Out of the twenty songs we highlighted in our weekly Best New Songs column in July, we’ve picked our ten favorites. These are the heavy hitters—tracks that will undoubtedly be in serious contention once the year-end season arrives in December. While Charli xcx and Twisted Teens both nabbed Paste Pick decorations this month, July gave us top-tier singles: Billboard Style released their eponymous debut track, Greg Freeman returned with an eruptive love song, Beyoncé dropped a decade-old loosie, and a peak billy woods feature elevated one of Chuck Strangers’ best outings. Check out our picks for the ten best songs of July 2026 in alphabetical order below.
Beyoncé: “Morning Dew (Donk)”
If “Morning Dew (Donk)” sounds like vintage Beyoncé, that’s because it is. Recorded during the Beyoncé sessions in 2013, it’s appeared in a fair number of leaks over the years. All the hallmarks of that self-titled album are audible: the smooth, sensual melodies, the bouncing groove, and, of course, the sexually charged lyrics. It’s a fitting reminder that she has a shapeshifting flair that her greatest peers often lack.
Billboard Style: “Billboard Style”
Forth Wanderers’ Ben Guterl and Victoryland’s Dan Howard have joined forces under the name Billboard Style, and that is a huge win for anyone even mildly interested in New York indie rock. Their eponymous lead single features guitars smeared in fuzz and hooks that claw into your skin and make a home there.
Charli xcx: “Camera”
I love a good identity-crisis blowout, and AG Cook-collaborator Charli xcx’s meditation on her acting pivot is too good to ignore. As soon as those synths pan from center to wide, all the monochrome pageantry of this era bursts into color. It proves that her partnership with Finn Keane hasn’t dulled her appetite for risk.
Chuck Strangers feat. billy woods & Zeroh: “Breaking Atoms”
Chuck Strangers earns the bold title of his track “Breaking Atoms.” It’s the centerpiece of Glory of the King’s Hand, built on a live jam from Human Error Club. billy woods slides in and blows the scale wide open, taking something intimate and turning it nuclear.
Greg Freeman: “Indu”
As he broke ground on his follow-up All Set the Bone, the Burlington-based musician fled the East Coast for a stint in the desert. The result is “Indu,” a massive sucker-punch of a love song that feels like an instinctual coalescence of Freeman’s various guitar-music influences.
Nirosta Steel: “BOSS TRIX (BENNY’S SONG)”
Forty years ago, Steven Hall began assembling an album for his songwriting project, Nirosta Steel. “BOSS TRIX (BENNY’S SONG)” is a nocturnal, capering strain of disco that’s been lovingly deconstructed and revised. We should all be envious of such a devoted tribute.
Twisted Teens: “Florida Water Blues”
The New Orleans duo is having one hell of a 2026. “Florida Water Blues” is Parquet Courts, submerged in deep-South algae, husky rock and roll slathered in country blues. The texture alone is a thing of beauty.
Westside Cowboy: “Pin Up Boys”
The Manchester quartet has lived with this song for a long time, and that comfort is audible. It fits like a well-worn glove, but it punches like a boxing mitt. Westside Cowboy are veritable experts at the art of dynamics.
Willi Carlisle: “The Mason Jar at the Center of the World”
Willi Carlisle writes about his home like it’s mine and yours. “The Mason Jar at the Center of the World” is another reason why no one sings about the world like Carlisle. If you don’t take my word for it, you should definitely take Tyler Childers’—he produced this song.
zayALLCAPS feat. JAIYN: “CHANGEZ”
The best description of zayALLCAPS’ My Uncle Told Me Some Real Ass Sh*t on the Phone Yesterday is zay’s own label name: autotuneKaraoke. “CHANGEZ” is perfect craft, even when zayALLCAPS wears every solder joint in plain sight.
