These are the songs I’ve been loving this week!

GO- Helen

After letting sparks fly with her release ‘Forgive Me’ from a few weeks ago, DMV alt-pop artist Helen has lit a completely different fire with her newest release ‘GO’. Sharing centre stage with her intimate vocal presence is an electrifying bass groove that will have your head bopping along to the beat. ‘GO’ is a summery and light hearted exploration of new love, and when delivered in such a Disco-Pop vein, you can’t help but want to dance along. This track has moments of dark intrigue in the pre-chorus, before exploding into a much more glittery chorus section, and Helen’s lyric writing and delivery is captivating all the way. Helen is making a name for herself in this original style which emulates elements of other unique and charismatic artists like Billie Eilish and FKA Twigs, and ‘GO’ certainly includes glimmers of that left-of-field soundscape that she is so inspired by.

Listen to Helen on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

Used to Miss You – Allegra

London based pop princess Allegra is defining everything dance pop is capable of with her newest anthem ‘Used to Miss You’. Coming off the back of TikTok virality, Allegra is gracing the pop scene with a track full of attitude and self-empowerment, and dipping into a more mature tone than what she’s used to. This track has the production wizardry of the legendary dance producer R3HAB, elevating Allegra’s personality and writing into a world of pop proficiency and finesse. ‘Used to Miss You’ is exhilaratingly joyful in its portrayal of life after the breakup, highlighting the all important journey of self-love and positivity needed once the rose coloured glasses finally come off. Allegra is fast becoming an artist synonymous with dance-pop, and ‘Used to Miss You’ is like sonic dopamine that you can’t get enough of

Listen to Allegra on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

Cruel – ROE

Exploding onto the scene with a wildly successful debut EP in 2020, Dublin artist ROE isn’t slowing down for second, especially not with her newest pop-punk track ‘Cruel’. This new song is the sonic personification of someone walking away, back-turned towards a massive explosion that they don’t even care to glance at; fearless and effortlessly cool. The candid and fairly passive vocal performance by ROE perfectly captures the essence of this track, which loosely comes down to being sick of someone’s shit. Pouring energy, time, and loyalty into an uncaring recipient can be a difficult thing to come to terms with, but ‘Cruel’ is certainty the soundtrack of those feelings. The indie-rock, grungey landscape of ‘Cruel’ is everything you need to digest the pitfalls in a breaking relationship, and ROE’s lyricism is upfront about the disappointment and frustration entangled in a bad scenario.

Listen to ROE on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

SERIOUS – H3RIZON

Determined to forge a legacy of sisterhood and inclusivity, pop trio H3RIZON have burst the seams of pop predictability with their dynamic and infectiously fun new release ‘SERIOUS’. Having been mutual admires of each other’s talents as singers, the three joined forces and harnessed the best bits of pop, R&B, and soul to develop this powerfully feminine and energetic group. ‘SERIOUS’ has production chops full of glittery textures and clever samples, and aims to disarm the up-tight tendencies we might take on around relationships. This track is reminiscent of our favourite pop diva’s and girl groups of the ages like Ariana Grande and Destiny’s Child, and showcases some seriously impressive vocal inflections sprinkled among the 808’s. Hailing from Australia with Filipino and Mauritian roots, the three women have heritage completely underrepresented in the music scene, but have a determination to exemplify women of colour in the music industry

Listen to H3RIZON on Spotify, and connect with them on Instagram

Time Travel – Partefacts

If you’re looking for a genre that puts you at a loss for words, look no further than whatever it is that Partefacts are doing with their new release ‘Time Travel’ over in Germany. Somehow, this dynamic disco punk trio have crafted a track that embodies maybe 8 to 10 different genres in a way that is completely palatable and groovy. ‘Time Travel’ is the layered sci-fi conceptualisation of creative spontaneity, with a little bit of alien relationship drama thrown into the mix. Should you not dive deeper into the song, ‘Time Travel’ is a perfectly groovy smashing together of fun instruments and sounds, but taking a microscope to the production proves just how meticulously crafted the psychedelic experimentation really is. Having expertly formulated a song that is both noisy and restrained, Partefacts can only be described as mad musical scientists.

Listen to Partefacts on Spotify and connect with them on Instagram

How Much Sadness Can You Swallow? – Maya Yenn

‘How Much Sadness Can You Swallow?’ is the dazzling new electropop release from insatiable alt-pop song writer Maya Yenn, and is a track that will have you double checking your doors are locked as you go to sleep. Indulging in a gothic and fierce sonic atmosphere, ‘How Much Sadness Can You Swallow?’ is a creepy examination into the interpretations of a personal hell landscape. Maya plays with agitation and space in her sharp release, and her clear influence of contemporary horror gives the track a cinematic tension that ebbs and flows with the intimacy of her vocal performance. The lyricism in ‘How Much Sadness Can You Swallow?’ creates a vivid and medieval storyline weaved throughout the themes of guilt, loss, and anxiety, and Maya Yenn has set herself up as an artist willing to untangle nightmarish experiences for the benefit of creative exploration.

Listen to Maya Yenn on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

Idealize Me – manny moura

L.A based, Brazilian synth-pop dreamer manny moura is embodying all things pink and gothic with her newest release ‘Idealize Me’. Influenced by the particularly poetic superstars of our generation Lorde and Taylor Swift, manny is using her new track as an exploration of the honeymoon phase in a relationship. The production takes on a distinct story telling role, both glistening with nursey bells, and providing a grungy bass foundation, taking you through all the emotions felt in the highs of a new relationship. ‘Idealize Me’ has a really interesting coming together of child-like sonic elements and dark throbbing which makes the whole song feel a little dreamy and slightly alien. Self-described as a hopeless romantic, manny has crafted a texture-filled ice-cream song that’s sure to get you day dreaming of bittersweet romance.

Listen to manny moura on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

Ghost – Kylie Rothfield

There’s something about Kylie Rothfield’s voice and writing that feels so intrinsically cinematic, her approach to lyricism is so stark and honest, and she weaves her melodies in a way that completely highlights the most heart-breaking sentiments and moments. ‘Ghost’ is her latest emotional musical expression, and is a track that takes you swimming in the vast emptiness of a lonely city that now only exists as a reminder of lost love. This track starts off gently, introducing you to the intimacy of Kylie’s experiences, before breaking into an anthemic cry of desperation and isolation. ‘Ghost’ is one of those tracks that will break down your walls if you listen too closely, and a place that the fragile spirit might find solace in knowing they aren’t alone in their anguish. Kylie Rothfield has a direct link to the deep emotions that are hard to put into words, and ‘Ghost’ is yet another example of her willingness to say the things that are so difficult to share

Listen to Kylie Rothfield on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

The Funniest Thing – Hazel Mei

‘The Funniest Thing’ is yet another gorgeous piece of music bloomed out of the isolation of lockdown, and is a track that feels like sitting in the sun hearing nothing but the birds chirping outside. Brisbane songwriter Hazel Mei has found such a delicate balance between indie pop and cool jazz in a way that feels comforting and melancholic, and the poetry in her writing grounds the music in a rich emotional depth. The core of ‘The Funniest Thing’ comes from Mei’s feelings of timidness in moments of unease and condescension, and her candid efforts to overcome her ‘politeness paralysis’. The vivid warmth of the saxophone in ‘The Funniest Thing’ is seriously special, and washes the track in a glow of nostalgic texture, and Hazel Mei really comes alive in her reserved portrayal of bashfulness and inward frustration.

Listen to Hazel Mei on Spotify and connect with her on Instagram

Your Mother Was A Peacock – OXLIP

The whispery and haunting release ‘Your Mother Was A Peacock’ is the title track to the graceful album by OXLIP, and is a song so delicately crafted you’ll want to immediately go camping and stare into the night sky as the fluttering vibrato takes over. Developed to say ‘fuck you’ in the most ethereal way possible, this track serves to stage the enchanting story of a WWI dancer sentenced to death for espionage, sitting in her cell writing a letter to her daughter; “Your mother was a peacock so soft her feathered hair/too beautiful and tender in a world ruled by men”. The poetic mastery featured in ‘Your Mother Was a Peacock’ is just a glimpse of the elegantly laced album by OXLIP, who endeavours to share stories of the myriad of phenomenal women we have shared this earth with. This release is a profound celebration of strength and sorrow, and OXLIP’s vocal performance is nothing short of heavenly as she gracefully directs the spotlight towards stories seldom told. 

Listen to OXLIP on Spotify, and connect with her on Instagram

Listen to all the tracks on the TOP TRACKS playlist below!