This week, we bring you new songs from SZA, The Cactus Blossoms and Tame Impala, plus new music from Thundercat, The National and H.E.R. that all feature in new soundtracks for films or television.

Thundercat, “Satellite” feat. Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi

A hazy, slow burn from Thundercat will put you back into summer mode on these cold winter nights. It's a minimalist jam about being free of pain, fear, and stress — take a moment and enjoy the phrase "everything is going to be all right" during the holiday season. The song also appears in the soundtrack to season 5 of the HBO series Insecure.

SZA, “I Hate U”

This track was originally posted on SZA's "secret" Soundcloud account but officially released once it took off on TikTok. As the title implies, this is a song for the person who has treated you wrong; as she says in the song, "If you wondered if I hate you (I do)." Get it out of your system and sing along with SZA.

The National, “Somebody Desperate”

Somehow The National can make sad songs of desperation, and they all sound unique and heartbreaking. Written for the film Cyrano (the Dessner brothers did the movie soundtrack), the song takes that idea of truth and love and secrets from the movie and gives it a spin of loneliness wrapped in singer Matt Berninger's deep baritone. 

H.E.R., “Automatic Woman”

After a winning run with soundtrack songs picking up Oscars and Grammys, it seems like H.E.R. is officially the go-to songwriter to have on your movie. And there's a reason why she's won so many awards: H.E.R. knows how to pack an emotional and powerful punch. Whatever the movie calls for, she can provide. For the Halle Berry feature Bruised, the tone is inspirational and strong — and "Automatic Woman" delivers.

The Cactus Blossoms, “Hey Baby”

The old-school country crooners from Minnesota are back. The Cactus Blossoms are releasing a pandemic album that the group produced themselves with some help from engineer Alex Hall, who brought them a mobile rig from Chicago that they set up in their basement. The inspiration was current events: “It felt like the whole world was falling apart,” the Cactus Blossoms’ Page Burkum says. “We had to put things on hold just so we could try to wrap our heads around everything that was happening in Minneapolis and beyond.”

Tame Impala, “No Choice”

Tame Impala fans rejoice! The Australia band are releasing a deluxe box set of The Slow Rush, full of B-sides and remixes. One of the first B-sides they've released is, "No Choice," a psychedelic whirl of hopelessness.

Playlist