The best new tracks, picked by our staff

Want to keep up with the best new music?

Listen to this weekly playlist, lovingly curated by The Face’s editorial team.

Charli XCX – Von Dutch

After weeks of teasing it on socials, Charli XCX has finally released Von Dutch into the world. It doesn’t disappoint. Produced by regular collaborator Easyfun, the club-ready banger is inspired by the in-you-face electro-house anthems of the mid-‘00s Myspace era. ​“It’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me,” Charli purrs, garbling her irresistible melodies with AutoTune. ​“I heard you talk about me, that’s the word on the street” – giving us a taste of brash and no-fucks-given attitude that fuels her forthcoming album Brat. The blood-splattered video follows THE FACE cover star as she’s stalked by paparazzi in the airport. As we watch through the gaze of a voyeuristic cameraperson, Charli laps up the attention while also delivering violent blows. Ouch. DR

Jawnino – Lost My Brain

This is the third Jawnino track we’ve recently included on Rated by The Face, following 2trains and It’s Cold Out, which indicates that the London rapper’s forthcoming EP 40 is going to be excellent. This time, he’s nonchalantly delivering his poetic bars over explosive drum ​‘n’ bass production. It can sound a little corny when rappers hop on a club beat even though it’s obvious they’ve hardly spent any time in the dance. But Jawns is convincing as an introspective raver. ​“I’m with Jimmy popping pain,” he raps, ​“Can’t take any more of these pills or I just might find what I left in vain.” DR

Chy Cartier – Like Magic

All eyes have been on Chy Cartier since last November, when she dropped her viral track Bossed Up and got cosigned by half the UK rap scene. The Tottenham artist has been praised for her original flows and smart strategy, both of which she references on follow-up single Like Magic: ​“You gotta listen, to my rhymes a couple times to really overstand, I over plan, I over think,” she raps. In an era when artists flood our feeds with all the content they have just so that we remember their names, it’s refreshing to have a new rapper on the scene who’s taking a more considered approach. DR

BXKS – Excuse Me ft. Joe James

Luton-born rapper BXKS is all about showcasing her versatility on her new EP One Time, flexing her dextrous flow over everything from old school grime to house beats. On Excuse Me, though, BXKS winds things down a bit, rapping over smooth sax riffs and passing the mic to the stoic rapper Joe James for the last verse. ​“Never seen a cadence so excellent it makes you wanna bounce,” raps BXKS, hyping herself up. And it’s hard to disagree. OP

Cardi B – Like What (Freestyle)

​“Ayo, let me put some gas in this motherfuckin’ year, bitch /​I ain’t really talked my shit in a minute,” opens Cardi B on her new freestyle Like What. She’s not wrong. Although Cardi dropped a few features and collabs, including her Megan Thee Stallion renunion Bongos, this is her first solo release since 2021. Sampling Missy Elliott’s She’s a Bitch, the track feels like an assured reminder that Cardi’s still at the top of her game, full of ostentatious brags and tongue-in-cheek digs at her haters. OP