Skiifall and Jorja Smith's tropical collab, and 3 more songs you need to hear
Listen to fresh new tracks from the Weather Station, Aysanabee and Maddie Jay
Songs you need to hear is CBC Music's weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.
Scroll down to discover the songs our producers are loving right now.
'Her World,' Skiifall feat. Jorja Smith
On Skiifall's latest lovers rock-infused EP, Lovers Till I'm Gone, the Montreal via Saint Vincent artist's feelings flow with ease as he reflects on all the various ways to fall in love. While embracing the tropical rhythms of his birthplace on "Her World" — when creating the project, he was inspired to create music that his mother would enjoy — Skiifall details a classic romantic gesture he hopes will woo a past love interest: "Mi throw a stone at yo' window," he sings over fluttering beats. U.K. R&B star Jorja Smith portrays the skeptical recipient of his affections, singing: "So why did I ever think that you ever learned?/ Now just tell me what I wanna hear," and letting Skiifall know she's not easily swayed. Smith's silky voice pairs incredibly well with Skiifall's bouncy vocals, resulting in an electric collaboration. The lyrics playfully showcase his journey to redeeming himself as a partner, and by the end of the track you can't help but root for him as he tries to win her back. — Natalie Harmsen
'Mirror,' the Weather Station
Tamara Lindeman, a.k.a the Weather Station, has spent years documenting the climate crisis in her work, releasing 2021's Polaris Prize-shortlisted Ignorance as a double-sided coin connecting relational and climate heartbreak. She's dug even deeper on her imminent seventh album, Humanhood, and the final single, "Mirror," is a burst of light at a time when the world is literally on fire. "You were dousing your fields in a chemical rain, you were cutting my arm to transcend your own pain/ oh but God is a mirror — everything is," she sings, again showing us how the climate crisis and our relationships to the world and each other are, as the title suggests, mirrored. A sturdy drum beat leads us through "Mirror," as the Weather Station's improvisational band mixes gentle piano, synth and saxophone for a groove that ebbs and flows with Lindeman's soft but steady voice. The track ends with a quietly chaotic breakdown, which feels apt for the time we're living through. — Holly Gordon
'Stop Me If I've Told You This Story,' Maddie Jay
Maddie Jay's debut album, I Can Change Your Mind, is a masterclass in storytelling, and the self-reflexive track "Stop Me If I've Told You This Story" showcases Jay's adeptness at penning charmingly relatable lyrics. "Last summer I got stuck, I was smoking way too much," she sings softly over woozy, psychedelic instrumentals, her voice hovering just above a whisper. As she frets over how to get her life together, she finds joy in overcoming her missteps: "Just tie me to the anchor and throw me overboard if it's not too much trouble," she jokes. It's these growing pains that will strike a chord with anyone who has ever wondered if they're sailing in the right direction. "I wrote [the song] completely alone in the desert about the euphoria of the feeling that I was finally finding my footing and finally being comfortable in my skin after a lifetime of feeling like a bit of an alien," she explained in a press release. "Stop Me If I've Told You This Story" is an upper chock-full of realistic anecdotes that reminds listeners that it's never too late to level up. — NH
'Edge of the Earth,' Aysanabee
Aysanabee has quickly become one of the country's most prolific songwriters, releasing new music for the past four consecutive years. He continues that streak with his early 2025 entry, "Edge of the Earth," an emotionally-charged ode to "anyone who has fallen in and out of love, and has come out on the other side of its reckoning," as he explained in a press release. Kicking off with his signature fingerstyle guitar, the track builds to a cathartic burst, like a dam breaking open, with Aysanabee finding relief in admitting: "Walking to the edge of the earth/ and I still haven't thought of you/ Walked away from all of the hurt/ that I kept running to." Catch Aysanabee live as he sets off on his first headlining tour next month, which will take him from Ontario to Atlantic Canada. — Melody Lau
To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday (Canada-wide) with producer Nathan Gill and host Damhait Doyle, and Here and Now with Ramraajh Sharvendiran every Wednesday afternoon (in Toronto). Both are available via CBC Listen.