Narrowing down a top five for this month has been particularly difficult. While May proved to be a month of topline albums, June has countered with an array of explosive and often surprising singles from the full musical spectrum. We’ve had FKA twigs and Lil Yachty link up on bouncing dance track “On Your Mind”, the future of pop meet the future of rage rap on Tiffany Day and Slayr’s “Constantly” and UK Ug rapper Fimiguerrero meet self-described ‘basspunk’ duo Bassvictim on “Dutty”.

Perhaps the most surprising release of all, however, has been Shoreline Mafia member Fenix Flexin’s ‘80s trap’ single “RUBBERZ” – which is as catchy as it is controversial. Seeing the LA rapper make the quantum leap from 808-laden West Coast rap bounce to singing in a Smiths-inspired British accent, many have accused the song of being the product of AI (something which both Flexin and producer Purps on the Beat deny… I think – it’s hard to work it out). But, when the single artwork is already obviously artificially generated, and Flexin is clearly lip-syncing in every live performance, where do we draw the line? 

We’ll leave that debate for another day. Below, we break down our five favourite tracks from May 2026 (and, when you’re done, check out our full playlist of this month’s musical highlights above). 

“SCHMETTERLINGE FANGEN” – BLUMENGARTEN

Formed of singer Rayan and producer Sammy, German duo Blumengarten are my favourite discovery of this month. With tender, alt-pop vocals and cutting-edge UK Ug-adjacent rap production, they’re sort of like Germany’s response to Jim Legxacy. And, if that hasn’t sold it for you already, this track – lifted off their latest album Radio – is based around every non-German speaker’s favourite German word: ‘schmetterling’ (‘butterfly’). Get to know. 

“DIWALI FEAT. NAISHA AND BEAM” – SKRILLEX 

When I heard this track close out Solstice Festival in remote northern Finland last weekend, and people were actually singing along, I knew I was witnessing something special. Skrillex has had an incredible redemption arc, going from being the butt of all jokes when he debuted in the early 2010s to being endlessly cited as a north star for forward-thinking pop artists today – and “Diwali” is the latest in this legacy. It features newly-debuted Indian star Naisha and Jamaican-American rapper Beam, but what makes it stand-out is Skrillex’s tongue-in-cheek approach to music. Running with a blooper-filled vocal take that would’ve likely ended up on the cutting room floor in the hands of any other producer, it represents what Skrillex’s music has stood for right from the very beginning: fun. 

“CONSTANTLY” – TIFFANY DAY AND SLAYR

An unlikely convergence is taking place in underground music right now in which the electronic pop lineage of SOPHIE and The Hellp are colliding with the distorted rap descendents of rage pioneer Playboi Carti. This track is a shining example of just how good this fusion can sound, pairing LA popstar-to-be Tiffany Day with 19-year-old Philadelphia rap paragon Slayr in a kaleidoscope of digital melodies and auto-tuned verses. Bump it, save it, just don’t call it sleazepop. 

“SUNSHINE” – JACKZEBRA

With its garbled, auto-tuned Mandarin lyrics and heavily distorted production, viral Chinese rap star Jackzebra’s music has always been an acquired taste. These trademarks are still present here, but Surf Gang-produced single “Sunshine” seems to mark something of a turning point. For the first time in his career, Jack’s lyrics are actually audible (even if I still can’t understand them), his chorus is undeniably catchy, and he’s even rocking a leather jacket and hanging out with a biker gang in the music video. Jack’s all grown up 🥲

“MAGGOTS FOR BRAINS” – OLIVIA RODRIGO

I tried everything I could to not include Olivia in here for a second month running. Really, I did. But, eventually, I realised I would be lying if I said that this wasn’t one of the best tracks to come out this month. The crown jewel of Rodrigo’s masterful coming-of-age album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So In Love, “Maggots for Brains” combines the light psychedelia of ‘80s new wave bands like The Cure and New Order, confessional lyricism, and chart-topping pop sensibilities – it’s a breath-taking blend.