Once again, I was on a binge listening to the “Discover Weekly” Playlist on Spotify and I was thrown off by the upbeat tempo which was unlike my usual sadder melodies. I’m not one who usually listens to electronic-esque music but Highvyn’s song, “PRETTY GIRL” was different. It has the usual upbeat tempo and beats that would be found in electronic music but it had a softer indie RnB/pop melody to it. The chorus is in a deeper octave than the rest of the verses which is a nice contrast for the song: “P-P-P-Pretty girl make me wanna swerve in the morning I'ma slide, give me something to go take you by surprise Half-past nine, skip the curfew I could take you on a drive She a dime, but she spending all my pockets 'til I'm dry” The lyrics are kind of hard to hear on the first listen but it becomes catchier the more you listen to it. “PRETTY GIRL” is in his top five songs on Spotify with 1,290,000+ streams. Highvyn has been making music since 2020 and has been playing around with multiple genre elements that include alternative, indie pop, rnb, and electronic dance. Each of his songs are what he calls a “beautifully curated mess.” They all play with their own blend of genre elements. Listening through his other songs, I would recommend listening to “ghosts” which reminds me of music from keshi and his song “stranger.”

While listening through my Spotify “Discover Weekly” Playlist, I stumbled upon HALES. I was immediately hooked on his unique blend of RnB and Funk in his song, “Overthinking.” As soon as the song started, I was nodding along with the beat and instrumentals. Then the vocals kicked in and mixed in so perfectly with the song. These lyrics in particular really stuck with me throughout the song: “I’ve done my best to keep floatin’, In this lifetime, Cause I get caught overthinking, It happens all the time I try to hold my breath, Can only do my best too stressed, to keep my temperature, I need some reassurance, ‘Cause I get caught overthinking, But, I’m trying” The lyrics and the song are about grief. He wrote this song about losing his older brother and his journey healing through that loss. “Overthinking” is definitely one of his more emotional songs and is his most listened to track with 460,000+ streams. HALES is a very recent artist but he is already making waves in the RnB scene. He started releasing music in 2022 and has been slowly growing ever since. Among his other songs, I recommend listening to “Just My Type,” and his song with Sam V that just recently came out, “Stunner.”

Submitted By: Stella Ferro I had been anticipating the release of Debby Friday’s new album since I first listened to the track “I GOT IT (feat. UÑAS),” back in February when it was released as a single. I was instantly obsessed with the overwhelming distortion of bass and drums, the heavy driving beat, the powerful urge to dance, or maybe to fight. And it does not disappoint.  In “GOOD LUCK,” Friday draws inspiration from her own inner turmoil and moral complexity, using the medium of music to explore her darker urges and emotions. The music itself reflects this in its severity. Her soupy kaleidoscope of techno, punk, rap, pop, blues, noise, and rock music puts me in the mind of other experimental black artists like Clipping (with whom she featured on the song “Back Up 2021”), Death Grips, and Moor Mother. It’s aggressive, yet hypnotic.  Her driving electronic bass and percussion, heavily distorted and mixed with spooky un-placeable, horror-movie-esque sounds is genuinely kind of scary. In the track “LET U DOWN,” her voice echoes over the harsh wails of a guitar and a simple bass riff reminiscent of Bauhaus. As Friday lists off her accomplishments: “I been a mean lover, I been a dream crusher…I been your Brutus, your Judas,” it feels like she’s going to step on me. Unless she can’t be bothered. The second to last track on the album, “PLUTO BABY,” is distinctly foreboding with an ever-present rhythmic sound of sharpening a knife. I recommend everyone listen to “GOOD LUCK.” It is Triumphant. Spicy and psychedelic, with a strong vein of science fiction–perhaps informing the neon-sasquatch photographs of the album art. And to everyone facing their demons, good luck!

John Michael Howell has been releasing music since 2019 but has begun to accumulate his listeners through TikTok. On his TikTok page @johnmichaelhowell, takes his viewers through his song making process. His most viewed video holds 6.5 million views and is him producing one of his recent releases, "The Villain," in Minecraft. Since the beginning of 2023, he has self-released 20 singles with his most recent titled "Power." In this song he writes about someone dominating control over a relationship and all the doubts that arise from it. This is extremely prominent in the chorus: "I can't say 'I love you' 'cause that would allow hеr To control my heart like the wind to a flower Blown by the breeze, tossed around as it scours For someone who won't turn its love into power" All of his songs are documented through his TikTok and are written surrounding the complicated feelings that come with love and understanding yourself. I enjoy his lyrics and the emotion he sings with in all of his releases. Some of my personal favorites of John Michael Howell are: Not Afraid To Bleed, Played Myself, and The Villain.

Miguel Veloso, professionally known as MICO, is making a change to the pop-rock scene with his continuous music releases, some of my favorites being one of his recent releases, “m.i.a.” The self-produced song is influenced by the musician’s experience with ADHD and the lyrics refer to how all his unfinished projects felt like broken promises. The blend of the pop-rock sound with the relatable lyrics leaves no surprise as to why MICO’s latest track is blowing up with minimal promotion: “Didn’t mean to go MIA, IA Got lost inside my twisted head Couldn’t go my way, too late All my efforts to a wasted end” MICO has been writing this song for two years and almost gave up on it. He persevered and released the song in hopes of helping others struggling with ADHD feel heard. Currently, MICO has 479,000+ listeners on Spotify and made his debut back in the summer of 2019. The rest of his songs have an indie-pop feel with a hint of rock/alternative influences. Some MICO tracks that I have played in my DJ Indigo shows include: lie lie lie, cut my hair, down!, did too much, and make me leave.