AP Dhillon and Stormzy's cross-cultural blend, 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 discover the songs our producers are loving right now.

'Problems Over Peace,' AP Dhillon and Stormzy

"This what happens when you mix Punjab royalty with South London's finest," British rapper Stormzy announces on "Peace Over Problems," his new collaboration with Punjabi Canadian hip-hop/pop artist AP Dhillon. The two musicians seamlessly mix the sounds of grime and U.K. rap with Punjabi music for a simmering, cross-cultural blend. Dhillon's vocals float across the first couple of verses and chorus as crisp hi-hats accentuate his delivery. By the third verse, Stormzy enters a boastful mode, and flexes about the pair's unification and ability to traverse hip-hop's borders: "Pick any flow you like, I got options," he says as a kiss-off to their haters. The lyrics highlight their willingness to try new things as they make music that pushes boundaries. "We're just not putting ourselves in the box," Dhillon told Billboard last year about experimentation. "We're trying different genres, different sounds, different flows." — Natalie Harmsen

'Utopia,' Odie

Since wowing us with his debut album, Analogue, in 2018, Nigerian Canadian musician Odie has opted for quality over quantity in his output, releasing just a handful of singles to string fans along in the interim. He has returned in emphatic fashion with N.F.A. Demos, a splendid four-track EP that defies the "no future ambition" reference in its title with its deft, forward-looking fusion of styles. Picking one song to highlight is a Sophie's choice, but "Utopia" needs to be heard for its hair-raising, Coldplay-leaning intro alone. (A colleague claims she's going to make it her morning alarm tone, such is its uplifting vibe.) With his comforting voice, Odie sings about resilience and staying hopeful: "How many nights fall until your bright side comes?/ How many days lost until you won't feel lonely?" An anthem that not only consoles but also urges you forward, no matter what life throws at you. — Robert Rowat

'To Know What I'm Missing,' Keeper E. and Pallmer

"To Know What I'm Missing" is a new collaboration between Halifax singer-songwriter Keeper E. and Fredericton string duo Pallmer, and its search for meaning might haunt you for the rest of the day. Opening with an ocean wind and meditative synths (by Charles Harding) soon underscored by birdsong, the track builds slowly, Keeper E. adding her voice — "I think I like my life now/ but I don't think I know how/ to live" — as Pallmer's cello and viola come in, tentatively at first, then with a conviction that steals the show. "To Know What I'm Missing" is part of a new session released from the Greville Tapes Music Club, a nearly decade-old project started by Peter Rowan — co-founder of Pop Montreal and the now defunct Halifax Pop Explosion — when he moved to Greville, N.S., that pairs two musical acts to record a session together for the first time, followed by a mini tour. Season 3, which dropped April 5, includes three tracks from Keeper E. and Pallmer, as well as new releases from paired acts Wolf Castle and Olympic Symphonium, and Dumpster Cub and Den Mother. The Greville Tapes Season 3 tour starts this Friday, and will visit Saint John, Fredericton and Halifax. — Holly Gordon

'Just Love,' Lubalin

If there's one thing Montreal singer-songwriter Lubalin is a master of, it's knowing how to navigate the ever-changing whims of the Internet. Some listeners may know Lubalin for his viral videos, like the Internet Drama series that he started in 2021, and he's amassed a large following across platforms for his humorous parodies and tongue-in-cheek covers. We haven't heard original music from him since his 2022 album whose love, but with new single "Just Love," it's clear he's still tapped into the zeitgeist. It's a song about heartbreak set to of-the-moment dreamy drum and bass and hyperpop, two sounds that are steering pop in bold, new directions. Like all the best breakup songs, it's incredibly danceable and upbeat, despite its subject matter. Although "Just Love" is Lubalin's first new release in two years, he stayed busy in the interim, producing a number of songs on Charlotte Cardin's Juno-winning album, 99 Nights, and receiving a producer of the year nomination for his contributions. — Kelsey Adams

'Eckhaus Latta,' Maddie Jay

It's been a busy few years for Maddie Jay. The B.C.-born artist has always juggled a solo career alongside a full-time gig as a touring musician, playing with acts like Lorde, Remi Wolf and Summer Walker. It's been three years since her last EP, CMYK, and "Eckhaus Latta" will only mark her third single since 2021. It's a welcome return into the colourful mind of Jay, who has taken in a lot of sights and sounds while performing around the world, and has funnelled her experiences into this bright and buoyant new song. "Eckhaus Latta" feels suspended in time and space as Jay tries to find her place among the ever-changing environments on the road, and in life in general. "I wanna be older than I am," she sings, listing aspirations laced with a sense of anxiety. But instead of letting the uncertainties crush her, she admits to needing an escape as she repeats the refrain, "I wanna be anywhere but here." The bubbling synth soundscape Jay creates becomes a place of solace, where she tries to shake off her concerns; thankfully she leaves plenty of space for others to not only relate, but to join in on the dance party. — Melody Lau

'Ain't Love,' Majo feat. Cam Griff

Your love, it doesn't pass the shore
I know you're scared
But my heart is nothing but a chore
That you can't bear
I feel the weight of who I am, if I ask for more 
I know you'd break before you'd bend.  

Sometimes it's hard to be the one to call it quits, but once you realize a relationship is doomed, it's the mature decision to end things. On "Ain't Love" Toronto R&B singer Majo lists all the toxic habits that led to the unraveling of her bond with her love interest, from liking the relationship to taking toxins and explaining she feels stuck in their endless cycle of fighting. The emerging singer began releasing music six years ago and has been keeping busy in 2024, "Aint Love" follows a recent EP, Things I Never Said, released March 22. With perceptive songwriting, and laid-back production that lets her honeyed vocals remain the focal point, Majo's music is pure emotion: raw, cathartic and revealing.— KA

'The Worst,' Benita

In R&B singer Benita's new single, "The Worst," she finds the best way possible to tell her lover she hates them, but she can't fight the feeling of loving them at the same time: "Oh my God/ It's that little you took from me/ Oh my God /It's the way you make me feel." Benita's voice evokes the push and pull of the heart, and there's a melancholy that contrasts the groovy vibe of the song; it's quite calming — the total opposite of how one would feel in a constant debacle with their mind. Usually an artist would rage about how sick and tired they are of a relationship that takes so much — but Benita eloquently puts you at ease, backed by guitars and soothing vocals reminiscent of angels calming your soul. "The Worst" shows not only Benita's perspective on the confusing elements of love, but it's also a mirror for the listener. Love can be a baffling paradox. — Ryan Chung