New Normal Streams

Taylor Swift Essentials Playlist ∙ 2024 Apple Music Pop The country world feigned surprise when, after three albums of Music Row-indebted songcraft, Taylor Swift formally embraced pop on 2012’s  Red . But no one should have been shocked: Any 14-year-old capable of persuading her parents to move from suburban Pennsylvania to Nashville for her career clearly has ambition to burn. And the thrill of following Swift’s rise has been watching her execute it flawlessly, largely because her melodic intelligence is equal to that ambition. Her early, youthful love songs heralded 2010's newly self-possessed  Speak Now —which showed off her scathing wit—and evolved into knowing, ironclad pop fare that held its own against boisterous Max Martin production on  1989 , her fifth album, titled after her birth year. Throughout, her songwriting has blurred the lines between the public and private, burying enough real-life clues (about, say, scarves and Starbucks) to make clear that only Swif...

A-List Pop Playlist ∙ 2025 Apple Music Pop A-List Pop is your weekly guide to what’s on top in pop music. Leading this week’s playlist is Lorde, making her long-awaited return with “What Was That”—a sad banger that sees her pining for lost love and all the experiences that came with it. The Aotearoa New Zealander caused a stir earlier this month when she popped up in New York’s Washington Square Park to debut the track. So many fans turned up, police had to issue a dispersal order—but the performance eventually went ahead a couple of hours later, with footage from the night making it into the video for “What Was That.” Check back often, as our editors update this playlist regularly—and if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

  Feeling Good PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop “Hey Siri, play the Feeling Good playlist.”

A-List Pop PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop “This song needs to be listened to by anyone and everyone, and especially people who are sick of being privy to other people’s secrets,” Sam Smith tells Apple Music of “Unholy,” their new collaborative single with Kim Petras that headlines A-List Pop this week. Written in Jamaica “after lots of rum, it feels like one of the most exciting songs I’ve ever released,” Smith says. “It has many emotions that I’ve never expressed before in one place.” Add A-List Pop to your library to stay up on the latest and greatest pop music.

A-List Pop PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop “I wrote ‘SNAP’ when I was on an emotional rollercoaster,” Rosa Linn tells Apple Music of the song that headlines A-List Pop this week. “I was heartbroken, confused, scared. I was living in a tiny town in Armenia; it affected my mental health and I was at a total snapping point—something I think we can all relate to.” Songwriting, the rising Armenian singer-songwriter and Eurovision alum adds, is “my way of working through my inner struggles and bringing people into my inner world.” Add A-List Pop to your library to stay up on the latest and greatest pop music.

In My Room PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop  There's nothing wrong with taking a little me-time. Close the door, find a comfy corner, and get in your feelings with these moody, downtempo pop tunes. We update this playlist regularly. If you like a track, add it to your library.  

Pure Romance PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop Artists from every genre shape the sound of true love in these iconic tracks. Our editors regularly update this playlist—if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Who Runs the World PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop Tackling old ideas about gender, sexuality, self-confidence, and beauty, this playlist highlights the progressive women modernizing and reshaping how pop can sound, signal, and function. In other words, it’s stocked with diverse empowerment anthems for a new era. We're always updating selections, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Living Room Dance Party PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop The beauty of the living room dance party is that it works whether you’re with the family or hanging solo—and even if you don’t have a living room. Blast these feel-good pop and dance tunes from Tones and I, Maren Morris, and other stars to transform any space into an impromptu, social-distancing-friendly Saturday night throwdown.

Viral Hits PLAYLIST ∙  Apple Music Pop Social media hasn’t just changed how we communicate, but also what we listen to and how we hear it. With that, here’s our up-to-the-minute playlist of tracks making the leap from your social channels into the broader cultural stream. Because there’s no schedule for going viral, our editors update these selections throughout the week as needed, so if you hear something you want to hang on to, add it to your library. If it’s trending there, you’ll hear it here.