High Taste: Songs You Need In Your Playlist Rotation This Week

Building the perfect playlist is an art form. The best collections don’t stick to a single genre

or era. Instead, they move effortlessly between timeless classics, emerging artists, and unexpected discoveries that somehow fit together perfectly. This week’s edition of High Taste does exactly that.

From the moody atmosphere of The Neighbourhood’s “Stargazing” to the immortal synths of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” these tracks prove that great music never goes out of style. Elsewhere, Drake delivers introspection on “Plot Twist,” while Stephen Marley keeps things grounded with the uplifting energy of “Hey Baby.”

Dreamy selections like Ghost Loft’s “Too High,” Hazel English’s “California Dreamin’,” and Elli Elli’s “I Got Summer on My Mind” bring hazy summer energy, while Casket Cassette’s “Melting Angels” leans into raw emotion and texture. Reggae and electronic influences collide on Manudigital and Joseph Cotton’s “Only Just Begun,” adding another layer to this week’s sonic journey.

Among the standouts is 21-year-old folk artist Stella Prince, whose stirring rendition of “For What It’s Worth” breathes new life into a protest anthem first written nearly six decades ago. Drawing inspiration from Laurel Canyon’s golden era while speaking directly to Gen Z, Prince reminds listeners that some songs never lose their relevance.

Whether you’re chasing nostalgia, discovering your next obsession, or simply refreshing your queue, these are the songs currently living rent-free in our rotation.

Songs You Need In Your Playlist Rotation This Week

The Neighbourhood – “Start”

The Neighbourhood has built a career on crafting moody soundscapes that feel both cinematic and deeply personal, and “Start” is no exception. The track captures the band’s signature blend of atmospheric production and emotional vulnerability, creating a listening experience that feels introspective without losing its edge.

Son Kuma - Keep That Energy

Son Kuma brings science, self-discovery, and modern ambition into the same conversation on Keep That Energy. Drawing from his background in mathematical physics, the Inglewood artist structures the project around equations and concepts of motion, work, power, and potential while examining a far less measurable subject: what deserves our time.

Paired with a manga-inspired visual world, the album traces Kuma’s shift away from endless productivity and external validation toward self-acceptance, meaningful relationships, and purpose. Keep That Energy ultimately reframes energy as personal currency, asking listeners to consider not how much they can give, but whether they are giving it to something that actually matters.

taves - Popstar SIDE A

Nigerian rising artist taves gets personal on Popstar SIDE A, an eight-track snapshot of love, pressure, faith, desire, and trying to keep your head straight while life moves fast.

From the breakout “Uche Jombo” to the conflicted “Chaos” and introspective “Space,” Taves isn't pretending to have everything figured out. Instead, he's letting listeners into the messy middle of becoming who you're supposed to be, blending Afrobeats, R&B, and alternative pop along the way.

Isaiah Angel Hubbird - Summer Daze

Isaiah Angel Hubbird turns an unexpected creative connection into Summer Daze, a personal EP shaped by the complicated space between admiration, friendship, and feelings that gradually become impossible to ignore.

Inspired by a fellow musician who influenced him both personally and creatively, the project traces a summer of late-night conversations, vulnerability, romantic distance, hope, and the lingering uncertainty of whether those feelings might ever be returned. Each song captures another stage of that experience, from wanting to make someone smile to recognizing the rare comfort of feeling at home with another person.

Featuring a guest appearance from Rae Lynne, Summer Daze allows songwriting to become the conversation Hubbird struggled to have directly. More than a straightforward collection of love songs, the EP documents the emotional limbo that exists before a relationship has been defined, when possibility can feel equally exciting and terrifying.

Mic Rocca - "Salty Powers"

Mic Rocca has built his career through persistence, self-education, and a commitment to maintaining control over his work. As the founder of Randumb Enterprises, the independent hip-hop artist has expanded his role from rapper to producer, engineer, and publisher.

His single “Salty Powers” brings that evolution into focus, pairing confident lyricism with a sample of The Whole Darn Family’s “7 Minutes of Funk.” Centered on ambition and the tension that can arise when personal growth makes others uncomfortable, the track reflects Rocca’s refusal to limit his progress for anyone else. More than a statement of confidence, “Salty Powers” captures an artist increasingly equipped to build, manage, and define his career on his own terms.

Stoopid Swagg - Painful Success

Stoopid Swagg is a hip-hop producer and creative visionary approaching music as something closer to world-building than traditional beatmaking. His instrumental work combines contemporary hip-hop and trap with cinematic production, using tension, space, texture, and dynamics to tell stories without relying on lyrics.

On “Painful Success,” he explores the complicated relationship between ambition and adversity, transforming rejection, sacrifice, and pressure into a record about what achievement actually costs. His broader vision extends beyond sound into artwork, mythology, and visual storytelling, with each release designed to feel like part of the larger Stoopid Swagg universe.

Depeche Mode – "Enjoy the Silence"

Some songs transcend generations, and "Enjoy the Silence" remains one of synth-pop's defining masterpieces. With its haunting melodies and timeless message about the power of quiet connection, Depeche Mode's classic continues to influence artists across genres decades after its release.

D1do & BEX - “Foreign”

"Foreign" is an uplifting dance-pop anthem about embracing life's unknowns with confidence rather than fear. Pairing infectious electronic production with heartfelt lyricism, D1do & BEX capture the excitement of stepping into new relationships, experiences, and chapters in life. The result is a feel-good single that transforms uncertainty into optimism, encouraging listeners to find joy in what's waiting beyond their comfort zone.

Drake – "Plot Twist"

Drake has long mastered the art of turning personal reflection into cultural moments, and "Plot Twist" continues that tradition. Balancing confidence with vulnerability, the track showcases the introspective songwriting that has made him one of music's most influential voices.

Stephen Marley – "Hey Baby"

Blending reggae warmth with uplifting energy, Stephen Marley's "Hey Baby" remains a feel-good anthem that transcends borders. Rooted in the Marley family's musical legacy, the track delivers positivity while maintaining the soulful authenticity reggae fans have come to expect.

Casket Cassette – "Melting Angels"

"Melting Angels" thrives in emotional complexity, pairing dreamy textures with raw lyricism. Casket Cassette crafts an immersive listening experience that lingers long after the final note, proving vulnerability can be one of music's greatest strengths.

Erin Kirby - "Some Version of It"

Erin Kirby is making optimism cool again with her latest single, “Some Version of It.” Blending country storytelling with polished pop and soulful vocals, Kirby flips the usual heartbreak narrative and makes a case for staying open to love, even after a few disasters along the way. Bright, catchy, and refreshingly sincere, it’s the kind of feel-good release that doesn’t feel forced.

Ghost Loft – "Too High"

Ghost Loft has always excelled at creating music that feels suspended between dream and reality. "Too High" wraps listeners in hazy production and hypnotic melodies, delivering a mood that's equal parts introspective and escapist.

Hazel English – "California Dreamin'"

Hazel English brings her trademark dream-pop sensibilities to "California Dreamin'," transforming the familiar into something distinctly her own. The result is a sun-drenched reimagining that captures both nostalgia and modern indie charm.

Elli Elli – "I Got Summer on My Mind"

Few songs capture the feeling of endless summer quite like "I Got Summer on My Mind." With airy production and infectious energy, Elli Elli delivers a track that feels tailor-made for golden hour drives and warm-weather playlists.

AC Lightnin - 'They Call Me AC'

AC Lightnin is proving that vulnerability still has a place in hip-hop. On They Call Me AC, the New York artist blends soulful production with honest reflections on faith, identity, and resilience, delivering a mixtape that values authenticity over image. Rather than chasing trends, AC Lightnin offers a thoughtful body of work that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.

The beauty of a great playlist is that it never really ends. Every week brings another artist to discover, another forgotten classic to revisit, and another track that unexpectedly becomes the soundtrack to your day. Until next time, press play, keep an open mind, and let the music surprise you.