Sylo and Nonso Amadi's serene love song, and 5 more songs you need to hear this week

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.

'Babyboo,' Sylo feat. Nonso Amadi

Rising R&B stars Sylo and Nonso Amadi are throwing their hats in the song-of-the-summer ring with "Babyboo," a collaboration that's been years in the making. The two first started working on this track in a session three years ago, but didn't have a home for it at the time. Now, with its place on Sylo's upcoming project Dreamt That I Was (out July 25), "Babyboo" is finally getting its release. A propulsive proclamation of love, the track boasts an infectious chorus that's supported by individual verses showcasing each artist's proficiency at wrapping their distinct voices and cadences around producer Goldchain's instrumentation, which draws from global inspirations. (Goldchain has worked with Sylo and Amadi separately, in addition to artists including Devon Cole and Kroy.) Here's hoping we don't have to wait three more years for another dynamic collaboration from these two. — Melody Lau 

'You wore it better,' Nemahsis

Palestinian Canadian pop singer Nemahsis hilariously unpacks the emotional trials and tribulations of trying to feel confident in an outfit on "you wore it better." Colourful, fashion-forward imagery floods the lyrics: "But these are 501 jeans/ wash out the hue, might make it better/ they'll look cool on anyone but me," she sings. The bubbly melody and bright chorus make it an earworm, but Nemahsis still finds a moment for a brief, passionate belt near the end of the track. "Don't get me started on these shoes," she sings, brushing off any expectations of glamour with a wink. "My friend once wore this T-shirt, and I wanted to look as cool as them, so I bought a matching one," Nemahsis told Alternative Press about what inspired her. "It took me years to comfortably wear it because I had convinced myself it didn't look as good on me as it did on them. When I wrote this song, I remembered this child-size, cheap Niagara Falls merch T-shirt, and I just laughed a little." — Natalie Harmsen

'Cheerleader,' Quarterback Baby

If you're in need of a jolt of pure, unadulterated fun, look no further than Quarterback Baby's latest offering, "Cheerleader." It's the first single from the Toronto pop singer's upcoming sophomore album, Hypersexual Heartbreak (out July 19), and it's an excellent introduction for the unacquainted. Quarterback Baby has delivered a slick pop anthem with earworm hooks and just the right amount of real emotion: "I just need a cheerleader who can take the pain away." Channeling the spirit of Blackout-era Britney Spears with the raunch of "Dirrty"-era Christina Aguilera, "Cheerleader" is immensely danceable, chock full of innuendos and a wild ride from start to finish. And look out for the chanting breakdown at the end of the song — it's one of the most fun music video moments of the year so far. — Kelsey Adams

'If We Only Knew,' Jayda G

Music producer and environmental toxicologist Jayda G is no stranger to using field recordings in her music — her 2019 album, Significant Changes, was an ode to her thesis featuring whale sounds — and her newest track includes nature sounds from seven vastly different countries. As part of the 2024 climate-change documentary Blue Carbon, which she hosted, Jayda G travelled to Florida, Vietnam, the U.S., Senegal, France, Colombia and Brazil to highlight the ocean's potential to absorb carbon, and while doing so she collected sounds to create the film's moving final song. Over manatees munching on seagrass, mangroves clicking and popping (the sound of them breathing when the tide is low), and the stunning vocals of Ibeyi's Lisa-Kaindé Diaz, Jayda G gives us the danceable "If We Only Knew,"  a "heartfelt plea to Mother Nature," the producer described in a press release. As Diaz sings "I keep calling your name" over and over, Jayda G moulds an environment for reconnection with nature — in the hopes that it will forgive us for our destruction, and we can find a better future together. — Holly Gordon 

'All on Me,' Chikoruss

Montreal's Chikoruss has only released a handful of singles so far ("Body Language," "USC," "In 2 Deep"), but each one has hit its mark, garnering robust streaming numbers and catching the attention of 300 Entertainment, which has brought him into its fold. Inspired by 2000s-era R&B artists like Omarion and Sean Paul, Chikoruss continues his meteoric rise with "All on Me," a bouncy ode to a "fine and grindin'" lady named Shayla. The video, directed by Zae Alverez, depicts the two of them in the back seat of a vintage, red convertible, gliding through the palm tree-lined streets of L.A. — a utopian setting that matches Chikoruss's charming voice and optimism as he sings, "The way I talk to her, got her in her zone/ ain't gotta be nervous, I can hear it in her tone." — Robert Rowat

'Blink Twice,' Cecile Believe

Cecile Believe is back with the slinky, iced-out number "Blink Twice." The last thing we heard from the Montreal singer and producer was 2023's "I Got a Bike," a collaboration with Casey MQ, who also has writing credits on this new track. It's been four years since Cecile Believe's last full-length album, Plucking a Cherry From the Void, and "Blink Twice" is a welcome return to the artist's biting, incisive lyricism and pulsing production. It feels perfectly primed to soundtrack the opening sequence of the sexiest sci-fi film you've ever seen, with robots clad in latex and chrome that beckon and tease. The actual music video is much more tame, but I'm letting my imagination run wild thanks to the grooving bass drums, glitchy synths and Cecile Believe's compelling vocals: "If you wanna fly/ in the sky/ she's your guy/ and if you're feeling shy/ blink twice." — KA