrashing against the buzzy backbeat like screaming fans against each other in the muddy Woodstock '99 mosh pit. "The world's falling down but we'rе shaking around," could be the bumper sticker for this messy year — if nothing else, reminding us to find some sort of loud, rebellious release when the going gets tough. — Jess Huddleston

Editor's note: strong language warning.

'Champ de Mars,' Anomalie, Chromeo

Here's the dose of psychedelic jazz we didn't realize was missing from 2020. It's a predominantly instrumental track showcasing Anomalie's lovely piano improvisation, which is framed by episodes of juicy synthesizer chords, a solid hip-hop beat and the repeated vocal, "If you want it, you can reach the sky!" It's a liberating mantra, considering the limits COVID-19 has placed on nearly every endeavour. Adopt the song as your daily, two-minute-and-15-second inspirational boost. — RR

'Soothing Love,' Tika

Montreal R&B singer Tika just dropped the video for her new single, "Soothing Love," and it's a gorgeous affirmation of Blackness in spaces that don't typically include the Black experience — particularly not ones of joy and fulfilment. Created with director Naskademini, "Soothing Love" features Tika and fellow musicians Elle Barbara and Tali Taliwah (of Nomadic Massive) as shimmering mermaids in soft, supportive focus, celebrating that soothing love in a track that holds a glimmer of '90s-era Toni Braxton. Via Instagram Stories the day of the video's release, Tika wrote: "The vision of mermaids was so important to me because exploring themes of Black fantasy, depicting happy endings in Blackness, are at the heart of my work. I wanted to show what I've never seen, the possibility of what it could be like to be desired as a Black fantasy character through the eyes of Tina, my Prince Eric." Tika's debut album, Anywhere but Here, will drop on Feb. 26, 2021, and we'll have this and earlier single "Sideways" — as well as their videos — on repeat until then. — HG

'Basement,' Jazz Cartier

The latest single from Jazz Cartier's highly anticipated sophomore album, due in 2021, shows off the Toronto rapper's effortless gift for incorporating melody in his flow. Working with L.A.-based producer Lil Rich (Da Baby, YG), "Basement" is a mellower, more pop-forward song than his first single, "Disclosure," allowing Cartier to put the emphasis on finding a vibe rather than hitting us with pure energy, as so much of his music does. Over finger-picked guitar and trap snares, Cartier sing-raps his way through a song about his journey from the basement to Sunset Boulevard. "From the beginning to now, learning who to trust and not, as well as remembering to stay steadfast," Cartier said in a press release. "'Basement' is me looking into the mirror, seeing how far I've come and knowing I still have more to go." — Jesse Kinos-Goodin