Welcome to Songs You Need to Know, our weekly rundown of the best music right now. The Rolling Stone Philippines team is constantly sharing things to listen to, and each week, we compile a ragtag playlist of songs that we believe every music fan today needs to know. Whether it’s the hottest new single or an old track that captures the state of the present, our hope is that you discover something for your musical canon.
This week’s songs are full of collaborations, high stakes, and boundary-pushing production. Pulling from different corners of pop, indie, and rap, this week’s songs include beabadoobee linking up with The Marías for a hazy, slow-burning duet; Skusta Clee and Flow G looking back at the good old days; and Nettspend pushing his zoomer energy further with help from NBA YoungBoy. Elsewhere, the lineup drifts through softer edges and heavier bursts, from Sweet Pill’s sharp turns to Dev Lemon’s quirky electronica.
Dreamy rock with a tinge of trip-hop
It was only a matter of time before indie favorites beabadoobee and The Marías collaborated on a song. Both María Zardoya and Filipino-British singer beabadoobee have a delicate quality to their voices that, when brought together, make for strong vocal performances next to Josh Conway’s washy, ethereal drumming. “All I Did Was Dream of You” is beabadoobee’s latest single after her 2024 rock album This Is How Tomorrow Moves. —Pie Gonzaga
A bouncy pop track to send to a heartbroken friend
We’ve all been there: your friend’s dating the worst guy on earth, but she doesn’t want to leave him because she’s “afraid of being alone,” so you’re left to let this train wreck of a relationship unfold without being able to do anything about it. MØ speaks to this experience in the pop track, “Hunnybån.” Along with another single, “Fine Curls,” “Hunnybån” marks the Danish pop artist’s comeback from the 2025 album Plæygirl. The track is bouncy and distortion-heavy, reminiscent of MØ’s earlier work, like the 2015 hit “Kamikaze” or the 2018 album Forever Neverland. —Pie Gonzaga
New gen emo burns bright like a star in the sky
When pop-punk meets Midwest emo, the combination can feel excessive. The whining is already heightened, and the usual time signature shifts and finger-tapping don’t always help. But Philadelphia band Sweet Pill makes the merge feel natural. That balance comes through clearly on their latest single, “Smoke Screen.”
The track carries the expected elements: bursts of screaming, sharp, angular guitar riffs. What pushes it further is the writing. The lyrics cut deeper than the genre’s usual emotional shorthand. Lines like “Back and forth between / Right and wrong won’t save me” and “I wanna be put out / But my mouth is a torch / And every word I spoke / Burnt up a hole” show vocalist Zayna Youssef locked in a push-and-pull dynamic with guitarist and co-vocalist Jayce Williams. By the end of the song, one of them gives way emotionally. —Elijah Pareño
Partners in hip-hop looking back at the good old days
Skusta Clee and Flow G have been part of the same orbit for years before landing where they are now; from early Panty Droppaz League days to Ex Battalion’s run.
“Since Day One” doubles down into what they already do best: Skusta Clee locks in the hook with ease, while Flow G handles the memorable 16-bar verses. The production keeps things familiar with a simple synth line running through the track, leaving enough space for both to settle into their roles. In their latest collaboration, loyal fans get a good time by way of their trademark sticky hooks and melodic verse writing courtesy of hip-hop’s most notable ride or die duo. —Elijah Pareño
Rage music and elite ball knowledge
Nettspend skirts through “Masked Up” with the same raging energy that defines his sound, this time alongside NBA YoungBoy, who comes in with a more measured presence while the 19-year-old from Richmond goes into his usual chaotic delivery.
The contrast works. Nettspend keeps things loose and unpredictable, while YoungBoy’s cadence holds the track together. The former’s delivery lands with more angst, and the song follows that lead. Once the latter enters, the track levels up that intensity right away. Nettspend and NBA Youngboy’s exchange is an effective yin-and-yang dynamic. —Elijah Pareño
A surprisingly sleek downtempo cut from an internet jokester
For the terminally online, Dev Lemons is that girl on TikTok who tries to remake popular songs with her computer muted. But don’t be fooled by her messed-up remakes of Charli XCX’s “Vroom Vroom” or Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso;” Dev Lemons is actually an adept musician. Her single “Be Cool” is sleek and minimally percussive, her vocals floating in a bottomless pool of synths and reverb. —Pie Gonzaga
