The column’s first edition in 2023 includes a K-pop banger, a country icon getting ready for the club, and a songwriter who demands our collective attention
Hello 2023! We’ve been away for a while, busy looking back at the year that was. I was thrilled that many discoveries from this column ended up becoming big hits for those respective artists and in fact many featured singles are continuing to impact charts around the world. In case you missed it, many of last year’s Hits of Tomorrow singles also featured prominently in my Top 100 Songs Of 2022 (check out the list here https://rollingstoneindia.com/the-100-best-international-songs-of-2022/).
With that said, the first week of the new year brings us a number of potential hits from the get-go. The benefit of releasing singles early in the new year are that they chart very highly at the year’s end thanks to the longevity they maintain all the way to December. Without further ado, here is Week 1 of 2023’s Hits of Tomorrow – the songs that deserve that extra little attention and deserve to be hits!
NewJeans proved to be one of my favorite new K-pop girl groups and they move from strength to strength with their new record OMG. Remember when girl groups ruled the airwaves? These ladies have made another bangin’ album here, which is another step in the right direction towards global domination. Perfectly laced in late-1990s nostalgia, the title song adds the same punch their previous effort (and Top 100 of 2022 featured single) “Hype Boy” did. Smash!
There were a good number of years when I truly thought MNEK would become a household name. His talent has always been immense but his singles haven’t always been. Thankfully, he gets another solid winner here with “Radio” that likely should follow in the massive footsteps of his hit with Joel Corry, “Head & Heart.” The single is addictively simple but MNEK’s vocals drive the song and by the second chorus, you’re not just bopping along, you’re singing along. For anyone nostalgic about the “radio,” this is 2023’s reminder that it’s still a thing, and let’s hope the format never dies!
LA’s Cheat Codes have collaborated with just about everyone and while I wasn’t expecting Dolly Parton to be their next featured guest, well, who doesn’t love her? Parton has been everywhere lately. From helping us with Covid vaccines to joining Miley Cyrus for New Year’s Eve, the icon has been enjoying quite the resurgence of late and rightfully so. “Bets On Us” is a perfect country-dance mashup that suits DJs as perfectly as it does country superstars. This isn’t just a fluke, though, as the electronic trio is prepping the release of their fourth album, One Night In Nashville, that includes a star-studded lineup of collaborators including Lady A, Brett Young and Little Big Town. Country never sounded this ready for Ibiza!
After the euphoric infusion by DJ Seeb on their hit “Atlantis” last year (the remix featured in 2022’s Best list too), the latest single by Seafret finds the band giving us a far more uplifting experience, and we are loving it. “See, I’m Sorry” is a perfect follow-up to the viral smash that brought the band a whole new audience last year. This single has everything needed to crack the Top 40 and become the global smash it deserves to be. Check out the equally fantastic music video for the track.
Songwriters often can’t keep giving us hit after hit but ROZES continues to deliver solid singles one after the other, though most have failed to garner her the recognition her skills deserve. It’s a shame because her voice soars on this track, matching the lyrical content. This might not sit easily between Doja Cat and Ed Sheeran on Top 40, but it is begging for inclusion on a killer soundtrack. Programmers, do your thing and please stop ignoring this immense talent!
On the cusp!
Listen To #HITSOFTOMORROW Playlist on Spotify!
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