As we approach the 2023 halfway point, a few things have become clear. Mexico’s regional music is at its peak, Morgan Warren’s ‘Last Night’ will never go away, and maybe Beyoncé and Taylor Swift can fill stadiums every night for the rest of the time . This year’s. Also, there are a lot of great songs coming out, many of which could be on the end of the year list in the next six months. Until then, here are the best works of the year so far, sorted alphabetically by artist name. Scroll down to find the full 40-song Spotify playlist.

100gecs, “Hollywood Baby”
A ridiculously good pop punk riff, and so accessible it’s practical? — Mikael Wood

August D “Haegum”
While BTS pokes fun at (or protects the country with mandatory military service), Suga is a dual-purpose advocate for both the crazy internet culture of K-pop and a fed-up, burnt-out, suffocating society. ditched the alias of hardcore hip-hop for the sake of it. Korean youth generation. — August Brown

Amarae “co-star”
Taken from Leo, Sagittarius, Aries, Aquarius, Libra, and Amarae, each is terrifying in its own way. To the accelerating dance rhythm, the up-and-coming Ghanaian-American singer reprimands her new lover in her gasps to reveal her own zodiac sign and eventually things get steamy. Seek her air as you go. — Keenan Drahone

Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar “The Hillbillies”
Lamar carries many rap fans’ expectations of depth, so you might be surprised at how lighthearted he is when he just wants to chill out. — MW

Blonde shell “Joiner”
“I was running all over LA with my trash/Sleep in bars with a gun in my bag,” sings 90s-rock nostalgist Sabrina Teitelbaum, who doesn’t know much about the good old days. — MW

Boisenias “Cool About It”
On an album full of meticulous rhymes and allusions, nothing beats Julian Baker’s finger-picked lyric by the campfire. Be cruel about it. —MW

Brandy Clarke feat. Brandi Carlisle “Dear Anxiety”
Old-time Carlisle fans will keep waiting for her voice to explode on this stately piano ballad, included on an album she produced for experienced Nashville songwriters. In fact, it’s Clarke who renders the song’s emotional climax in a tone so intimate it soothes her fears. “Anxiety, this time it feels like love / She really believes in me / So please don’t say this.” — MW

Luke Combs “Fast Car”
Tracy Chapman’s late-’80s folk-soul hits have spanned the past three decades, bouncy reggae (Wayne Wonder), taciturn art-rock confessions (Siu Siu), and glittering tropical melodies. It has been remade as House Banger (Jonas Blue). . Carhartt-wearing country star Combs stays true to Chapman’s original arrangement, giving a welcome showcase for his powerful singing and detailed storytelling, not to mention lyrics about working in the market as a cashier. are doing. — MW

Miley Cyrus “Flowers”
Five months after its release, it was Cyrus’ first No. 1 hit since “Wrecking Ball” ten years earlier. not yet Hovering around the top of the Hot 100, the song shows that it might be doomed to immortality in the style of “I Will Survive.” — MW

Lana Del Rey “A&W”
“Ask me why I’m like this / Maybe I’m kind of like this.” — MW

Avalon Emerson “Ice Burial”
Appropriately titled for a Metallica single, this gentle cut from the techno producer’s unexpected indie-pop LP is as light and breezy as fall cider. — AB

Peso Pluma.

(Fraser Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)

Eslavon Armado x Peso Pluma “Ella Vila Sola”
California-based Eslabon Armado had no shortage of spellbinding love songs before hitting his first No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. The song is a fluttering brassy ballad from the Mexican countryside, and the title translates to “She Dances Alone.” The addition of burgeoning Peso Pluma gave ‘Ella Baira Sola’ another shot of star power. — Susie Exposito

Foo Fighters “Show Me How”
An album about the loss of a family member (Dave Grohl’s mother) and a close friend (Footh drummer Taylor Hawkins), this lush and sad duet between Grohl and daughter Violet brings a great deal of comforting pain. — MW

Gel, “Achievable”
A downright vicious punch to the pit from one of hardcore’s most exciting new bands. Gels are also a great product if you want to show off your leg tattoos under booty shorts. — AB

Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny “Un x100to”
The Norteño band from Texas teamed up with the superstar rapper and singer from Puerto Rico for a lilting cumbia tune about a guy using the last 1% of his phone to call his ex-girlfriend. — MW

Hardy feat. Jeremy McKinnon “Radio Song”
“Being John Malkovich” by the Nashville Brotherhood. — MW

Jonas Brothers “Wings”
A stunning two-minute “Toto IV” cosplay from three showbiz veterans who know how TikTok works. — MW

Kerela “Raven”
The title track of Kelela’s long-awaited comeback LP is that statement. Twisted synth chords roll around her three minutes, setting the tone for her lyrics about resilience and regeneration. When the drums finally kick in, it’s a completely different song than you expected. After-hour flickering techno that drops pitches into a narcotic fog. — AB

Ruston Kelly.

(Alice Gafukujen)

Ruston Kelly “The Weakness”
A rocking emo grunge power ballad that explores how to be something other than Kacey Musgraves’ ex-husband. — MW

Varnish La Piscine “Ceviche”
Loud synths under La Piscine’s vocals are familiar to fans of Tyler, The Creator, but the Swiss artist has developed a unique identity, and not just because he sings primarily in French. are doing. If he could bottle the sunshine of Geneva and turn it into music, perhaps he would sound a lot like Varnish. – KD

Le Seraphim “Eve and Psyche and Bluebeard’s Wife”
Bad Bunny arrived late at a party at the Jersey Club, where K-pop quintet Le Seraphim had already beaten him. Lynne Collins’ funk classic “Think (About It)” with Korean words for the local music industry: “Smile, be a little more doll / Hide all your emotions” for fun Changed to Rave Chaos. — AB

Lil Dark.

(Annie Noelker/For the Times)

Lil Dark “Pele Court”
A 4-minute therapy session with a man looking for new ways to deal with trauma. – KD

Lil Yachty “Drive Me Crazy!”
Oversaturated groove of “Drive Me Crazy!” It’s the brightest moment on Yachty’s psychedelic album, Let’s Start Here. It further notes that singer-songwriter Diana Gordon ushered in this moment with a shimmering chorus. – KD

Megan Moloney “Tennessee Orange”
A great concept for a country song: When a proud Georgia girl got so down on a guy from Tennessee that she took her to Knoxville one Saturday, she said, “I put my hat on the dash to the game.” It was. — MW

The Land of Languages, “Weak to Light”
Singer Ian Richard Devaney Honors 80s British Synthpop Pioneers Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark As if he sowed the seeds of his band formation. In this gentle ballad, the trio have replaced the British twilight of their ancestors with the warm daylight of Brooklyn. —SE

new jeans.

(Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

New Jeans, “OMG”
One of the best acts to come out of the post-Blackpink class of girl groups, NewJeans mastered the pop/R&B of the Y2K era and brought it into the thriving K-pop present. Still in their teens and less than a year after their July debut, they’re already a new hope for BTS’ label Hybe. — AB

NxWorries “Daydream”
After being a ’70s soul singer alongside Bruno Mars in Silk Sonic and launching an all-vinyl DJ alter ego with DJ Pee .Wee, Anderson .Paak has finally reunited with producer Knxwledge on project NxWorries. . “Daydreaming” proves that the duo is still on top, even seven years after his only album to date. – KD

Brock Odyssey “Odie”
Blk Odyssy create their own brand of moody R&B with this outstanding track from their new album Diamonds & Freaks. Perfect for late nights, Odyssey’s mesmerizing vocals resonate whether you’re singing or rapping, especially when your crush relishes flirting with a misfit. – KD

Pink Pantherless and Ice Spice “Boys a Liar” Pt. 2”
Hook to hook to hook. — MW

Lau Alejandro will perform with Rosalía at Coachella in 2023.

(Fraser Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)

Rosalia & Lau Alejandro “Vampiros”
After releasing two 2022 Latin Grammy-winning albums, Rosalia’s Motomami and Alejandro’s intrepid Saturno, these romantic and creative partners decided to release RR in honor of their recent engagement. Released a bite-sized EP titled. Hot-blooded reggaeton Gotico “Vampiros” was performed live for the first time at this year’s Coachella and left a strong impression. —SE

Shakira and Bizarup “BZRP Music Session Vol. 53”
The Latin pop queen has teamed up with Argentina’s foremost mixologist to drop skewering diss tracks over the years. To borrow the words of now-disgraced former footballer Gerard Pique: Shakira is not someone to be teased. —SE

Taylor Swift feat. Lana Del Rey “Snow on the Beach”
Swift is both a perfectionist songwriter and a fanservice-conscious pop idol. So when both the Swifties and Lana fans wanted more than a few harmonies in the chorus of “Snow on the Beach,” Swift added more to Del Rey’s misty magic. Made a good edit. — AB

Siza “Kill Bill”
The darkest blockbuster of the year, which climbed to the top of the Hot 100 in April after slipping through the ranks in late 2022, is also the funniest. It’s a booming and delightful revenge fantasy where the narrator’s murderous intent is matched only by her self-doubt. — MW

Don Toliver feat. Justin Bieber and Future “Private Landing”
Good luck finding other artists who can create . Toliver digs for melodies on single-note beats. – KD

Toosie “Favorite Song”
What does it feel like to be on stage in front of an audience of thousands and pour out your heart to someone you know isn’t there? Toosii’s slow-burning ‘Favorite Song’ is the answer. – KD

Kali Uchis.

(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)

Kari Uchis “I Wish You Roses”
Gorgeous psychedelic soul music with equal parts empathy and reverb. — MW

Jordan Ward “Fam Jam 4000”
This alternative R&B sensation has been seen all over the place this year, first touring with JID and Smino before embarking on his own solo tour with the stunning album Forward. The modern funk of “FamJam4000” is the only way to see why everyone, including Tyler, The Creator, can’t stop craving. – KD

Water from the eyes “Barley”
Faceless, diced post-punk that’s never afraid to burn while sneaking into one track a musical idea that’s cooler than an entire album of serious acts. — AB

Yes, “No More Talk”
The face of Rage Rap, and his longtime producer Bunyx, is associated with twisted synths and equally agonizing ad-libs. – KD

Zulu “where I’m from”
This LA hardcore band is the new pioneer of black heavy music. While the soul samples sprinkled on ‘A New Tomorrow’ LP hint at big ambitions, the breakup of ‘Where I’m From’ captures a ferocious power bandit who wants blood and gets it. . — AB