Every Friday, Atwood Magazine’s staff share what they’ve been listening to that week – a song, an album, an artist – whatever’s been having an impact on them, in the moment.
This week’s weekly roundup features music by Tim Maiden, Phoenix James, Nikki Ambers, Make Out Monday, Catalina Cara, THE ROOP, Richard Frenneaux, Ant Thomaz, The Collect Pond, Joshua Idehen, Kamila Kay, Clara Mann, Owen Spafford, Sonnet, Ben Denny Mo, Windser, Hilary Woods, remote, Hannah Stokes, When Saints Go Machine, ZT, YUNHWAY, Lombardy, Close to Monday, & Judy Whitmore!
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:: “How’s Your Dream Baby” – Tim Maiden ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Tender, nostalgic, and gently heartbroken, Tim Maiden’s “How’s Your Dream Baby” feels like a letter written across time. It’s a love song for memory itself, carried by breezy guitars, glowing harmonies, and a melody that feels like sunlight glinting off water. There’s something cinematic in its quiet motion, like a scene you never want to end, playing out somewhere between dream and daylight.
“‘How’s Your Dream Baby’ was probably one of the easiest songs that I’ve ever written and recorded,” Maiden tells Atwood Magazine. “It wasn’t pre-meditated, just a spur of the moment song and happened so fast. We were supposed to be finishing another song that day but my producer Le Chev and I started something new and recorded it in a few hours.”
He continues, “The night before I had a dream and I saw a woman aging from five years old ‘til they were an older woman. It was beautiful and in my dream, she was sitting down and watching the ocean and time was moving so fast. I saw them go from a little girl to an old woman and the lyric just came to me the next morning – ‘how’s your dream baby how’s your life.’”
That image, of a life unfolding like waves on the shore, lives inside every moment of the song. “How’s your dream baby, how’s your life,” he sings, voice trembling with warmth and wonder, as if still caught between the dream and its echo. “I think it’s time we make things right. I had a dream about you last night and now I miss everything about you.” There’s yearning in his words, but also grace – one that comes from looking backward with love and affection.
Released ahead of his forthcoming debut album Love Songs in LA, “How’s Your Dream Baby” finds Maiden blending the romance of Laurel Canyon with the soul of the coast. It’s a love letter to memory, loss, and the tides: A song that ebbs, flows, and keeps coming back, like the waves themselves.
:: “Nothing Matters” – Phoenix James ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Phoenix James’ “Nothing Matters” is as aching as it is dreamy, as tender as it is sultry. It’s a breathtaking, beautiful brood, a moody R&B eruption of raw feeling and flavor. Her whisper-like vocals send shivers down the spine, wrapping longing and desire into something both soft and electric. The song glows in that space between intimacy and ache, where love feels like both a comfort and a question.
“I’ve gone through so much change in the past year moving out of my hometown and into a new environment, and on top of that entered a long distance situation that created a silence and a longing that I’ve never known,” the artist and producer shares. “It’s so different and difficult to navigate love through distance, but I think ‘Nothing Matters’ was born from hope just as much as it was from longing.”
That duality, hope and heartache, connection and distance, pulses through every note. “Nothing matters when we’re together,” she sings, her voice rising like heat in the dark. Each verse unfurls slowly, suspended in tension and tenderness, the production a smooth, simmering haze of rhythm and restraint.
Born in Birmingham, raised in Miami, and now based in New York, Phoenix James crafts a sound that feels timeless and new all at once. “Nothing Matters” is vulnerable, sensual, and deeply human, with a shadow – both musical and emotional – that lingers long after the last note fades. It’s the sound of longing wrapped in warmth, distance softened by devotion, and the quiet hope that love can stretch across any space.
:: “I Believe” – Nikki Ambers ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
Nikki Ambers’ “I Believe” hits like a burst of sunlight on a gray day. From the first beat, it’s impossible not to feel energized. The production shimmers with pop polish, while subtle R&B undertones give it depth. The lyrics strike the perfect balance between hope and bravado. It’s a song about taking risks, chasing love, and believing in second chances, all delivered with Ambers’ effortlessly powerful vocals. There’s a confidence here that feels both personal and universal, like she’s singing directly to you.
And then there’s the chorus, oh, the chorus. It’s instantly sticky, euphoric, and one of those rare moments in pop where melody and emotion collide perfectly. You’ll find yourself singing along before the first play even ends. What makes “I Believe” stand out is Ambers’ authenticity. She’s been in the game for years, and it shows, not in ego, but in craft. This is a pop song with heart, soul, and an energy that reminds you why you fell in love with music in the first place.
:: “Back to the Feeling” – Make Out Monday ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
Make Out Monday’s “Back to the Feeling” marks a triumphant return, blending nostalgic 80s gloss with the heartfelt punch of modern pop-punk. From the shimmering opening chords to the soaring, cathartic chorus, the track feels like a time-travelling anthem, bridging decades while keeping the band’s own identity front and centre. Producers Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, alongside mastering from Ted Jensen, craft a sound that’s crisp and polished without losing the emotional grit that defines Make Out Monday. It’s a track that balances the exuberance of youth with reflective warmth, channelling the synth-laden textures of Tears For Fears and The Cars while letting the band’s driving drums and fiery hooks remind listeners that this is very much a contemporary statement.
Lyrically and emotionally, “Back to the Feeling” thrives in the tension between memory and momentum. It’s a song about clinging to moments while learning to let go, capturing the bittersweet rush of nostalgia with a sincerity that’s impossible to fake. The vocal delivery is earnest, imbued with the kind of raw emotion that makes each line feel like a personal confession. Make Out Monday manage to honour their influences while asserting their evolution, producing a track that’s both a love letter to the past and a declaration of artistic confidence. By the final chorus, you’re left caught in that euphoric ache, a reminder that the best songs don’t just revisit feelings, they make you feel them all over again.
:: What a Feeling – Catalina Cara ::
Rachel Leong, France
Catalina Cara’s EP What a Feeling is the latest offering from the alt-pop artist. Blending dreamy pop, pulsating synths and sparkling soundscapes, Cara explores recovery and renewal – all rooted in intimate vulnerability.
Honouring resilience but also the grief that arrives, Cara allows these feelings to pass through. From selfhood to politics, Cara strikes in unexpected places. Drawing from ‘70s disco landscapes to personal mantras, the lyric, “I want to paint this world with love and sprinkle magic from above” is especially meaningful – as it was something Cara told herself during the early days of the Ukraine war, as some of her loved ones were sent to the front lines.
Empowering personal recovery but also a more compassionate world, What a Feeling feels like a much needed escape in a turbulent world. It’s about turning inward to find that kindness and warmth we should all give ourselves – and that’s Cara’s gift to her listeners.
:: : “Just Think About It” – THE ROOP ::
Rachel Leong, France
Lithuanian band THE ROOP very recently debuted “Just Think About It” – and we can’t get enough. The band’s new hypnotic and magnetic track interpolates between the surreal and the imaginary, referencing The Matrix and Terminator. “Just Think About It” takes a futuristic turn to its sonic landscape. Soulful synth-pop layers beckon you into the unknown, posing questions one is often afraid to confront. Fittingly so, the band shares that “Just Think About It” was conceptualised in a recording studio they set up in the woods. Being surrounded by forests helped the band zone in, while late-night conversations and the silence of nature prompted the conception of the song.
Having first received global recognition after placing in the top 10 of Eurovision 2021, THE ROOP’s various successes range from four full-length albums, to supporting Ed Sheeran on his stadium tour last year. THE ROOP is here to stay – drawing us into their world of pulsating synths and bold performances. Their tagline ‘a different kind of mainstream’ couldn’t be more true.
:: “Strange Weather” – Richard Frenneaux ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Richard Frenneaux’s “Strange Weather” hits like a fever dream, propulsive and raw, haunted by the quiet ache of distance. Its pulse is steady but unsettled, driven by hypnotic rhythms and a voice that hovers somewhere between confession and collapse. It’s lo-fi indie rock at its most visceral, threaded with post-punk melancholy and an emotional static that lingers long after the song ends.
“‘Strange Weather’ came out of a kind of stillness I hadn’t felt before,” Frenneaux shares. “Moving from London to China, watching familiar things dissolve into distance. The record sits with that quiet dislocation. It’s not about dramatic collapse, but the slow drift, the feeling that something’s changed, even if you can’t name it. The songs live in that space between connection and withdrawal, tenderness and static.”
That tension radiates through every word. “Low sky, white breath, no sound but the turning,” he sings, his voice tracing the shape of absence against flickering guitars, relentless drums, and an ambient, immersive haze. The song’s refrain, “Strange weather we’re having,” becomes both observation and lament, a mantra for quiet unraveling.
Released August 1 via Adult Lessons, “Strange Weather” introduces Frenneaux’s upcoming album Nothing Happens, Everything Changes, due later this year. It’s a haunting, heartfelt first glimpse into a world of emotional drift and revelation, a striking song that seeps into your bones and refuses to let go.
:: “Feet on the Ground” – Ant Thomaz ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
Glasgow-based singer/songwriter Ant Thomaz delivers a heart-wrenching ode to love with his single “Feet on the Ground.” For some people, the intensity of love can be all-consuming and you can often find yourself struggling to find a balance between your newfound love and the life you had before. In “Feet on the Ground” Thomaz highlights the importance of never losing yourself amidst the intoxicating feelings of falling in love, and to always be your most authentic self. It’s a reminder that even when love sweeps you off your feet, staying grounded is what keeps it real.
Opening with a groovy bass line and carried by warm, soulful vocals, shimmering brass, and a jazzy piano melody, the track exudes an effortlessly feel-good, irresistible vibe. Written alongside his wife, Frances, the song grew from their evening conversations, where they would discuss everything as artists, parents and partners. “Feet on the Ground” is a dedication to their relationship and all the strong women who inspire him on a daily basis.
:: Absence of Something – The Collect Pond ::
Chloe Robinson, California
The Collect Pond combine the urgency of post-punk with the bright, melodic sensibilities of New Zealand jangle pop. Their latest album, Absence of Something, channels that same thrilling, defiant DIY spirit, delivering each track with complete attitude and conviction. The offering opens with the edgy “Every Little Thing is the Same,” a tenacious track dripping with raw grungy passion. As you listen you can truly sense that restless hunger for something new. Meanwhile, we’ve got to love “Facebook Marketplace” simply for the name; lyrics like, “A welcome kiss right on the face, hi I’m Facebook Marketplace” perfectly capture the feeling of endless options laid out before you, inviting you in just like the platform itself. The record closes with “Revolution” (Colin Domigan remix), a fast-paced, heart-pounding ride that makes you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat, flooring it at full speed.
The Collect Pond is the musical project of songwriter Danny Moffat. The group features Moffat on vocals and guitar, Chris Anthony on drums, Roger Maranan on keys and bass, and Ben Bonadies on guitar and bass. Moffat grew up in Bellingham, Washington, shaped by the sounds of grunge and alternative rock, with early influences including Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., and the Pixies. At 23, he moved to New Zealand, diving into the local punk scene. Today, his music is a punk-fueled paradise that propels listeners into a frenzy.
:: “It Always Was” – Joshua Idehen ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Joshua Idehen’s “It Always Was” is the jolt of hope I’ve been craving – a rush of sunlight and oxygen, poetry and pulse. He’s a poet and a truth-spitter, the kind of artist whose lines double as life mantras, and here his voice feels like a benediction over bright, buoyant production: uplifting, moving, invigorating, utterly intoxicating.
“The song is me trying to capture a moment of optimism from my past,” the British-born, Stockholm-based artist tells Atwood Magazine. “I used to have a bunch of mates, and we’d squeeze into a Mazda and ride around London, trying to get into bars, ending up on a bench somewhere watching the sun be reborn. One time, we’d spent the night bigging ourselves up (I think Benji had just left McDonald’s and moved into finance) and we all started sharing our five-year plans. Come the morning, a friend Martin said ‘what’s meant for me will find me anyway’ and that line stuck with me for over a decade.”
That spirit of trust and faith burns through every bar and beat. Together with his longtime creative partner, musician Ludvig Parment, Idehen toasts resilience and friendship with open-armed conviction, turning private memory into communal momentum. “It was always right there in our hands! It always was! It’s all down to us! In that much I trust! My friends! what are we saying?!” His verses read like snapshots from a night that never quite ended, stitched with excerpts from a private diary. “The world is loud, but we sing louder. Pistol fingers through the window. My joy is a whistle loud in its belief.” Meanwhile, the chorus lifts like sunrise over the city:
And the answer’s right here, in our hands
It always was
It’s all down to us
In that much I trust
My friends, what are we saying?
Released October 7th, “It Always Was” lands as a radiant affirmation in a weary world – a reminder that what’s meant for us can still find us if we keep our hearts open and our people close. It’s a hand on the shoulder, a shout from the back seat, a vow said out loud and set to motion. The track arrives ahead of Idehen’s newly announced debut album I Know You’re Hurting, Everyone Is Hurting, Everyone Is Trying, You Have Got To Try, due out March 6, 2026 via Heavenly Recordings – a cathartic, euphoric collection that promises to turn pain, joy, and perseverance into powerful sound and life-affirming energy. That’s the Joshua Idehen treatment – and it’s a magical thing to behold.
:: “Still Want You” – Kamila Kay ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Kamila Kay’s “Still Want You” feels like sunlight poured over heartbreak, radiant, soulful, and impossibly alive. A burst of summery sweetness and dramatic soul, it’s love and longing wrapped in brass, rhythm, and fire. Her voice rises with the kind of warmth that fills a room, equal parts conviction and vulnerability, soaring above bright guitars and buoyant percussion. It’s the sound of passion refusing to burn out, even when it probably should.
“At its core, I guess ‘Still Want You’ could be considered a love song, but it wasn’t written about a person,” Kay shares. “I was wallowing in the impossibility of my artistic dreams and sort of daydreaming about letting them all go. There is a peacefulness in that, but there is also, of course, a feeling of heavy devastation. So I think the song was written about finding yourself at the frustrating intersection of loving something so much that you know you can’t let it go, even at the risk of it ruining your life. If you’re pretty sure you’ll never stop wanting something, might as well surrender and keep trying. Basically, I was being extremely dramatic.. as always.”
That mix of earnestness and exaggeration is exactly what makes Kamila Kay so magnetic. “Still Want You” channels both joy and ache, the relentless pull of devotion whether to love or to art. Each note brims with emotional candor, turning self-doubt into something vibrant and full of motion. Her third single of the year, following “Better Than You Think” and “people don’t change,” finds Kay continuing to bloom into one of the most exciting new voices in modern soul-pop, a kindred spirit to bands like Lake Street Dive and Lawrence. With “Still Want You,” she makes longing sound like liberation and surrender feel like its own kind of triumph.
:: “500 Miles” / “My Life” – Clara Mann ::
Rachel Leong, France
Just off the back of her debut album Rift this year, Clara Mann graces us with two classic reimaginings – “500 Miles” (originally by Hedy West) and “My Life” (originally by Iris DeMent). Pairing with fiddle player Owen Spafford on the double single, Mann presents her takes with a plunge deeper into the folk genre. Leading with fuzzy strings and vibrating vocal textures, “500 Miles” and “My Life” feel like warmth in a wooden cabin come nightfall. For Mann, tackling the folk genre was something she does not do lightly, but these tracks symbolise a return to the essence of making music.
:: “Wishing for Rain” – Sonnet ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
On “Wishing for Rain,” Sonnet proves that vulnerability doesn’t need to shout to be heard. The track drips with quiet conviction, a stripped-back piano ballad that feels less like a performance and more like an unguarded confession. Co-written and co-produced by Sonnet herself, it’s a moment of total creative ownership, where every note and breath feels deliberately fragile. Her voice wavers delicately between heartbreak and hope, capturing that fleeting emotional space where grief begins to soften into acceptance. There’s a cinematic stillness to the production, rain on glass, the hum of an empty room, that frames her introspection with devastating simplicity.
What’s remarkable about “Wishing for Rain” is how it transforms melancholy into motion. Born from an offhand comment by her mother, the song turns a passing observation into a meditation on loss, growth, and emotional renewal. The rain, once a symbol of sadness, becomes the very thing that cleanses and resets. Sonnet doesn’t demand empathy; she earns it, inviting listeners to wade through the downpour with her. The result is one of her most affecting releases yet, a song that lingers like mist, tender and unresolved, reminding us that sometimes the only way through heartbreak is to let it soak you completely.
:: The Norfkl Tapes – Ben Denny Mo ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
Based on the sun-drenched island of Gozo, British singer-songwriter Ben Denny Mo has a knack for weaving Mediterranean soul into his folk pop sound. His new EP, The Norfkl Tapes, perfectly reflects this, offering eight tracks that radiate with rich, golden melodies and lush soundscapes, all underpinned by the songwriter’s honest lyrics.
The EP sees Mo covering everything from relationships and friendships to unhealthy connections. As he sings about real life experiences, he offers something for everyone to relate to, such as the ache of saying goodbye in “In The Breakdown” and the fragility of love in “September.” The overarching theme is honesty and authenticity, with the EP’s title setting the tone for the entire release. The songwriter explains, “The record is shaped by my dyslexia. It was the reason I turned to music in the first place. At school, I wasn’t allowed into certain classes because they didn’t understand dyslexia or think I was smart enough. Picking up a guitar showed me that none of that mattered.” Brimming with feel-good energy, the EP pairs toe-tapping percussion and raspy vocals with acoustic guitar-driven arrangements that feel raw, organic, and refreshingly free of unnecessary frills.
:: “Shut Up and Kiss Me” – Windser ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
There’s something effortlessly timeless about Windser’s “Shut Up and Kiss Me.” It sounds like a song you’ve always known – soft and tender, aching and warm, suspended between the intimacy of a bedroom and the grandeur of a movie’s final scene. Jordan Topf’s voice glows with quiet conviction, his falsetto aching just enough to make your heart swell. Behind him, gentle guitar lines and radiant piano chords rise like light through a window, carrying every ounce of love and longing in their orbit.
Written for his wife shortly after their wedding, “Shut Up and Kiss Me” captures what words can’t. “I was thinking about when my wife and I first met,” Topf reflects. “We were living in Brooklyn at the time, and my old band was going on tour. I remember leaving her a record that was all about being away from someone you loved and being on the road and how that moment really solidified our connection. When I came back from tour, I remember just feeling immediate attraction and having no words to say upon returning from being away for so long. Sometimes body language and attraction speak louder than words.”
In point of fact, the title really says it all: “Shut Up and Kiss Me” evokes that feeling when time apart melts into a wordless, magnetic haze. When the power of touch – of physical connection – takes over. It’s a ballad built for first dances and late-night drives alike, blending the tender soul of The Beatles’ mid-‘60s classics with the sincerity of an Ed Sheeran confessional and the heat of a John Mayer slow-burn with. When Topf sings, “You’re my dream lover, and I don’t wanna fall asleep,” it feels both intimate and universal – a love song for anyone who’s ever been caught speechless in the presence of that special person who feels like home.
As the final notes bloom into a glowing guitar solo, “Shut Up and Kiss Me” becomes a perfect goodbye to Windser, a captivating debut album that introduces Jordan Topf as an artist of depth, grace, and heart – someone who makes love feel cinematic and real all at once. The closing refrain – “shut up… and kiss me” – lands like an exhale, tender and sure, sealing the record with the kind of grace only love can write.
:: “Endgames” – Hilary Woods ::
Rachel Leong, France
Hauntingly beautiful and cinematic, Hilary Woods returns to music following two instrumental records – this time with her voice. Experimental by nature, Woods’ music builds an intimate ecosystem of harmonies, textures, and visceral production landscapes. “Endgames” is the latest offering to arrive from Woods ahead of the new record Night CRIÜ, set to arrive later this month. Incorporating analogue film visuals and distant sound production, she invokes unspoken bonds and nostalgia, using archive footage, home movies, profile photographs and her own drawings. Where nostalgia often poses a wistful or happy return to the past, Woods invites us to turn this on its head as layered vocals recall deep explorations of the self and sonic textures nod to late-night confessionals.
:: “So Wrong” – remote ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
“So Wrong” feels like the kind of song that finds you on a slow, heavy morning, when sunlight cuts through blinds and you’re caught between guilt and grace. Manchester duo remote capture that fragile in-between with striking intimacy, pairing hushed verses with an aching, explosive chorus that hits like a confession. “Why am I getting it so wrong?” Ruben Harvey pleads, his voice cracking mid-syllable as frustration turns to release.
Built around the guilt of wasted hours and the weight of procrastination, “So Wrong” transforms self-reproach into something raw and human. “It’s a reminder that it’s okay not to feel 100% every day,” the band explain. “Slowing down and listening to your body can be just as needed as productivity.” That duality lives in every beat, the exhaustion of falling short balanced by the tenderness of forgiveness.
remote, made up of 23-year-olds Ruben Harvey and Alex Hiles, have been carving their place in the UK indie scene, blending bedroom pop’s confessional warmth with the polish of alt-pop production. There’s a sense of calm clarity to “So Wrong,” a recognition that even in our lowest, most restless moments, we’re still moving toward something. At its heart, this is a song about learning to live with your own humanity, not fixing it but feeling it. And in that vulnerable honesty, remote sound beautifully, unmistakably right.
:: Right Where I Belong – Hannah Stokes ::
Rachel Leong, France
Orlando-based singer/songwriter Hannah Stokes’ debut album, Right Where I Belong, dropped this week – and it’s a testament to Stokes’ musical precision and surety so early in her career. Fusing jazz-inflected sonics with smooth vocal melodies, Stokes combines the best of the genres of soul, R&B, jazz and folk.
With seamless transitions between form and sound, Stokes sits in stillness, nuance, and the feelings otherwise too difficult to reckon with. Instead, Stokes tackles these complexities head on. Across 10 tracks, the record journeys through rich production and nuanced textures, allowing audiences to understand her range but her creative mind.
:: “Ice Rink” – When Saints Go Machine ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
When Saints Go Machine’s “Ice Rink” feels like a reckoning – a reclamation of touch in an untouchable world. Sleek, suave, and smoldering, it glows with the heat of remembered youth –“like we’re sixteen, smoking at the ice rink,” frontman Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild croons, his intimate vibrato skating across phat bass lines, propulsive drums, and a haze of analog warmth.
Active for the past decade and a half, Copenhagen’s When Saints Go Machine have long lived at the crossroads of the synthetic and the sublime, building their legacy on boundary-pushing electronic sound. Greatest Escape, their newly released seventh album, marks a decisive turn toward the human. “We’re living in a spiritually vacant time,” Vonsild says. “The way we exist distances us from our own emotions… We’re boundary-testing in rush hour. We’re a click. We’re the user.” This record rejects that – every note and texture is hand-played by collaborators bound to the band through friendship and shared intuition.
“Ice Rink” captures that ethos in miniature: An ecstatic collision of nostalgia and presence, of neon light and sweat and pulse. Its groove feels intimate, uncalculated, and alive – the sound of memory fighting to stay tangible in a world ruled by code.
In this moment, When Saints Go Machine aren’t chasing the future; they’re protecting the present. “It’s a fight for imagination,” Vonsild explains – and “Ice Rink” makes that fight feel beautiful, sensual, and entirely human.
:: “AFTER PARTY / AFTER HOURS” – ZT ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
ZT’s latest single, “AFTER PARTY / AFTER HOURS,” is a striking statement of intent from an artist who refuses to be confined by genre or geography. The rising R&B polymath delivers a track that is at once cinematic and deeply personal, a moody, slow-burning fusion of seductive R&B and sleek pop minimalism. Produced by platinum hitmaker Riley Urick and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Bob Horn, the record gleams with polish and purpose. It’s the kind of song that could echo through an arena yet still feel whispered directly into your ear, a shimmering ode to the magnetic pull of the night, and the vulnerability that lingers when the lights fade.
ZT’s velvety baritone commands the track with quiet confidence, gliding over sultry synths and echoing percussion like headlights cutting through rain. His dual heritage, split between the raw pulse of London and the glitz of LA, breathes life into the song’s contrasting moods: temptation and tenderness, indulgence and introspection. “AFTER PARTY / AFTER HOURS” isn’t about the chaos of nightlife but the silence that follows, when façades drop and emotions surface. It’s here that ZT defines his artistry, with elegance, emotional depth, and an unmistakable voice that signals the arrival of a new force in contemporary R&B.
:: “BIGGER” – YUNHWAY ::
Rachel Leong, France
YUNHWAY’s latest, “BIGGER” is a grand introduction to the Korean rapper’s statement of artistry. With electric energy and pulsating beats, YUNHWAY’s vocals soar over layered production scapes. Drawing from her cross-cultural background across South Korea and Oregon, her music reflects the multidisciplinary approach that she also sees life through. The result is a futuristic world within her music – breaking the bounds of genre, Asian artistry, and women in hip-hop.
YUNHWAY’s “BIGGER” stands unapologetically bold amidst our current landscape, and it’s lyricism reflects this too. The rapper pours her desire for more – for bigger – into her scope; that infectious energy bleeds into listeners instantly.
:: “Motorbike” – Lombardy ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Anyone who’s ever ridden a motorbike knows the unforgettable rush of that first ride. There is a certain exhilarating energy that is daring and unapologetic. Lombardy captures a bold blend of speed, freedom, and fearless rebellion with “Motorbike.” Reminiscent of ‘90s alternative rock acts like Rage Against The Machine, the single hits hard with an addictive, electric grunge. Lyrics such as “Feeling good, wanna have a good time, gonna get right, gonna get real high,” vividly embody their spirit of liberating, carefree self-expression.
Lombardy’s sound pulls inspiration from every era and corner of culture, fusing elements of alternative, blues, classic rock, grunge, hip-hop, and psychedelic rock. In the studio, the band records together in a single room, often in one take, to capture a sound that feels organic, genuine, and unmistakably alive. Lombardy’s live performances consistently earn rave reviews as the band continues to rise as hometown favorites, cultivating a loyal and growing fanbase. “Motorbike” is another prime example of the group’s immense musical ability.
:: “Pray” – Close to Monday ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
With “Pray,” Close to Monday delivers a masterclass in emotional restraint, a song that feels suspended between surrender and defiance. The duo continues to refine their signature blend of electronic melancholy and cinematic poise, crafting a sound that’s as tactile as it is elusive. The analogue pulse of the percussion and the sparse, atmospheric synth layers form a delicate scaffolding for reflection, allowing silence and space to become instruments in their own right. There’s no urgency to “Pray,” no chase for climax; instead, the song unfolds like a held breath, its steady rhythm mirroring the quiet persistence of hope in the face of uncertainty. It’s a sonic chiaroscuro, shadows and light intermingling to form something deeply human.
Close to Monday opt for understatement over spectacle vocally with the near-whispered delivery carrying a haunting intimacy that draws you closer with each repetition. The lyrics, cyclical and meditative, evoke the quiet wrestling of faith and doubt without offering resolution, a loop of contemplation rather than confession. In doing so, “Pray” captures that liminal emotional space where fragility becomes a form of strength. The track doesn’t seek catharsis; it invites stillness, urging the listener to find grace in hesitation. Close to Monday have built not just a song, but a sanctuary, a soft, flickering light in the long corridors of modern electronic introspection.
:: “The Ghosts of Christmas Past” – Judy Whitmore ::
Chloe Robinson, California
No one likes to feel alone, especially during the holidays. Judy Whitmore’s “The Ghosts of Christmas Past” reminds us that we’re never truly alone, with loved ones from both the present and past surrounding us in spirit. With soul-stirring vocals that flow effortlessly over captivating keys and holiday-inspired sonics, Whitmore delivers a listening experience like no other. The lyric, “Of all the gifts I get at Christmas, the greatest one is memory” perfectly portrays the real spirit of the season; it’s not about presents, but the cherished moments we share.
The singer reveals, “I was in the studio one day with my dear friend and music director, Michael Orland. We were trying out songs for my new Christmas album when he mentioned he had written a song titled ‘The Ghosts of Christmas Past.’ He played it for me, and I knew instantly it had to be on the album. The lyrics are so heartfelt and the melody so haunting.”
Born in New York City and raised under the California sun in Studio City, Whitmore is both an acclaimed singer and an award-winning, best-selling author. Her musical path began in college when she landed her first gig as a background vocalist for Capitol Records. She served on the Board of Directors for Ballet West Aspen and, after earning her pilot’s license, volunteered on search and rescue missions with Aspen Air Rescue. She continued her aviation journey, becoming a Learjet Captain, and also flew seaplanes and hot-air balloons. In this latest release her stunning tone also soars.
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