This Week in Dance: New Releases and Highlights
A roundup of festival news, label moves, interviews and the week’s best dance tracks.
Festival season news arrived early: Coachella’s 2026 lineup dropped sooner than usual, and we catalogued every electronic act headed to the stage. In Los Angeles on October 9, the Copa del Rave charity soccer match will feature DJs and industry teams — including staff from Beatport, CAA and Red Light — with SG Lewis, Chris Lorenzo and others on the roster. Off-field entertainment will include live sets from Bolo, Juos, Karaba, Life on Planets, Thee Mike B and Soraya, plus a halftime performance by Kah-Lo.
Big artist updates also landed this week. Madonna confirmed her next record will be a dance-focused album, slated for release on Warner Records in 2026. Illenium revealed a new album titled Odyssey and announced a namesake residency at Sphere beginning in March 2026. Meanwhile, Massive Attack said they are removing their music from Spotify worldwide in response to reported investments by the streamer’s CEO, Daniel Ek, through his fund Prima Materia into Helsing, a company that develops AI tools for defense decision-making.
On the interview front, we spoke with John Summit and the team behind his Experts Only label about how the imprint balances indie agility with major-label scale — as Summit put it, their A&R process sometimes feels like “testing in front of 10,000 people.” We also talked to UKG star Sammy Virji about his strong new album Same Day Cleaning, and heard from Portola founder Danny Bell on his experimental approach to building festival lineups.
Enough talk — time for music. Below are the standout dance tracks and releases from this week.
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Nora En Pure — “Teahupoo”
If recent headlines have left you drained, Nora En Pure’s new single acts like a restorative breeze. Known for lush, nature-inspired soundscapes, she returns with “Teahupoo,” a piano-tinged deep house track that soothes while retaining a warm rhythmic pulse — classic, elegant production that feels rejuvenating.
Released on Enormous Tunes. Listen here: YouTube.
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The Chainsmokers — “Smooth”
The Chainsmokers lean into rustic imagery and acoustic textures on “Smooth,” opening with a gentle, campfire-like guitar before swelling into a bright, late-summer dance-pop anthem. The song pairs wistful melodies with an upbeat production that balances optimism and melancholy.
Released via Secondhand Happiness / Disruptor / Columbia. Listen here: YouTube.
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HI-LO — “Reese”
Under his club-oriented HI-LO alias, Oliver Heldens delivers “Reese,” a robust tribute to the iconic reese basslines pioneered by Kevin Saunderson. The track is thick, relentless and tailored for peak-time club floors — a perfect fit for Drumcode’s hard-hitting ethos. “Reese” is part of a larger project due on Drumcode next week.
Listen here: YouTube.
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Zoey808 — Whoiszoey?
Zoey808 keeps the mystery alive — the masked producer titled her new album Whoiszoey? and rode viral attention to a breakout summer, including a live debut at Electric Forest. Identity aside, the record stakes out a confident place in bass music with heavy, stylish production and cross-platform momentum.
Released on Zoey Worldwide. Listen here: YouTube Channel.
