Atwood Magazine is excited to share our Editor’s Picks column, written and curated by Editor-in-Chief Mitch Mosk. Every week, Mitch will share a collection of songs, albums, and artists who have caught his ears, eyes, and heart. There is so much incredible music out there just waiting to be heard, and all it takes from us is an open mind and a willingness to listen. Through our Editor’s Picks, we hope to shine a light on our own music discoveries and showcase a diverse array of new and recent releases.

This week’s Editor’s Picks features Nami, Borderline, Litany, Lucy Dacus, Social Order, and zzzahara!

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Bright, bubbly, and intoxicatingly catchy, Nami’s third-ever single, “Suzette,” is an instant earworm dripping in playful charm and vibrant energy. Fueled by the delightful delirium of desire, the song radiates a carefree spontaneity that captures both the thrill and madness of chasing after someone who feels just out of reach. Blending addictive melodies with subtly mischievous lyrics, “Suzette” transforms longing into something infectiously danceable.

“‘Suzette’ is an energetic record,” Nami tells Atwood Magazine. “I let my inspirations melt into this tune and tried to make it as catchy as possible. I’m proud of it; it’s your chase after the girl song – if you read into the lyrics, it could come off creepy, and that was on purpose – some of my favorite songs read a bit creepy,” he laughs.

I saw your pretty eyes
Passing me by yeah
Just give me a sign
And I will make you mine (oooh)
You know you want me too
All the time, (yeah all of the time)
But you’re so undecided
Got me waiting on the line

Driven by a raw, unfiltered, and undeniable passion, “Suzette” is both feisty and feverish: “Suzette, I ain’t got you yet, but no one’s taking you from me,” Nami sings in the track’s infectious, emotionally charged refrain, calling to mind the King of Pop himself. “Suzette, I’ll loose all my breath if you keep on running from me.”

‘Cause you are, yes you are
The only one for me
Baby can’t you see?

Suzette (Suzette)
I ain’t got you yet
But no one’s taking you from me
Suzette (Suzette)
I’ll loose all my breath
If you keep on running from me

Nami crafts an utterly alluring soundscape, masterfully balancing lush instrumentation with moments of unflinching, unpolished honesty. The track’s buoyant rhythm and dynamic chord progression propel listeners forward, mirroring the emotional push-and-pull embedded in its narrative. While “Suzette” is purely fictional – more an intoxicating idea than a tangible, real-life person – Nami expertly channels feelings of hopeful anticipation and playful obsession into a song that’s as sweetly seductive as it is delightfully quirky.

Currently based in LA, Nami humbly identifies as a student first and an artist second, emphasizing his curiosity and passion for creative exploration. “I design stuff, I love talking about any and everything,” the record producer, designer, and songwriter shares. “I don’t think there’s a separation between me and my artist project, which is maybe unhealthy in someone else’s book, but in mine it reads just fine.”

She got me right down to my knees
I’m begging and pleading her please
Oooh wee , oooh weeee
She run through my mind on repeat
Ah, no one else can compete
Oooh wee , oooh weeee

While he has worked as a sound designer and co-producer for globally renowned acts like Ariana Grande, Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow, and Cordae, his own artist story is only just beginning – he released his debut single “Northstar” in January, followed by “Connoisseur” this past Valentine’s Day, and “Suzette” in mid-March.

“Suzette” is especially near and dear to Nami as one of his most upbeat and uptempo tracks yet, reflecting his creative ambition to produce something instantly memorable and joyously addictive.

“I want people to spend years enjoying it,” he smiles. “There is a lot of detail in my music, some more noticeable than others, but all show up in their own time. I spent good energy and time producing it. My priority was keeping the main melody running throughout the track, and then Buddy Ross came up with that incredible chord progression in the pre-chorus that honestly took the idea to the next level.”

“A lot of its elements remained raw and naked! I think that’s one of the favorite things about my album. There were many opportunities to deliver a super clean, compressed and overly corrected version of all songs, but I purposely chose the alternative direction as some sort of soft-anti sentiment.”

“Suzette” is pure fun, and a phenomenal introduction to an artist – ahem, student – with a bright and exciting future ahead. From its bold, feel-good beats to its tantalizing melodies, Nami’s third release proves an instant singalong, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its carefree spirit. With its irresistible hooks and effervescent vibes, “Suzette” firmly establishes Nami as an exciting new voice poised to captivate listeners, setting high expectations for what’s still to come. Nami’s debut album WARM is due out May 9^th via ONDAS!

‘Cause you are, yes you are
The only one for me
Baby can’t you see?

Suzette, I ain’t got you yet
But no one’s taking you from me
Suzette, I’ll lose all my breath
If you keep on running from me

How fitting that I’m writing about a song called “When It’s Raining” while it’s so wet and dreary outside. Art imitates life, I guess – or maybe the weather just went full method actor on me. Little does it know, Borderline’s latest single is as dark and stormy as it is filled with warmth and hazy light – a soulful, cinematic power ballad that aches inside and out, channeling raw emotion into a beautifully bold, spiritually cleansing release.

She knows, she knows, she knows
She had a good thing
Shows up in my dreams
If she was honest
she’d know, she’d know, she’d know
It’s just a fever, want to believe her
Someone tell me save us
She knows, she knows, she knows,
I know

According to the New Zealand band – who formed around 2021 and released their infectious seven-track debut, Perfect Movie Scene, in 2023 – “When It’s Raining’ is all about “trying to capture the feeling of being completely lost in your anger and sadness – when you can’t see a future where things get better. It’s a universal feeling, and we hope this song will make people feel seen and understand that they’re not alone in their struggles.”

“The inspiration behind ‘When It’s Raining’ comes from several places,” frontman Ben Glanfield adds. “Musically, we were listening to a lot of Fleetwood Mac and ‘80s rock power ballads. Lyrically, we wanted to portray more of a feeling than a specific story so you can really feel it however you need, which is something we’re being conscious about when writing.”

It’s not unfair, she talks and I’m invisible
There’s something tearing us into oblivion
It’s not unfair, she talks and I’m invisible
There’s something tearing us into oblivion

Big, echoing piano chords mark the song’s dramatic entrance, immediately setting a heavy tone as Borderline build their world out of intimate, visceral emotions. It’s a slow burn at first—delicate, deliberate – but the intensity rises steadily as layers of guitar, synth, and drums swell around Glanfield’s impassioned vocals. There’s tension in the air, like the thick quiet and eerie calm before a thunderstorm breaks.

That storm hits hardest in the second verse, where Borderline wring their hearts out in what feels like a breaking point: A moment of total collapse. It’s gut-wrenching, intimate, and painfully human:

Crying on the stairs down the hallway
Screaming please believe me
I can see the colour
drain from your face
when you tell me you love me
Falling out of time pack it up
you won’t see me in the morning
This is real, this is why,
wanna die, when it’s raining, it’s pouring

By the time the band hit their climax, it’s all cinematic release: A cathartic eruption of sweltering, smoldering sound and fervent feeling that leaves you breathless and emotionally rinsed. It’s not just rain; it’s a downpour of everything you’ve been holding in. Somehow, they’ve wrapped despair in warmth – delivering a track that’s both devastating and deeply comforting, like being held through the tempest.

It’s not unfair, she talks and I’m invisible
There’s something tearing us into oblivion
It’s not unfair, she talks and I’m invisible
There’s something tearing us into oblivion

Wouldn’t you know it, the sun’s now peeking through the clouds! Poetic timing, really. “When It’s Raining” isn’t all dark skies and inner churn; for as brutal and gutting as the lyrics are, the music itself is a deep, cathartic exhale à la Journey’s very best power ballads (think “I’ll Be Alright Without You,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Who’s Crying Now” – the real, larger-than-life anthems that hit home with passion and pain).

Borderline don’t just dwell in the turmoil – they find something luminous within it. “When It’s Raining” is the kind of song that hurts in all the right ways, and like the best power ballads, it doesn’t just echo your heartbreak – it helps you rise from it, leaving you just a little lighter by the end. Borderline have crafted the perfect storm.

She knows she knows she knows
She knows she knows I know
It’s not unfair, she talks and I’m invisible
There’s something tearing us into oblivion

“I’m just a sad girl, and that makes me happy,” Litany sings in a dramatic fervor, her sparkling voice soaring in a pool of pulsing bass and swirling synths. “I’m just a sad girl, don’t need you to heal me.” As invigorating and empowering as it is unapologetically sassy, the title track off Litany’s upcoming debut album captures a moment of catharsis and confession, reckoning and radiance.

At the same time as she comes to terms with hard truths about herself, the Yorkshire born, London-based indie pop artist (née Beth Cornell) embraces those so-called detrimental qualities and harnesses them to shine brighter than she’s ever shone before. The result is a spirited, seductive anthem for sadgirls everywhere to recognize and reclaim their power – first and foremost, by rejecting the haters and accepting themselves for who they are, ‘perfectly imperfect’ – the way it should be.

Here comes a TED Talk
The subject of course, me!
And everything I could do
If I’m to improve
But honestly have you considered this

I don’t need to meet and greet the new me
‘Cause I don’t need fixing

Released January 31^st via Nettwerk, “Sadgirl” is as exhilarating as it is immersive – the kind of high-energy banger that brings Litany back into the spotlight at just the right time. A favorite of our pages since 2018 (she’s now a two-time Atwood Editor’s Pick and a longtime artist-to-watch), Litany brings a wealth of color, force, and flavor to everything she touches. “Sadgirl” joins the ranks of beloved fan favorite tracks like “My Dude,” “Love Letter,” “Uh-huh,” and “Jelly Tot” – each of which hits hard big, bold pop beats and melodies, all while offering intimate glimpses of the Beth Cornell’s raw humanity.

Call it indie pop for the emotionally vulnerable and sonically savvy: Litany’s irresistible singalongs have that special sauce that no one can deny. She rises to an undeniable fever pitch as she reaches the song’s emotionally charged chorus.

If I-I-I hear one more ti-i-ime
“You need to lighten up,
get outta the house”
If I-I-I hear one more ti-i-ime
It might not happen,
turn that frown upside down

I’m just a sad girl
And that makes me happy-y-y
I’m just a sad girl
Don’t need you to heal me-e-e

“This song is a denial dancehall banger and the ‘I told you so’ anthem for parents everywhere,” Cornell tells Atwood Magazine. “For many years I was in denial about how bad my mental health had gotten, but writing ‘Sadgirl’ became my way of confronting it – turning something painful into something that feels powerful and liberating.”

That liberation radiates through every second of “Sadgirl,” a song that channels personal reckoning into euphoric release. Litany doesn’t just own her emotions – she celebrates them, transforming vulnerability into a badge of honor. Her ability to craft catchy, emotionally charged pop with a fearless edge has long set her apart, but with “Sadgirl,” she raises the bar: It’s as much a personal anthem as it is a universal invitation to dance through the darkness and find joy in self-acceptance.

Another lecture
And guess who’s mеntioned, me!
And all the ways I’vе gone wrong
You sing the same song

And honestly please
Let me wallow in my misery
Maybe take a day off or three

As Litany gears up to release her debut album, “Sadgirl” sets a bold tone for what’s to come: A record full of attitude, honesty, heart, and hard-earned confidence. With every beat and breath, Litany reaffirms why she remains one of indie pop’s most magnetic voices – unfiltered, unapologetic, and completely unforgettable. Sadgirl is set to release April 25 via Nettwerk!

If I hear one more time
“You need to lighten up,
get outta the house”
If I hear one more time
It might not happen,
turn that frown upside down

I’m just a sad girl
And that makes me happy-y-y
I’m just a sad girl
Don’t need you to heal me-e-e

Singer/songwriter Lucy Dacus really knows how to sneak up on you emotionally – a superpower she harnesses time and again throughout her breathtakingly beautiful fourth studio album. Released March 28 via Geffen Records, Forever Is a Feeling is Dacus’ sonically expansive, achingly intimate ode to love (the highs, mids, and lows), and in turn, to our very humanity – all those things that connect us to each other on that deepest, most vulnerable and visceral level. Highlights abound on the thirteen-track masterpiece; on the darker side are songs like “Bullseye” (featuring Hozier) and “Talk,” a dramatic upheaval observing two hearts growing apart in real time. On the ‘lighter’ side lie the dreamy, hopelessly hopeful “Ankles,” the meditative, delicately soul-stirring title track “Forever Is a Feeling,” the lilting, longing-fueled “Come Out,” and the sweetly sun-kissed “Best Guess” – a gentle, full-throated embrace of love’s perfect imperfection.

Clasping your necklace
Zipping your dress
Hands on your waist
Kissing your neck
I love your body
I love your mind
They will change
So will mine
But you are

My best guess at the future
You are my best guess
If I were a gambling man, and I am
You’d be my best bet

Since its release in February, this song has been on repeat – in my ears, in my head, and in my heart. It’s the closest Forever Is a Feeling gets to an unbridled, unfiltered, unflinching love song, with Dacus confessing her feelings directly to her paramour, in no uncertain terms, “You are my best guess at the future… If I were a gambling man, and I am, you’d be my best bet.” There’s no hesitation and little inner conflict; just a declaration of ‘true blue’ devotion and unwavering desire.

Tracing your tan lines
Making you mine
If this doesn’t work out
I would lose my mind
And after a while
I will be fine
But I don’t wanna be fine
I want you, you, you are

My best guess at the future
You are my best guess
If I were a gambling man, and I am
You’d bе my best bet

Dacus, for her part, as described it as an anthem of queer tenderness – one that “captures that mix of excitement and uncertainty as two people take a romantic chance with one another.” Nothing is certain, other than their trust in one another, and that’s more than enough. Dacus says it best in the song’s breakdown, recognizing that people are just that – people: Each of us is a never-ending work in progress, and that’s not going away any time soon, but if we can accept ourselves for who we are and give each other grace, then we can also love intimately and unapologetically, with our full hearts and with no conditions, hesitancies, or regrets.

Herе is the church
Here is the steeple
You were looking for saints
But you only found people
Ain’t that just the way it goes
I watched you fall from grace
You were graceful
After all, it’s a small world
You may not be an angel
But you are my girl
You are my pack a day
You are my favorite place
You were my best friend before you were

As a hopeless romantic myself – and one who’s been happily in love for nearly ten years now – I think I instinctively love “Best Guess” for how Lucy Dacus chooses to love ‘love’ – vulnerably, and with open arms.

My best guess at the future
You are my best guess
If I were a gambling man, and I am
You’d be my best bet
You are my best guess at the future
You are my best guess
If I were a gambling man, and I am
You’d be my best bet

It’s the dark drama of Social Order’s “Lights Off” that hits hardest: A passionate, percussive pulse born out of distress, denial, and desire. The Las Vegas post-punk trio roar to life on their second single of 2025, begging us to surrender to the darkness one more time; to lose our inhibitions, indulge in our innermost fantasies, dance like nobody’s watching, and let our impulses – our shadow selves – guide the way.

Can you stay the night
I’ve been hangin on
Cast your spell with every move you make
Play your wicked game and I’ll surrender all
I want you now
tell me it’s not too late

We can do it with the lights off
Tell me everything you want now
I don’t want to lose you this time
Stay the night again

“‘Lights Off’ captures the feeling of wanting to stay close to someone while avoiding the reality that your special bond has ended and it’s time to move on,” Social Order’s Mason Musso (who plays with Anthony Improgo (Metro Station, Parade of Lights) and Andrew Ward (Nuwave Fighters) tells Atwood Magazine.

“The song encapsulates a moment of crisis and opportunity. It’s a narrative of someone grappling with deep attraction and fear of loss, aiming for redemption or at least a significant moment of connection, underscored by the urgency of ‘now or never.’ The imagery of chains and spells suggests a battle between freedom and captivity, both in love and within oneself.”

Social Order hold nothing back as they enshroud the ears in a sonically charged soundscape, where physical attraction and emotional intensity intertwine:

We can do it with the lights off
Tell me everything you want now
I don’t want to lose you this time
Stay the night again

“Anthony, Andrew, and I set out to create something that was both upbeat and danceable yet carried a darker undertone,” Musso continues. “I had the guitar chords lingering in my mind for a while, and as we wrote the lyrics, they felt like a perfect match for the music. Typically, we start with the music first and build from there, but this song was a bit of an anomaly in our process.”

I can’t resist you now
I’m begging you to stay
We’re tangled up in all the mess we made
Every breath you take gets me closer now
You’re mine tonight I see it on your face
Your face

We can do it with the lights off
Tell me everything you want now
I don’t want to lose you this time
Stay the night again

With its pulsing rhythm, emotionally charged lyricism, and magnetic sonic contrasts, “Lights Off” is a striking display of Social Order’s evolving artistry and raw, unapologetic spirit. It’s a song for the moments we feel most unmoored, and a soundtrack for the nights we let go of reason and run headfirst into feeling. “We can do it with the lights off / Tell me everything you want now,” Musso pleads in a breathless, urgent chorus — a moment of longing suspended in time, where physical desire meets emotional desperation. As the band continue carving their place in the modern post-punk landscape, “Lights Off” stands tall as both a personal reckoning and a communal release — moody, messy, and utterly mesmerizing.

Thanks to Social Order, we’ll be doing it with the lights off all year long.

Tears go by
I won’t let you fall this time
I know that it’s now or never
I’ll take off all the chains
Tears go by
I won’t let you fall this time
I know that it’s now or never
Now or never
Take off all your chains

We can do it with the lights off
Tell me everything you want now
I don’t want to lose you this time
Stay the night again

I keep coming back to zzzahara’s sophomore LP, Spiral Your Way Out, and each time I do, I find more reasons to love Zahara Jaime’s unflinchingly raw songwriting and equally visceral performance. For me, the record’s centerpiece is track five, “Wish You Would Notice (Know This)” – a song that channels the emotional wreckage and unapologetic nature of the album’s title into a cathartic, catchy, and soul-stirring eruption.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that this song is more stream-of-conscious than it is carefully crafted concoction – though both are inevitably true of the end result. Written in just five minutes, the music flooded out of zzzahara all at once as they put pen to paper and wrote all the thoughts and feelings that had been left unsaid.

 “The perspective that I wrote it from was just like letting somebody drive the car,” Jaime tells Atwood Magazine. “I wrote it about my ex, and it felt like she was always driving the car and instead of being vocal or communicative. I felt like had tried so much by that point that I just let the car drive. That song was me just spitting bars about how I felt.”

“Wish That You Would Notice” is true catharsis manifest in two and a half minutes of angsty, dreamy alternative. It’s zzzahara’s innermost confession – an intimate plea given a voice after being ignored or avoided for far too long. Released on January 10^th, Spiral Your Way Out was one of the year’s first releases, but it’s important to not let it get buried under all the music that has since followed; a cohesive and achingly vulnerable work of art dwelling in the artist’s darkest depths, zzzahara’s latest offering deserves to be experienced from bitter end to bitter end, as we soak up the intensity and fullness of their feelings brought to life in song.

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