Shawn Mendes' confessional folk-pop ballad, and 4 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.

'Heart of Gold,' Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes' new song "Heart of Gold" from his upcoming album is a tender, folk-tinged number about grief and honouring loved ones. Sonically, the song is the darker and reserved sibling track to his earlier stomp-clap single "Why Why Why," with its gentle lap steel and diaristic lyricism. Soft acoustic guitar begins before Mendes unearths his heartbreak about a friend's overdose in the very first verse: "I'm sorry that I wasn't there/ to hug your mama at the funeral/ Brian said he broke down/ but he promised it was beautiful." 

Mendes recently told the New York Times that he'd been listening to a lot of '60s and '70s folk music, like Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills and Nash while crafting this album. It feels like no coincidence: the sorrowful song shares the same name as Neil Young's 1972 classic. In Mendes' efforts to pay homage to the songwriting greats, he's peeled back more layers in his own writing, revealing his aim of channelling the sensitive balladeer qualities that helped make Mitchell and Young giants in the folk scene. While Mendes hasn't yet harnessed the same magic as those icons, "Heart of Gold" might be the closest he's come. The song embraces confessional writing while beautifully capturing the spark of friendship and the ghosts that haunt you after it ends. "Healing takes time," Mendes said in the same interview. And although he was talking about sharing his emotional vulnerabilities with fans, he indirectly summed up the multitudes within "Heart of Gold." "You can be joyful and grieving simultaneously," he added. — Natalie Harmsen

'TYG,' Megan Thee Stallion feat. Spiritbox 

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion first teamed up with B.C. metal band Spiritbox last year on a remix of her track, "Cobra." Now, the two have reunited for another collaboration on the rapper's latest album, Megan: Act II, on the trap-metal banger, "TYG." Tapping into her inner metalhead, Megan Thee Stallion rips into the first verse with a raspy growl, warning her haters: "Who in the f--k do you bitches think y'all talkin' to?" Spiritbox frontwoman Courtney LaPlante cheers her on with a chorus of yeahs, while guitarist Mike Stringer provides the track's searing guitar riffs, creating a seamless genre blend that refines and far exceeds the limitations of the similarly experimental 2000s rap-rock trend. In an interview with SiriusXM last year, LaPlante expressed how grateful she was to Megan Thee Stallion for the opportunity to work together, noting, "No band that makes heavy music or weird music… it's very abstract to us just thinking of getting to that level of notoriety." But judging by the positive reactions from the rapper's fans, it gave LaPlante hope that metal acts can find a bigger audience. If this was your gateway into Spiritbox, we highly recommend digging into their discography including their 2024 Grammy-nominated single, "Jaded." — Melody Lau

'Bip,' Magi Merlin

It's been two years since Magi Merlin released her EP Gone Girl, a multi-layered, funky, braggadocious and irreverent project. Now, she's back with her first solo single since 2022, an upbeat pop-house number. On "Bip," the Montreal-based artist's eclectic influences come together to create a song that defies expectations. A drum pattern reminiscent of breakbeat makes way for acoustic guitar that sounds like a harp, as producer Funkywhat plays with juxtaposition and contradiction. Magi Merlin's ethereal, fluttering vocals lean into that even more, as the levity of her vocal delivery clashes with the severity of her lyrics. "This song is a call to learn from our strengths and weaknesses, and to acquire self-confidence in coping with womanhood," she shared in a press release. "It's about a system that is unfair to women, women of colour, and marginalized people, so ultimately to the vast majority of us all." — Kelsey Adams

'Wandering in the Wild,' Cold Specks

If we survive, can we smile and be
Not sorry anymore?
If they decide we're free, to run and scream
Will we jump for joy?

Just a few months ago, Cold Specks dropped her first new single in seven years, and now the Toronto singer-songwriter is back with "Wandering in the Wild," a moving, piano-led ballad inspired by her time spent in a psychiatric ward. During Cold Specks' years-long break from releasing music, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and her new songs are letting fans in on what life has been like for her. But in a twist on her regular songwriting style, Cold Specks entrusted Chantal Kreviazuk with the writing on "Wandering in the Wild," after talking to the Juno-winning singer-songwriter about her experience. "I used to be really precious about holding on to as much songwriting as possible but then I remembered James Carr did not write 'The Dark End of the Street,'" Cold Specks said via press release. With strings added by Owen Pallett, "Wandering in the Wild" is a compassionate journey through a heartbreaking time, as Cold Specks' singular — and unwavering — voice leads us through what she's endured. — Holly Gordon

'validate,' Clairmont the Second

Clairmont the Second has remained one of Toronto's most consistent rappers since he dropped his debut album Lil Mont From the Ave back in 2017. With four albums under his belt (with two Polaris Music Prize nominations and one Juno Award nomination between them), the rapper/producer continues to hone his skills. His dexterous lyrical ability is on mighty display on the final track of his latest album, they said it would rain…, released Oct. 31. "Validate" starts with sirens ringing out and an unforgettable bar: "I cannot f--k with no frauds/ Streets cold but I never shiver," and then Clairmont the Second's full-on onslaught begins. The iced-out 808s and synths create a paranoiac sonic landscape for him to lay out his grievances, his doubts and his distrust. The artist wants to keep his loved ones close, and he'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. — KA

To hear more about these standout songs, tune in to CBC Music Mornings every Thursday (Canada-wide) with producer Nathan Gill and host Damhnait Doyle, and Here and Now with Ramraajh Sharvendiran every Wednesday afternoon (in Toronto). Both are available via CBC Listen.