Have you adjusted to the time change yet? We’re still finding out footing after losing an hour of sleep last weekend, but the extra sunshine—and some truly unforgettable new music releases—have been helping to put a little extra pep in our step.
The last seven days gave us all kinds of new tunes to get our our feet moving and our hearts pumping—and breaking, in some cases. Curious about what has us fully obsessed this week? Keep scrolling to discover the 10 biggest things that happened in music the week of March 13, 2026.
(Photo credit: Baylee Barton)
1. Charlotte MacInnes Makes a Striking Debut With ‘Struck’
Australian songwriter, vocalist and actress Charlotte MacInnes won over audiences as Daisy in Florence Welch’s Gatsby: An American Myth, and in 2026, she’s stepping out as an artist in her own right, staring with debut single “Struck.” The empowering and anthemic alt-pop track is packed with drama as she makes a bold declaration of her own strength, deciding that when she’s struggling and the world seems pitted against her, the only choice she has is to push through.
“I wrote ‘Struck’ when my life was very weird and difficult, so it’s inspired by the desire to not let any of that take hold of me,” Charlotte shared in an interview with Sweety High. “Getting through something awful gives life a new exciting meaning and that was the feeling I wanted to capture. It’s a battle cry for that feeling. I would love for ‘Struck’ to feel like an empowering type of escapism. And also a reminder to never harden your heart.”
Also read about: Charlotte MacInnes on Escapism and Refusing to Harden Her Heart With Debut Single, ‘Struck’
2. Ava Franks Rises Above the Jitters of Young Love in ‘Good Scar’
Up-and-coming New York indie-pop artist Ava Franks deserves to be on your radar in 2026, starting with her brand-new single, “Good Scar.” The feel-good pop ballad builds a dreamy and atmospheric synth soundscape to tell a relatable tale of young love. Falling for someone new opens you up to to potential heartbreak, but despite her fears, she choosing to bravely step forward and embrace this new romance and everything it might bring.
“You know that, down the road, this person might break your heart, but that doesn’t even faze you,” Ava shared in a press release. “You just want everything with them, the good and the bad.”
3. Blessing Jolie Comes of Age With Debut Album 20nothing
We don’t know where up-and-coming Nigerian-American artist artist Blessing Jolie has been all our lives, but with the release of her debut album 20nothing, we’re instant fans. Its nine tracks weave a coming-of-age tale in the modern digital age as Blessing navigates who she is, leaving behind what no longer serves her as she deals with love, loss and everything in between. Sonically, Blessing effortlessly tackles everything from pop-punk to slick indie-R&B to hard-edged nu metal, with the occasional dash of country twang, without ever missing a beat.
“20nothing is about growth—I think those early twenties growing pains stick a little more,” Blessing explained in a press release. “I’ve been blessed enough to experience more things, whether they’ve brought joy or hurt. They only provide more context and more wisdom. Through heartbreak and confusion, I always come back with, ‘I needed that to gain this.’”
4. Kaleena Zanders Teams Up With With Hayley May for ‘Who We Are’
Singer-songwriter and DJ Kaleena Zanders has made a name for herself combining powerful gospel-rooted vocals and infectiously catchy dance music. Her newest song, “Who We Are” with English artist Hayley May, is the second single off her upcoming debut album, Anything Goes, and just the thing to get listeners everywhere on their feet. Two distinctive voices join together in perfect unity on the moving track about the importance of remembering who you are, in the good times and the bad, with their undeniable vocal chemistry and togetherness driving the point home even further.
“Hayley May and I first met in London in the studio like three years ago,” Kaleena shared in an interview with Sweety High. “We instantly became friends, cracking jokes with each other and also having pretty deep convos about being a vocalist in dance music. A few years later I went back to London with my long-time producer friend Christofi and we ended up making this song because we were all feeling a little introspective and trying to remember the purpose of why we do music. After we wrote the song, she sang the vocal demo. After hearing the demo on repeat. I was like, how cool would it be to create this union of vocals? So I cut in my parts, and voilà! We now have a little song baby.”
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About ‘Can You Imagine’ Artist Kaleena Zanders
5. Deer Tick Gear Up for New Album ‘Mary Singletary’
Deer Tick is one of our all-time favorite indie-rock bands, and their next album, Coin-O-Matic, just became one of our most eagerly anticipated releases of 2026. It’s out June 5, but the band has given us a peek at what’s next with their new single, “Mary Singletary.” The album is a reflection on the band’s upbringing in their home state of Rhode Island, and the working class families who lived and worked against a secret backdrop of seedy mafia dealings. It captures a nostalgic glimpse at this small world before these stories fade from existence altogether, starting with “Mary Singletary,” a vibrant pop track about the complications of teenage love when you have different faiths, with the narrator someone fearful that God might strike him down in cartoonish ways for his lack of piety.
“Most of the stories on the album are from my parents’ generation and the generation before that, when the idea of a Catholic and a Protestant getting together was very scandalous,” shared frontman John McCauley in a press release.
6. Hailey Picardi Can’t Win in Love With ‘teach you to love me’
19-year-old rising singer-songwriter and TikTok sensation Hailey Picardi has been dropping hit after hit, and her third single, “teach you to love me,” is also destined to go viral. Hailey’s first two songs, “car crash” and “double edged sword,” have quickly overtaken the 5 million stream mark, and with its delicate, aching vulnerability, “teach you to love me” might be the biggest song yet. It’s about coming to understand that love can’t be forced and how needing to ask to be loved the right way doesn’t feel like love at all.
“I wrote ‘teach you to love me’ about a catch-22: if I don’t communicate my wants and needs to my partner, he won’t know what they are,” Hailey shared. “But if I do, it won’t feel like it’s coming from the heart when he does them. Either I bite my tongue and he loves me halfway, or I ask him to mirror a narrative I hand crafted myself—neither of those things feel like love.”
7. Holly Humberstone Shares the Title Track for Her Upcoming Album, ‘Cruel World’
English singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone is one of our favorite stars on the pop scene, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that her sophomore album, Cruel World, is releasing on April 10. She just shared its title track, and it may be her most irresistible yet. “Cruel World” fuses pop with a retro blues-rock bass groove as Holly sings about the unapproachable highs and crushing lows of being in a long-distance relationship. It brilliantly tackles how pain and pleasure often go hand in hand, with the joys being more joyous in the face of hardship, and the hurts hurting even more when you’ve gotten a taste of true happiness.
“’Cruel World’ comes from the euphoria and pain of long-distance,” Holly explained in a press release. “Your perception of the world around you can be completely distorted without that one person in it. There’s no fun in going out solo when the only place you want to be is wherever they are. Loving someone that much is always going to hurt a little. This is the dichotomy of pain and pleasure. Love is so painful at its core and this is the throughline of my record. This is my favourite song I’ve ever written!”
8. Dom Innarella Dive Into Old-School Sounds With ‘Magic’
15-year-old singer-songwriter Dom Innarella is an artist you have to hear to believe. His first single of 2026 is “Magic,” a nostalgic, piano-driven love song propelled by Dom’s uniquely soulful vocals. Inspired by doo-wop and ’60s rock and roll sounds his grandfather shared with him as a kid, it’s a powerful romantic ballad that captures all of the feelings of young love.
“Growing up and singing with my grandfather, he would show me all those old-time classics—the ones you hear when you go into a record store, all those oldies and really soulful songs,” Dom shared in an interview with Sweety High. “I said to the team I make music with that I wanted to make a song that feels easy to dance to—a slower one, because we have a lot of fast songs already in the vault. I wanted a slower feel on the piano that represents those older, soulful, kind of timeless songs. That’s how we came up with ‘Magic.'”
Also read about: 15-Year-Old Viral Artist Dom Innarella on Leaning Into Classics Sounds With Sophomore Single, ‘Magic’
9. Avery Anna Opens Up With forgive, forget EP
Viral country star Avery Anna is a must-know artist in 2026, and if you’re not obsessed yet, her new forgive, forget EP is the perfect place to start. Its six songs are the perfect showcase of the star’s versatility and songwriting prowess as she effortlessly flows between country, pop and rock sounds to craft vulnerable and hard-hitting stories. It also features fan-favorites “Man Downstairs” and “Fear in God” with Sam Barber, but you can go wrong with any of these tracks.
“This EP, forgive, forget, is unlike anything I’ve done so far,” Avery said in a press release. “It touches on extreme emotions I’ve had in the past couple of years and reached a new level of vulnerability. No calculation or manufacturing, just pure honesty. Truly makes me nervous to share in the best way.”
Also read about: Avery Anna on Getting Cheeky and Standing Up for Herself With ‘Man Downstairs’
10. Paris Jackson Teases a New Musical Era With ‘zombies in love’
Singer-songwriter and actress Paris Jackson is hard at work on her next big musical project, expected by the end of the year, and she’s shared a powerful first dose of what’s to come with the twinkling new single, “zombies in love.” The lullaby-like song is a slow rock track with soaring vocals and layered instrumentals to create a haunting and dreamy atmosphere. It’s a romantic and yearning lament about the way the hyper-connectivity of technology actually keeps us from actually communing in any meaningful way, keeping us all numb and detached, ambling through love like zombies. It’s a powerful critique of romance in the digital era, thoughtfully setting the stage for the rest of the album.
Also read about: 25 Powerful Paris Jackson Lyrics to Use as Your Next Instagram Caption
Missed our favorite tracks last week? Click HERE to check out our top 10 favorite releases for the week of March 6, 2026.
