Mattmac and Mariame's celebratory duet, and 6 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 find out what CBC Music producers are listening to this week.

'Find My Love,' Mattmac, Mariame

Searchlight winner Mattmac has released his newest single from his forthcoming album, That Sauce Volume 1, which drops later this fall. On "Find My Love," he teams up with R&B Cree singer Mariame for a celebratory empowerment anthem about finding success. Over crisp hip-hop beats, Mattmac raps about levelling up as he salutes kings, queens and anyone else "trying to make a difference" while chasing their dreams. Mariame's silky vocals evoke flashes of Brandy circa the '90s, adding a sleek but punchy contrast to Mattmac's melodic verses. Both musicians will be performing the new song together for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation's Orange Shirt Day event on Sept. 28 in Ottawa.  — Natalie Harmsen

'Where My Girls At,' Nobro 

If you're unfamiliar with Montreal rock band Nobro, then "Where My Girls At" serves as the perfect introduction. The lead single off their upcoming debut album, Set Your Pussy Free (out Oct. 27), tells the quartet's origin story. "Saved up and bought myself a bass," singer and bassist Kathryn Mccaughey sings, "dreaming of a way to get outta this place." The track's raucous energy revs up to a shout-along chorus: "Where my girls at?/ Where my girls at?/ Gonna start me a rock 'n' roll band, yeah." It illustrates the point where its members assemble, Avengers-style, but is also a call to action, encouraging women everywhere who might be interested in starting a band to simply pick up an instrument, round up some friends, and just start playing. So what're you waiting for? Go ahead and start a rock 'n' roll band now. — Melody Lau 

'Stranger,' RealestK

You said that you want every single part of me,
Now you're walking out,
Now you're a stranger to me.

When a relationship ends, your status can change from lover to stranger in the blink of an eye. It's particularly painful for the dumpee, and that's the POV RealestK takes on his latest single — his first music since 2022's Dreams 2 Reality. "Stranger" unfolds as an internal monologue with RealestK's solo voice reverberating in the echo chamber of his broken heart. Only an electric piano keeps the pulse. It's spare, but nothing more is needed for this tender outpouring. — Robert Rowat

'Just a Song,' Bahamas 

Bahamas' latest album, Bootcut, is billed as Afie Jurvanen's country turn. It was recorded at Nashville's Sound Emporium; it incorporates pedal steels and guitar solos; and Jurvanen is playing alongside country legends including Vince Gill, Mickey Raphael, Russ Pahl and Dave Roe. Over gentle strums, album highlight "Just a Song" explores the very idea of songwriting: the lessons Jurvanen has learned, and the fears that still exist when he picks up a guitar. "Don't polish up what should stay raw/ it's just a song," he assures listeners on the chorus with the nonchalance and wisdom of someone who is on their sixth album. "What I'm realizing is that the closer I can hew to that philosophy," Jurvanen told Rolling Stone, of the song's chorus, "the happier I am with the outcome and the more open I'm leaving it for the listener to discover." On "Just a Song," Jurvanen almost dares us to discover the songwriter that might exist inside ourselves. — ML

'Greedy,' Tate McRae

Known for power-pop ballads and melancholic musings about young womanhood, Tate McRae has racked up millions of streams over the years. But "Greedy" signals an exciting new direction: McRae's diva side is emerging, and we're seeing a level of self-assured boss energy we haven't yet from the Calgary-born pop princess. "Greedy" focuses on a man with an outsized view of himself and McRae cuts him down to size,  knowing her worth and refusing to be impressed by simple male attention. She shared in a press release that she wrote the song about "having the confidence to know what you want. I feel like this is the first time where people are seeing a feistier and more playful side of me." 

It's pop packed with an electric punch, and full of earwormy hooks. McRae co-wrote the song with a few hit-makers: Ryan Tedder (Taylor Swift, Beyoncé), Jasper Harris (Lil Nas X, Doja Cat) and Amy Allen (Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes). Since McRae is a professional dancer, I would be remiss not to mention the stellar Sean Bankhead (Normani, Missy Elliot) choreography that she absolutely bodies in the video. There's also a very fun Easter egg for fans of mid-2000s pop: the irresistible beat from Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" is sampled throughout.  — Kelsey Adams

'Shower Beer,' the Beaches

Toronto band the Beaches just released their sophomore album, Blame My Ex, and new single "Shower Beer" is a show-ready sing-along about giving into FOMO. "If you're asking me to follow/ I will never be a no-show/ you know I can never say no," Jordan Miller sweetly sings on the pre-chorus, starting the line off as a supportive gesture but twisting it to a personal need to be included. With bright guitars and gamboling drums, bandmates Miller, Kylie Miller, Leandra Earl and Eliza Enman-McDaniel walk a delightful line between laid back and anxious on "Shower Beer," where the titular drink can either be one of fortitude or procrastination. Choose your shower beer wisely, but either way the Beaches are here for you. — Holly Gordon

'Feel Good,' Charlotte Cardin

To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday (Canada-wide) with producer Ryan Chung and host Saroja Coelho, and Here and Now with Gill Deacon every Wednesday afternoon (in Toronto). Both are available via CBC Listen.