Despite the universal love for the song from her fans, Roan had been struggling with whether she wanted to release it or not. “I’ve been banging my head against the wall with ‘The Subway,’ because … some songs just work live — certain things work live — and they don’t work in the studio,

Every Friday, pop critics for The New York Times weigh in on the week’s most notable new tracks. Listen to the Playlist on Spotify here (or find our profile: nytimes) and at Apple Music here, and sign up for The Amplifier, a weekly guide to new and old songs.