From the Editor's Desk | May 2026
Some friends of ours at Universal Music's publicity team keep Rising Artists in the loop on their latest releases straight from the source. I’ve handpicked a few recent songs and stories that stand out, to share with you.
A few of these could become your new favorites. Others might teach you something about the sounds and styles connecting with audiences right now.
This month's list is a good one.
A Grammy-nominated Scottish superstar making his biggest U.S. tour run yet. One of the most decorated bands in pop history with their first new music since last year. And a One Direction alum building toward what looks like his most personal album yet.
Here is what just dropped.
Lewis Capaldi — "Stay Love"
Lewis Capaldi just added a new track to his critically acclaimed 2025 Survive EP, and the way he introduced it to the world is worth knowing about.
The night before his biggest ever U.S. headline show at Madison Square Garden, Capaldi set up a surprise free performance at Penn Station in front of Damselfly Flowers. No announcement. Just him, three songs, and single-stem blooms handed out to strangers. The crowd grew to over five thousand people.
That same night at MSG, he officially unveiled "Stay Love" to a sold-out arena.
The song is a piano-led ballad, produced by The Monsters & Strangerz and Michael Pollack, and it expands Survive into a five-track collection. The EP already includes "Survive," which topped the UK charts and became the fastest-selling single of 2025 in the UK, putting Capaldi in the company of Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Drake, Lady Gaga, and Queen as artists with the same achievement.
What he did at MSG that night carried its own story too. Early in his career, one of his first U.S. headline shows was at New York's Rockwood Music Hall, which has since closed. In tribute, Capaldi invited the Rockwood staff and their families as guests and made a donation to the National Independent Venue Association. For independent artists, that detail means something.
His North American tour continues through May, with stops at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Greek Theatre in Berkeley.
Maroon 5 — "Heroine"
Maroon 5 are back with their first new music since the deluxe edition of Love Is Like, and "Heroine" sounds like a band reconnecting with the energy that built them.
The numbers on this band are genuinely staggering. Over 100 million albums sold. 750 million singles. 34 billion combined Spotify streams, with 12 songs crossing one billion streams each. Three Grammy wins, 13 nominations. Billboard named them the top band of the 21st century. Three U.S. Diamond-certified singles.
The new single arrives as they head into a major 2026 international run, with dates across Latin America and Europe including a headline slot at BST Hyde Park in London and Rock in Rio. Fresh off 24 arena shows across the United States, including sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden and The Forum, they are moving into a new chapter with this release.
For independent artists watching how a career at this level sustains itself, this one is worth paying attention to.
Listen: https://maroon5.lnk.to/Heroine
Niall Horan — "Little More Time"
Niall Horan just dropped what he calls his favorite song from his upcoming fourth studio album, Dinner Party, out June 5 on Capitol Records.
The song came from a specific place. Horan spends a lot of time away from home, and having found roots, he wanted to write about the smaller moments and wanting to stay inside them. GQ called it an anthem for anyone looking down the barrel of midlife, with Horan stretching each melody out like it's stuck in honey.
The album was executive produced by Julian Bunetta and John Ryan, his longtime collaborators. The title track, shared in April, drew comparisons to Crowded House, with Clash describing it as lush guitar effervescence and dulcet, nineties-tinged production.
The context here is significant. Horan first rose to prominence as part of One Direction and has since sold over 90 million records worldwide as a solo artist. His 2024 global headline tour sold over 1.2 million tickets. Dinner Party is his most personal project to date, and "Little More Time" is the clearest sign yet of where he is headed with it.
He performs on the Citi Concert Series on TODAY at Rockefeller Center on June 12.
Three major releases. Three artists at the top of their field.
If this issue was useful, save it, share it with an artist, a music lover, or a fan of anyone on this list, and drop a comment with which one you hit play on first.
Sincerely,
Andrea Smith | Founder, Rising Artists