Kaytraminé's boastful bop, and songs from 7 more Juno nominees you need to hear this week

Songs you need to hear is CBC Music's weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.

This week, we're focusing on fresh music from some of the nominees at the 2024 Juno Awards, coming up on March 24 in Halifax.

Scroll down to discover their latest songs. 

'Clouds,' Jon Vinyl

With "Clouds," Jon Vinyl proves why he's been nominated at the Junos for three years straight: twice for traditional R&B/soul recording of the year, and most recently for contemporary R&B/soul recording of the year for Heartbreak Hill. "Clouds," an uxorious ballad, belongs to the former category — a throwback to '50s and '60s doo-wop, with its relaxed compound meter and slapping back beat, perfect for a romantic slow waltz (the song was released on Valentine's Day). Gorgeous, restrained production complements Vinyl's gentle voice as he sings not only about mundane details ("I notice your hair on the sweaters I wear") but also lofty sentiments ("When you're around, I leave the ground"). It's a credible, sincere musical expression of love. — Robert Rowat

'Banzelo à Babi,' Moonshine, Andy S and Vanyfox

Montreal collective Moonshine always provides explosive energy, whether it's in its genre-spanning DJ sets or on albums full of original creations. Moonshine's 2023 compilation album, SMS for Location Vol. 5, is nominated for global music album of the year, and the group spent no time waiting between releases, dropping another album this past January. Noir Fever Pr​é​sente: Moonshine & La F​é​d​é​ration Internationale du Bruit bursts with collaborations with producers, artists and musicians from across the African diaspora, and "Banzelo à Babi" brings together Angolan and Ivorian music. Producer Vanyfox is known for his batida (a genre of dance music created by Angolan immigrants in Lisbon) rhythms and Ivorian rapper Andy S lights the track up with her rapid-fire bars. "Banzelo à Babi" is an immediate trip to a block party in a hot climate, where dancing in the streets is a must. — Kelsey Adams

'Take Me to Church' (Hozier cover), Allison Russell

Allison Russell just won her first Grammy for her 2023 album, The Returner, and is up for three Junos for the same work: songwriter and contemporary roots album of the year, and her music video for "Demons," directed by Ethan Tobman, is up for another. The Returner also nabbed the No. 2 spot on our 2023 list of best albums of the year. A month after she released that sophomore album, though, Russell released two Spotify singles: a reworked version of her Returner track "Stay Right Here," and an earth-shattering cover of Irish singer-songwriter Hozier's breakout 2013 hit, "Take Me to Church." While the original was already big and bold thanks to Hozier's trademark vocals and dramatic lyrics that compare relational devotion to religious worship, Russell infuses this new cover with her unmistakable spirit, teaming up with the Resistance Revival Chorus (a group of more than 60 women and non-binary singers) for a goosebump-inducing experience. The two artists have a history of collaboration — Hozier did backing vocals for Russell's song "Requiem" off The Returner, and Hozier's upcoming EP will feature Russell — and the respect and care between the two is palpable in the way Russell has wholly inhabited her version of "Take Me to Church." — Holly Gordon

'Shortest Fuse,' Softcult

Kitchener, Ont., rockers Softcult landed on our radar two years ago when we featured sisters Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn's feminist anthems on CBC Music's The Intro. Now their third EP, See You in the Dark, has landed them their first Juno nomination for alternative album of the year. As the band has grown in recent years, gaining a sizeable audience and praise from Stereogum and Alternative Press, Softcult's musical mission statement has remained the same: call out injustices and channel it through equal parts rage and empathy. "Shortest Fuse," off an upcoming EP, tackles the oppressive nature of capitalism. "Be safe and complacent/ is that what you call free enterprise?" Mercedes questions on the track, calling out those who fall in line. While Phoenix and Mercedes have typically conveyed their frustrations through unabashedly loud gut-punches, "Shortest Fuse" leans more toward a dreamy grunge soundscape, proving the band's expansive range and exciting potential. — Melody Lau 

'Master P,' Kaytraminé feat. Big Sean

Rapper Aminé sounds triumphant on "Master P," the fast-paced song that serves as his PSA to other artists that he's inimitable: "I'm a deadbeat dad, so my sons want attention/ daddy don't care, I ain't Eddie to these children," he spits in a comical reference to the 2003 film Daddy Day Care. A guest verse from rapper Big Sean fits in seamlessly with Aminé's parts, plus Toronto rapper Jazz Cartier pops up for an appearance on the chorus. Rather than sounding bloated by the variety of voices vying for attention, the track gives each artist their moment to shine. It's all made cohesive by Kaytranada, whose sampling of "Yeh Hawa Yeh Fiza" by playback singers Asha Bhosle and Suresh Wadkar gives "Master P" an atmospheric touch. It's boastful and fun, filled with creative flourishes. Aminé's cadence coasts as Kaytranada's beats steer the song to the finish line, and he wraps things up with a nostalgic sample of Just-Ice's "Latoya." — Natalie Harmsen

'Love in Me,' Jhyve and Jessie Reyez

Jhyve's 2023 song "Unbreakable" is up for traditional R&B/soul recording of the year and his latest single, "Love in Me," is a perfect example of the R&B prowess that has made him a two-time nominee. Collaborating with his longtime friend, fellow Toronto singer Jessie Reyez, the 2021 CBC Searchlight winner has penned an ode to those jaded by love, who are ready to break the cycles of toxicity that they feel trapped in. "Love in Me" is hazy and sparse in its production, which lets the severity of the lyrics about feeling incapable of connecting in a healthy way land with their full weight: "Toxic and young I/ been a martyr in love," and "Know I got thug in me/ I don't got hugs in me." But they've finally found a love that allows them to soften and open up, and, ultimately, to heal. Reyez's grit complements Jhyve's unfussy vocal delivery, adding gravitas to the song's complicated subject matter. — KA

'Next Time,' Caity Gyorgy

Caity Gyorgy won the Juno Award for best vocal jazz album of the year in 2022 and 2023, and she's aiming for a rare Juno three-peat this year with a nomination for You're Alike, You Two. While she's known especially for her mind-blowing, dexterous vocal transcriptions of famous instrumental solos, her most recent song finds her in ballad territory with strings and a seductive clarinet. It's an original composition all about zipping your lip. "Next time, I'll keep my cards close to my chest," she begins, adding, "Next time I go to speak a word, I'll bite my tongue and stay unheard." Clever lyrics, and not necessarily the best advice, but her confiding tone draws you in and makes you wonder about the back story. After the bridge, she returns in robust voice with subtle melodic adjustments, underlining an irony that may have escaped you at the song's outset. — RR

'Nothing but Love,' Lu Kala

Lu Kala took over 2023 with her fiery orange hair and belted pop anthems, and the Junos seem to agree, nominating her for breakthrough artist and single of the year. Inescapable on Top 40 radio, "Pretty Girl Era" and "Hotter Now" were high-energy and brimming with confidence. In contrast, her latest single, "Nothing but Love," is a slowed-down heartbreak ballad. Flexing her vocal skills and expressing new emotional depth, Lu Kala proves she can tackle another side of pop. With devastating lyricism and soaring high notes, she's ready for the ballad big leagues. "In the mirror I'm fine but inside all the glass inside me shattered," she sings in the pre-chorus, before the song's heart cracks open and she achingly admits, despite everything her ex-lover put her through, that she still has nothing but love for them. — KA

Host Nelly Furtado is bringing the party to the 2024 Juno Awards on Sunday, March 24, at 8 p.m ET. Tune in on CBC-TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.