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The Contenders, Vol. 3: The songs we can't stop playing this week

Circuit des Yeux's "Megaloner," from the album Halo On The Inside, is one of the songs we can't stop playing this week.
Dana Trippe
/
Courtesy of the artist
Circuit des Yeux's "Megaloner," from the album Halo On The Inside, is one of the songs we can't stop playing this week.

It's still only January (an interminably long, cold and dark month), but we've already gotten some early contenders for songs that'll wind up on our best of the year.

This week, we update our running list with a gorgeous, soaring collaboration between the Belgian-Egyptian singer Tamino and Mitski. We've also got the first new music from Son Lux since they scored the Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once, a thunderous track from Circuit des Yeux, grungy guitar rock via Flora From Kansas and more.

NPR Music editor Hazel Cills joins host Robin Hilton.


Featured artists and songs

  1. Shura: "Recognise," from I Got Too Sad For My Friends
  2. Tamino, Mitski: "Sanctuary," from Every Dawn's a Mountain
  3. Julien Baker & Torres: "Sugar in the Tank" (single)
  4. Flora From Kansas: "The Ghost is Me," from Homesick
  5. Circuit des Yeux: "Megaloner," from Halo On The Inside
  6. Son Lux: "Cocoon," from Risk of Make Believe

Enjoy the show? Share it with a friend and leave us a review on Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts. Questions, comments, suggestions or feedback of any kind always welcome: allsongs@npr.org

Copyright 2025 NPR

Hazel Cills
Hazel Cills is an editor at NPR Music. Before coming to NPR in 2021, Cills was a culture reporter at Jezebel, where she wrote about music and popular culture. She was also a writer for MTV News and a founding staff writer for the teen publication Rookie magazine.
Robin Hilton
Robin Hilton is the Senior Podcast Producer for NPR Music. He also hosts the New Music Friday episodes of All Songs Considered.