Welcome to the first in our new series of roundups highlighting the best new songs of each month. January is often a slow time for releases, as labels and artists come off the holidays and start to tease bigger projects on the horizon. But the first month of this year still delivered plenty of memorable and surprising tracks. Singer Lana Del Rey, known for her lush, layered arrangements, released a devastatingly spare track about holding on to hope in times of darkness; Australian singer Stella Donnelly's "Old Man" gives a wink and a smile while eviscerating lecherous men; rapper J. Cole's "Middle Child" takes on the glorification of drug use, a capricious music industry and all the haters who doubted him.
Stream our 20 songs from January below or on , and be sure to check out .
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