The Halluci Nation's amped-up nod to wrestling, and 3 more songs you need to hear this week
Songs you need to hear is CBC Music's weekly list of hot new Canadian tracks.
Scroll down to discover the songs our producers are loving right now.
Canadian Destroyer, the Halluci Nation feat. Northern Cree
Wrestling and the Halluci Nation have often gone hand in hand: in 2015, the electronic duo dropped a wrestling-inspired EP, Suplex, with songs like Bodyslam and The People's Champ. They returned to that theme on their vibrant 2023 EP, The Path of the Heel, and now, they expertly continue the through-line of combat sport on their latest EP, Path of the Baby Face. This time around, Tim "2oolman" Hill and Ehren "Bear Witness" Thomas are rumbling with more energy, as if gearing up to pull off the iconic wrestling flip from which the track takes its name. The Canadian destroyer is a crushing, part-somersault move used to flip an opponent and on the supercharged track, they team up with frequent collaborators Northern Cree to blend powwow music with throbbing dubstep for a heart-racing anthem. Beginning with the singing group's vocals, the track contains thundering drumming that revs up before each drop, adding some bite to moody synths. Northern Cree's vocals dip in and out, wobbling over the glitchy, rapid beats as the fast-paced song swirls around that heartbeat-like drumming. As it all comes together, it's clear to see that the pressure-building, riveting track would make a perfect walk-out song for the ring. — Natalie Harmsen
Telenovela, Isabella Lovestory
Isabella Lovestory's latest peek into her forthcoming sophomore album is a feast for the ears and eyes. The single, Telenovela, is accompanied by a larger-than-life music video directed by Charlotte Rutherford, that devolves into chaos as she's taken through many melodramatic telenovela skits, which end with a coital experience between her and her television (you have to see it to believe it). The neoperreo (reggaeton's baby cousin) track is all brash synths, dembow rhythms, headknocking drums and outlandish lyrics. A personal fave comes on the chorus when Isabella Lovestory warns that she and her "Barbarella bitches" aren't afraid to back down from a fight: "Si no te meto el tacón de cristal," which translates to "I'll stick my crystal stiletto in you." — Kelsey Adams
Pool Party, Penny & the Pits
Get your water shoes and goggles ready — it's time for a surf-rock swim with New Brunswick's Penny & the Pits. The new offshoot from Penelope Stevens, one-third of avant-rock trio Motherhood, Penny & the Pits is here to make you move, with irresistible riffs and feminist lyrics that lend a deliciously dark undertone to a fun time. "I spent a lot of time making challenging work that would test both myself and the listener," Stevens said, of their time with Motherhood. "Now, I'm trying to make music that feels good; music that connects the heart to the body." While Penny & the Pits is a Penelope Stevens project, the band's live iteration also features beloved local names: Megumi Yoshida (Century Egg, Dog Day, Not You), Colleen Collins (Construction & Destruction) and Grace Stratton (Nightbummerz, Glitterclit). Don't let yourself miss their live shows this pool season. — Holly Gordon
Future Emma, Billianne
Billianne's been on a killer run lately. The singles she's released since 2024 have showcased such a beautiful blossoming for the emerging artist. Her latest, Future Emma, really highlights the full breadth of her potential. It's been clear since the Milton, Ont. singer's cover of Tina Turner's Simply the Best in 2022 that she has an exemplary voice — full and robust — but on Future Emma, she's flexing all new vocal chops. In an interview with The Luna Collective at SXSW she said "out of all the songs in my musical hard drives and catalogs, I think I'm most proud of my voice on this song." The way she soars and soars some more on the chorus is goosebump-inducing. In the same interview, Billianne delved into writing the song for her friend who was going through some "really hard life circumstances" that she "shouldn't have to deal with at such a young age." Future Emma is tinged with hope, articulating that no matter what the world drops at your feet, you can make it through: "It's not how it's supposed to be/ The smoke's gonna clear eventually." — KA
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