Valley's optimistic earworm, and 6 more songs you need to hear this week

Here at CBC Music, we're always on high alert for new songs by Canadian artists.

This week, we're listening to new tracks from:

• K-Riz.
• Waahli featuring Clerel.
• Naomi.
• Valley.
• Noelle.
• Men I Trust.
• Sundae Girl.

Scroll down to find out why you need to listen, too.

What new Canadian tunes are you currently obsessed with? Share them with us on Twitter @CBCMusic.

To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday, available via CBC Listen.

'Whatever U Like,' K-Riz 

The first single off of Edmonton rapper K-Riz's upcoming album, One Way Ticket (out next spring), is surprisingly upbeat. After his last release, 2021's Peace & Love, which CBC Music's Beyond the 6 described as the rapper attempting to "make sense of the highs and lows in his life with a clarity and emotional vulnerability that recalls Kendrick Lamar at his most unguarded," listeners might be thrown off at first by his new, more dance-leaning direction. 

But according to K-Riz, that sonic shift can be credited to his recent move to Calgary, noting in a press release: "Dance music and different DJs in Calgary have been rubbing off on me and my creative process. I'm exploring and having fun creating." "Whatever U Like" reunites K-Riz with producer JDats (who worked on the rapper's 2020 EP, The Room) and its infectious soundscapes combine dancefloor ready beats with a more laid back jazz-infused vibe to create something undeniably groovy. Combine that with K-Riz's versatile flow, which switches from a rapid fire delivery to more of a sing-rap hook, and you've got yourself a hit lead single. We can't wait to hear what else he's got in store for us. — Melody Lau 

'Soap Box,' Waahli feat. Clerel

In July, Waahli wowed us with "Te revoir," a bilingual love song whose video imbued cold cityscapes with warm Caribbean sounds, and made us impatient for his long-overdue followup to 2018's Black Soap. Now we've been rewarded with Soap Box and its title track transports us from the inner city streets to an idyllic rural setting for a collaboration with singer-songwriter Clerel. The English-language song is upbeat and channels the folk traditions of the American South with harmonica and plucked guitar, inviting the listener to knee-slap in rhythm. Clerel's beautifully harmonized choruses frame Waahli's rap verses, all about initiating change from within. "The world won't wait for you if you start to sleep," he says, "Close your eyes, take a leap, see the fruits you'll reap." The Cotola-produced video depicts both musicians at a farm, forking hay, harvesting produce and taking turns stepping atop the song's titular soap box to have their say. — Robert Rowat

'M.E.F.B.,' Naomi

Montreal's Naomi was the first signee to Bravo Musique, Béatrice Martin's newly renamed label after she bought Dare to Care Records in 2021, and September gifted us with the singer's debut, self-titled album. While you may have already danced to previous singles "Tout à nous" and "Zéro stress," both co-written with Martin, album opener "M.E.F.B." is the moody track we're hooked on right now. A menacing piano drops us into the first verse, where Naomi sets the stage: 

Je t'envoie une facture pour la thérapie
Si tu vois ta soeur fais lui la bise
Si tu vois ta mère dis lui encore que j'suis qu'une amie
Entre nous deux y'a plus de signe de vie.

(I'll send you the bill for therapy/ if you see your sister give her a kiss/ if you see your mother tell her again that I'm still a friend/ between the two of us there are no more signs of life.)

Resigned but playful, Naomi seamlessly transitions between French and English, adjusting her flow to reflect her heartbreak and agency at the end of the relationship — a tough line to walk, but Naomi floats along it with ease. —  Holly Gordon

'The Problem Song,' Valley

Some years ago, a friend shared a perspective with me that stuck like glue: when faced with feelings of stress or overwhelm, take a beat and ask yourself: "Is there really a problem here?" More often than not, there isn't. You might be inconvenienced or experiencing an emotional reaction, but at the core, there's likely no major problem. Canadian alternative-pop favourites Valley highlight this in their joyous new anthem, "The Problem Song," which is built over an infectious, movie credit-ready vocal loop that draws you in from the first note. "Yeah, we got problems, but I know we can fix them," is about as straightforward a lyric as it gets, but as lead vocalist Rob Laska puts it, "We didn't hold back on really saying it as it is… It's about finding joy in the pursuit of starting again." As I personally enter into a new chapter, glued to my devices, ticking to-do lists — an optimistic earworm like this feels like a sign to just take that aforementioned beat, and remember to enjoy the ride. — Jess Huddleston

'Cold Killer,' Noelle

We've all been there before, entangled in what feels like a whirlwind romance only to realize that you were being played all along. Toronto-based singer Noelle has created an anthem for "everyone that's been screwed over by someone they thought they could trust," with "Cold Killer." It's a power-pop banger full of '80s-style synth and percussion, her voice full of gusto when she belts, "You're a cold killer, looking for a heart to break/ I swear you were just another stupid mistake." It's natural to be filled with rage when you've been taken for a fool and Noelle instills the track with such blazing fury that you'll be scream-singing along by the second verse. The most important outcome of "Cold Killer" is that she swears never to go back to the nefarious user, a lesson that is typically hard-won when it comes to matters of the heart. — Kelsey Adams

'Billie Toppy,' Men I Trust 

Montreal band Men I Trust have cultivated a signature dream-pop sound over the years, but on their latest single "Billie Toppy," the trio has swerved into a post-punk groove that is a great fit, sonically. Over a chugging bassline, sparkling synths and singer Emmanuelle Proulx's steady delivery, the song's rather upbeat nature is juxtaposed by the narrator's struggles with a partner named Billie. "Whenever you're in pain, don't turn to blame," Proulx sings on the chorus, which ends each time with the plea, "Please don't go out to stray." While "Billie Toppy" and "Hard to let Go," another track released earlier in the summer, are both one-off singles (and our first peek at new music since 2021's Untourable Album), we hope Men I Trust continue to grow their sound in new and surprising directions like this. — ML

'4 Months,' Sundae Girl

If you've been looking for that perfect kiss-off song to send your ex, Halifax's Sundae Girl just dropped the jam for you. "It's over/ it's been over/ long time coming!/ You found yourself a quick fix/ good luck, learning," belts Laura Dodds on the chorus, as bandmates Spencer McPhee (drums), Marcus Tracey (guitar) and Billy Taylor-Habib (bass) build a galloping, take-no-prisoners rhythm as her launching pad. The four musicians started Sundae Girl — named after a Blondie song — while in school for music arts six years ago, and their mix of pop, rock and shoegaze is as addictive as their namesake snack. Produced by John Mullane (In-Flight Safety), Sundae Girl's "4 Months" is a sing-along-ready banger served just right. —  HG