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Three Great (Recent) Singles You Need to Listen To


2026 has seen few things but tumult so far. But among that chaos, there have been some gems of singles from artists that have long since been heard from. If one thing can be celebrated in this time, be it the art that great people are producing, for whatever reason. Noah Kahan, Arctic Monkeys and Labi Siffre are among those releasing such fantastic music, and a whole heap more on the way with the remaining contributors of HELP(2).


The Great Divide – Noah Kahan


Four years after the success of Stick Season, Noah Kahan returns with The Great Divide, a single that signals an exciting new chapter in his career. The stakes were high for Kahan as he looked to follow up his acclaimed third album, but this highly personal five-minute folk-rock ballad demonstrates that he is operating at the peak of his abilities.


The composition is markedly different from the more acoustic folk-pop sound that dominated Stick Season. Instead, it leans heavily on rock elements, creating a song that feels larger in scope and sound than anything Kahan has produced thus far. The slow build of electric guitar and drums leading into the final instrumental section generates a mounting sense of desperation and urgency that reinforces the emotional core of the track. Lyrically, the single once again proves that Noah Kahan is one of the most effective songwriters working today. Through cutting lines such as 'I inched myself across the great divide and my great misunderstanding of your life', Kahan explores the difficulty of navigating life’s many divides—whether between friends, or between the person you are and the version of yourself you cannot yet become.

The Great Divide is a powerful reminder of Kahan’s rare ability to encourage reflection in his listeners through both music and lyricism.

He also captures the guilt that comes with failing to understand a friend’s pain until it is too late. These themes combine through precise lyricism to create a painfully relatable song that seeks to understand, rather than judge, the quiet regrets many people carry through life.


The Great Divide is a powerful reminder of Kahan’s rare ability to encourage reflection in his listeners through both music and lyricism. If this is the sound of his new era, it is one that will be well worth following.



Opening Night – Arctic Monkeys


Alex Turner’s sultry tones guide the listener through the latest Arctic Monkeys single, Opening Night. Released on the 22nd of January this year, the track carries a titular yet comfortably lounging aesthetic. The bouncing, liquid synth rhythms initially seem to signal a new sonic direction for the band, but the simple, stadium-ready guitar lines quickly anchor the groove and reassure anyone searching for the Arctic Monkeys they know and love.

The grounded drums and delicate ride cymbals spell an all-too-familiar hypnosis, giving the track a sense of familiarity even as its textures hint at new directions.

The double-tracked harmonies and airy arrangement echo the atmosphere of their last album, while the rhythm section keeps the song grounded. The grounded drums and delicate ride cymbals spell an all-too-familiar hypnosis, giving the track a sense of familiarity even as its textures hint at new directions. This is the first material we have heard from the group since The Car in 2022, and it is no surprise that the track has already amassed millions of listens. Turner delivers the lyrics with the effortless swagger that indie fans have come to expect from the the black and white collared lounge-rock-superstar. Although it may lack the mosh-pit energy that early AM fans might still long for, this is clearly not the place for such careless engagement.



The project to which this track belongs - featuring artists including Olivia Rodrigo, Damon Albarn, Pulp, The Last Dinner Party, Fontaines D.C., Beabadoobee, Beck, Beth Gibbons, Big Thief, Black Country, New Road and Cameron Winter - is a War Child Records release, aiming to raise funds and awareness for children affected by conflict. It follows the original 1995 charity album, which included tracks such as Lucky by Radiohead and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head by Manic Street Preachers, alongside contributions from Blur, Portishead, The Stone Roses and Massive Attack. You should absolutely check them both out.


Against the wider context of the upcoming collaborative project HELP(2), Turner’s lyrics take on an additional resonance. Lines such as 'popular slogans and a bucket of paint' and 'tonight is heavy on one side' hint at war-torn imagery while maintaining his characteristic romantic ambiguity.


The result is a haunting impression offered in service of a chivalrous purpose.



Far Away – Labi Siffre


At 80, Labi Siffre’s voice remains strikingly beautiful. There is a quiet, scratchy undertone to it—reminiscent of a well-loved record or the creaking of an old willow tree. He neither strains nor hides his voice behind autotune or dense instrumentation, and the result is a sound defined by calmness and honesty.



Far Away is built around uncluttered piano lines and simple words, creating a gently melancholic space for self-reflection. There is nothing here to distract the listener from thinking. The lyrics assemble a series of images that feel almost fairy-tale-like: dark forests, magic, love, and monsters waiting in the wings. Siffre also draws on familiar clichés, but does so with restraint and sensitivity. One example is the line 'tomorrow is a promise that never comes'.

The ambiguity is part of the song’s charm. What exactly the forest represents remains open to interpretation

These classic images, paired with the song’s quiet musical backdrop, feel entirely fitting. Siffre is not asking the listener for anything; he simply lays out a story. The imagery of forests, monsters and hidden love creates something that feels recognisable yet subtly uncanny — it’s all familiar, but all strange.


One possible reading of Far Away is that it portrays an innocent love pursued by hostile external forces — the “monsters” and their plans. In this light, the forest becomes a place of refuge, perhaps representing queer love surviving within a society that refuses to accept it.

The ambiguity is part of the song’s charm. What exactly the forest represents remains open to interpretation — Wales, perhaps, or simply a more welcoming community.

Whatever the answer, Far Away makes the prospect of Siffre’s forthcoming album (due later this year) particularly intriguing.




Written by Charlie Gadd, Max Durno, and Simon Mulholland respectively

Edited by Max Durno

All photos/videos are courtesy of Noah Kahan, Arctic Monkeys, War Child Records and Labi Siffre

 
 
 

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