A yearning serenade from the Heated Rivalry soundtrack, and 6 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.

For even more new music, check out our SYNTH playlist on YouTube. 

It’s You, Peter Peter

Crave streaming sensation Heated Rivalry, an adaptation of Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid's now bestselling series, has catapulted beloved Cancon songs back into the spotlight — and now we have a full soundtrack to celebrate. Quebec City singer-songwriter and producer Peter Peter is the artist behind all 34 tracks, which are a mix of original songs and scores that held our hands as we, too, fell in love with Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. It's You is a special standout, as it's the song that plays as Shane and Ilya have sex at Shane's apartment for the first time. Peter Peter taps into their two-year-long yearning from the very first notes, as his hazy vocals float atop a gentle synth melody, singing, "Where were you?/ Where were you?/ Please don't go/ now please don't go." It's an intimate scene and pivotal moment for the players, and Peter Peter hits all the right notes: It's You is fresh, tender and unrushed, but still has a hint of early aughts nostalgia, which showrunner Jacob Tierney seems to love. Any fans of the Postal Service's The District Sleeps Alone Tonight will be hooked immediately. — Holly Gordon

Dodge, Baby Nova

Baby Nova’s debut album Shhugar was one of CBC Music’s most anticipated of 2026. It’s Dusty Springfield meets Lana Del Rey meets Johnny Cash with a touch of je ne sais quoi that is all Baby Nova. On the day of the album release, she shared on Instagram that she wrote Shhugar while “trying to get out of a bad situation in life and I hope that it can help (even if in the smallest way) to do the same for other people.” Previous singles Death Wish, Virgin Heartbreak, Great White Sharks and Too Pretty for Buffalo hinted at the Halifax-born singer-songwriter's range and new song Dodge reveals another facet of the Baby Nova persona. 

Baby Nova wrote Dodge seven years ago at a songwriting camp, and reworked it with Lowell (the Beaches, Beyoncé) and Gus van Go (Feist, Bahamas), whose fingerprints are all over the record. She calls them, along with producers Wyatt Bernard and Austin Corona, the “true superstars” behind the album. The understated Dodge is a willful plea, an aspiration towards a future she hoped would manifest and the work it would take to get her there: “Gonna take more than a Chevy to get me out of Dodge/… more than my high school band to get you out of that garage.” It seems seven years later, its premonitions are beginning to come true. — Kelsey Adams

YellowGreenBlue, Swavy

Tying colours to emotional symbolism is nothing new in song: from Feelin’ Blue, to Red, to Yellow and many many more tracks, using vivid hues to convey inner feelings is a tried and true musical formula. For Toronto’s Swavy, he cycles through the ups and downs of a turbulent romance on YellowGreenBlue, a melancholy R&B/hip-hop lament. “Heart turn blue when your text turns read,” he sings over skittering hi-hats, before later stating: “Blue I feel when I’m off of that liquor, yellow I ain’t see I’m on a different time difference.” The sound is very reminiscent of Mississauga, Ont., superstar PartyNextDoor’s Break From Toronto, evoking the moody ambiance of late booze-fuelled nights. Although it clocks in at less than two minutes, it’s more than enough time to generate the right amount of sympathy. — Natalie Harmsen

The River, Dominique Fils-Aimé

On Dominique Fils-Aimé’s latest single, she repeatedly sends out an invitation to “meet me by the river/ come let’s heal together.” The River finds someone who is asking nature for guidance, for renewal and for a sense of belonging. Fils-Aimé’s voice is a grounding force, at times amplified through layered harmonizing to create that sense of communion. She reminds us that, “All the love on this earth/ Was meant for you.” All we have to do is seize it and let it fuel us and our passions. — Melody Lau

Drive By, Simar

Rising Punjabi Canadian singer Simar is starting the new year off with the high-energy Drive By. The song is bold and empowering, blending hard-hitting drums with powerful vocals and refreshing melodies. Simar sings confidently about knowing her worth and not being impressed by those who want her to stay silent: "Jithe javein tu sada na hi chalda (everywhere you go, my name carries weight)." Tired of seeing the women in Punjabi music become sidelined, Simar asserts in a press release that “we’ve got something to say, too," making it clear that she’s ready to take control of the narrative. — Bhaven Moorthy

Amber, the Kount and Noam

A wash of sparkling synths, pulsing bass and driving electric guitar hit you within seconds of Amber, the new collab between Toronto artists the Kount and Noam. Noam’s fuzzed-out vocals are brooding and moody, contrasting with the Kount's percussive production, as the song spirals into itself. It has a warm, hazy tone reminiscent of the 2010s electronic R&B sound led by British artists Jai and A.K. Paul and Ben Khan. The twinge of nostalgia and relentless groove make Amber endlessly listenable. Not even the song's creators can resist its irresistible pull, as Noam sings, “On hit and now I’m helpless.”  — KA

Lean, Charlotte Day Wilson feat. Saya Gray

Charlotte Day Wilson is set to drop her new EP, Patchwork, on Feb. 6 and she’s already treated listeners to several songs from the project: High Road, Selfish and now, Lean. The latter track is more eclectic than Day Wilson’s previous offerings, combining her signature deep vocals with Gray’s alien-like instrumentation. “Baby, I'm leanin' on you/ Hold me, I can't stand being in love with you,” she sings before describing the intoxicating, sultry effects of love on her psyche. “I’m too undone by your love and I can’t get enough,” she muses as Gray’s glitchy backing vocals drift in and out. Then, it’s Gray’s turn to nudge the temperature dial upwards: “I'm in heat, let me please, I can't breathe from your lean/ Trust me, I'll be weak in your POV,” she sings on her verse. 

The two Toronto musicians have collaborated previously, with Gray being credited on Selfish and serving as a special guest at Day Wilson’s 2025 Red Bull Symphonic. But now their partnership feels like it’s coming into full bloom, as the two women pull out different experimental aspects of each other. In the open, their sounds collide to create an otherworldly and unconventional bedroom jam. — NH