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 mgk, BOLD LOVE, Miranda del Sol, Superfan, Bobby Freemont, Baby Rose, Wilby, Quinn XCII, Ivory Layne, BLACKPINK, Gina Zo, Bones Shredder, Adult Leisure, Katzù Oso, ZADA, Nierra Creek, Quaking Aspens, Adam Spry, & Mezanmi!
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:: “miss sunshine” – mgk ::
Bárbara Martínez Campuzano, Mexico
The “My Ex’s Best Friend” singer has released a third glimpse of his upcoming album, titled Lost Americana. This new, rare song is one to play on the road, different from the usual pop-punk, rock, and hip-hop blend: this time, he’s turned to indie-pop with a southern rock ring. The track evokes nostalgia and confusion; even on the road, there may be no clear destination, but it’s all surely a complicated journey. mgk talks about bad decisions, something he’s done frequently through his songs, and about moving from place to place even though there’s no knowing where he’ll end up.
“miss sunshine” is perhaps the most gentle song among mgk’s recent releases. While “cliché” and “vampire diaries” are more inclined to rock and pop-punk, “miss sunshine” is a soft, heartfelt indie ballad. Even with a rap to pop-punk and rock transition, this new release is an indication that mgk is capable of shifting genres once more. Though that remains to be seen, as mgk sings, we “might as well enjoy the ride.”
:: LOOK! I’m Alive – Quinn XCII ::
Eric Schuster, Los Angeles
Quinn XCII is back! The veteran singer/songwriter released his most mature album to date with LOOK! I’m Alive, and some pretty sweet merchandise to go along with it. My friend sent me the album link and I put it on as I was driving home from the beach. My goodness. It felt euphoric. No better soundtrack for sunset-cruising down Venice Blvd on a warm summer evening.
The album opens with “Olive Tree,” a gentle love song that perfectly sets the tone for the project. The accompanying music video features Quinn dancing and strumming his acoustic guitar in nature, perfectly encapsulating the album’s earthy, celebratory vibe. LOOK! I’m Alive doesn’t lose any steam as it progresses, each song offering its own unique sound but grounded in the theme of joy, reflection and renewal.
:: “Feel You Close” – BOLD LOVE ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
The shimmer of heat on pavement. The hush of a room right before someone speaks. BOLD LOVE’s “Feel You Close” captures that rare kind of stillness – not silence, but presence – where emotion hangs heavy in the air, and every breath feels like memory. Slippery and suave, the Dublin sextet’s sixth (and latest) single glides on sultry guitars and sweet, glowing synths, with Cian Ó’Maonlaí’s dreamy lead vocal coalescing into radiant harmonies that evoke intimacy, loss, and connection all at once. It’s a seductive summer day manifest in song – golden, aching, and utterly irresistible.
“‘Feel You Close’ was one of the first tracks we wrote for our debut EP,” Ó’Maonlaí – who plays together with Jack Cody (guitar/vocals), Megan Nic Ruairí (vocals/keys), Dan Aherne (bass), Anton Shovlin (drums), and Adam Curtis (lead guitar) – shares. “The writing started for me with the line, ‘We should have seen it coming.’ Jack brought the structure and the main guitar hook, and I just kept repeating that line. It brought forward a memory that’s really close to the surface and that kind of sparked where the song was headed in my mind.”
He continues, “The moment you learn of the death of someone you love is incredibly powerful. It leaves a mark. That memory stays crystal clear, the despair you feel, but also the love and connection between you and the people around you. I feel like the room itself carries the weight of that moment. That’s something I wanted to dig into, the way a space can tell you something’s wrong before anyone even speaks. The chorus was the last part of the song to come. I wanted it to feel uplifting, in contrast to the verses. I wanted it to reflect a celebration of someone’s life, how they live on in the people they leave behind. We’re really excited about the direction it has brought us and we’re so buzzed it’s out.”
With each new release, BOLD LOVE continue to expand their signature widescreen indie pop sound, bringing emotional depth and rock dynamism to the forefront. Recorded with Richie Kennedy (Interpol, Celeste, White Lies), “Feel You Close” builds on the momentum of 2025 singles “Talking & Drifting” and “I’m Home,” and marks yet another stunning step toward their upcoming debut EP. If this track is any indication, the Dublin newcomers are well on their way to becoming one of Ireland’s most exciting musical exports – and deservedly so.
:: “so in looove” – Miranda del Sol ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
Of Cuban-Argentinian heritage, Miranda del Sol grew up in Miami but has been based in New York City since 2019, when she ventured up north to study music in NYU. Since graduating, Miranda has worked as a copywriting assistant and also begun formally publishing several of her own songs. The latest of these, “so in looove,” is anchored by a chorus that features the title sung repeatedly and verses that elaborate on said sentiment (“I’m dizzy with desire” and “I know it isn’t healthy but I let you overwhelm me,” for instance).
It’s a simple but effective concept, reinforced by a tender R&B/Latin pop instrumental that demonstrates Miranda honoring her geographic heritage. “I wanted it to feel like the inside of my mind when I realized they weren’t coming back,” she says of the song’s concept. “There’s beauty and devastation all at once.” It’ll be great to see what more this talented young songstress has in store for us once her debut EP, featuring “so in looove,” arrives later on this summer.
:: “Miss W Jones” – Superfan ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
With unfiltered, unflinching lyrics and a vocal recording so vulnerable and close-miked it might as well be here in the room, Superfan’s “Miss W Jones” instantly stopped me in my tracks with a hushed breath and a flutter in the chest. It’s dreamy and aching, intimate and mysterious, filled with the kind of raw alternative angst that comes from telling the truth, wholly and unapologetically. The latest single from Superfan, the songwriting project of 20-year-old composer Kali Flanagan, finds comfort in a name, in a person, in a fleeting moment of warmth during a long, unforgiving New York winter. What begins as a quiet unraveling swells into something haunting and heavy, with brash drums, deep guitar tremors, and Omeed Almassi’s cello churning from the inside out – not just carrying emotion, but channeling it. It’s soul-spilling in motion, a song that holds your hand and breaks your heart at the same time.
“‘Miss W Jones’ is a song I wrote about finding comfort in friendship amidst the ebbs of loneliness one experiences throughout a New York winter,” Flanagan shares. His rich, tender, emotionally charged voice soars over a bed of distorted acoustic guitar and cello feedback, further electrified by brush-played drums that maintain intimacy amidst impact and tasteful dissonance. That tension – between closeness and alienation, softness and churn – is what gives this song its staying power. Even at its loudest, it never loses its vulnerability.
Flanagan’s story is one of transformation, reclamation, and redefinition. After years of indie pop success under the name KALI, he emerged as Superfan with a sharpened voice and a clearer vision, exchanging radio-ready synth hooks for poetry, dissonance, and deeply tuned acoustics. With one foot in DIY spaces and another sharing stages with the likes of Julian Casablancas and others, Superfan’s sound is part noise-folk elegy, part orchestral post-punk, part something completely his own. And in “Miss W Jones,” you feel all of it – the history, the ache, the need to hold on to someone who makes the cold months bearable.
:: “somewhere by a lake” – Bobby Freemont ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
There’s a weightless melancholy running through Bobby Freemont’s “Somewhere by a Lake,” a song that doesn’t ask to be heard so much as it gently insists. The rising indie artist peels back his inner world in the most unassuming way, crafting a track that feels more like a late-night conversation than a piece of studio-polished pop. Rooted in the quiet yearning to escape the noise of modern life, the single walks the line between solitude and surrender with poetic grace.
It’s the sort of release that thrives in stillness. Freemont’s hushed vocal delivery lingers over sparse, soulful instrumentation, guitars wash like shoreline waves while subtle keys flicker in the background, adding a textural intimacy to the soundscape. With seasoned songwriter Nick Ferraro in the mix, the song breathes with maturity, yet never strays from Freemont’s signature vulnerability. You hear the years it took to write this, and more importantly, you feel them.
As a precursor to his debut album, The Death of Bobby Freemont, this single doesn’t chase the spotlight; it creates its own quiet orbit. It’s confessional without being performative, precise without being clinical. In a cultural moment dominated by hyper-produced narratives and constant noise, “Somewhere by a Lake” is a rare act of emotional clarity, both a retreat and a reckoning. Bobby Freemont isn’t just telling his story. He’s inviting you to find your own within it.
:: “That’s All” – Baby Rose ::
Ankita Bhanot, Bay Area, California
Baby Rose’s signature smoky, soulful, and raspy vocals are easily recognizable on any song she’s featured on – collaborating with the likes of J. Cole, Smino, and BADBADNOTGOOD – clearly emblematic of today’s R&B, yet also reminiscent of a much older, seasoned soul singer of the ’70s.
Her honeyed, deep contralto timber powerfully carries through her deeply complex narratives about love and heartbreak. I recently heard her performing in the film The Materialists – posing as a wedding singer, performing an original song that’s also featured on the film’s soundtrack – and was incredibly captivated, the song repeatedly reverberating in my head long after I had left the theater. The lyrics emphasize the simplicity and sincerity of her love, offering her unwavering devotion; “If you’re wondеring what I’m asking in return, dear / You’ll be glad to know that my dеmands are small / Say it’s me that you’ll adore / For now and ever more / That’s all, that’s all.”
In her 2020 album To Myself, she’ll describe the repeatedly explored topic about the feeling of falling in love. But her songs also go a layer deeper, describing the push and pull between wanting to be held and wanting to break free; loving the solace and peace you find in another person, while simultaneously holding on to the feelings It’s a sentiment many of us have felt, and Baby Rose is able to capture these emotional paradoxes with nuance, honesty, and intelligence.
:: “Pleaser” – Wilby ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
There’s something inherently captivating about a song that sounds like it’s teetering on the edge – of a breakdown, of a breakthrough, of understanding. Wilby’s “Pleaser” walks that line with fire in its belly and grit in its teeth. The Nashville-based artist (née Maria Crawford) has never sounded more charged: Her voice threads between tenderness and tension, psychoanalyzing a relationship in real time as the dry churn of overdriven guitars lends a visceral, restless energy. It’s ragged and raw in all the right ways – a slow burn that scorches on impact.
“‘Pleaser’ came from a place of understanding the roles/dynamics of my relationship with my partner,” Wilby explains. “We’d been going to therapy together for a few years, and one session I had this moment where I felt I really saw him, fears/wounds/insecurities, for the first time. It made me appreciate his motivations for getting his needs met while also seeing ways I was trying to meet mine.”
She continues, “I think most couples have opposite attachment styles, and it can get messy; you can take advantage of each other. I think I saw how my own unhealth perpetuated his, how my avoidance brought out his anxiety, and so on. ‘Pleaser’ is less about romanticizing someone who would do anything for you and more about mutual trust, vulnerability, and seen-ness.”
A longtime Atwood Magazine artist-to-watch, Wilby is stepping into her prime in real time. From her early days as folk artist “Mar” to her present, unapologetic and unfiltered indie rock persona, Wilby’s evolution has been marked by fearless honesty and an ever-growing sonic confidence. With its jagged instrumentation and gut-punch lyrics, “Pleaser” is a standout moment off her upcoming debut album Center of Affection (out October 10 via Hit The North Records) – a record born of morning pages and emotional excavation, where intimacy and introspection collide. This is indie rock at its most vulnerable and volcanic, and Wilby’s just getting started.
:: Part Time Jobs Near Me – Ivory Layne ::
Julius Robinson, California
Indie artist Ivory Layne’s high-energy pop EP, Part Time Jobs Near Me, written and produced on her own, delivers a fierce and spirited chronicle of a young woman fighting to escape the confines of outdated norms. She’s built an EP that walks the fine line between chasing what could be and confronting what is. The record opens with “MEHTROPOLIS,” a track dealing with the harsh reality behind the music industry. The bouncing beat and hard-hitting vocals make this track a potent and powerful offering. Then there is the vibrant and shimmery “MISS GRAVITY.” The vulnerable release creates a striking depiction of the gap between aspirations and the current reality. “ASMR,” the centerpiece of the EP, is Layne’s anthem for indie artists who’ve sacrificed everything for their art, only to be met with meager rewards. The distinct sound paired with the passionate vocals creates an experience reminiscent of ASMR.
After spending more than ten years making music in Nashville, Layne returned to her roots in North Carolina at the end of 2024 to fully embrace her path as an independent artist. Back home, she revisited demos begun in Music City, developing them in a makeshift studio set up in what used to be her father’s office. She has always been a hard worker, tirelessly dedicated to her craft. Layne says the EP’s title came together organically: “For the last several years, outside jobs became my lifeline to live while making music. The EP’s title was a Google search I used countless times during the process – I’d work on the songs during the day and search for jobs online at night.”
:: 뛰어 (“Jump”) – BLACKPINK ::
Cassandra Fong, United Kingdom
BLACKPINK’s “JUMP” is undeniably a bold and ambitious track that pushes the group’s usual boundaries, blending genres like hardstyle, dance-pop, European techno, and EDM into a high-octane soundscape. Crafted by an eclectic team of writers – including Teddy, Diplo, 24, Zikai, Claudia Valentina, Jumpa, Malachiii, and Jesse Bluu – and produced by a similarly diverse lineup, the song ventures into territory both familiar and uncharted. Its cinematic guitar riff at the outset sets a vivid tone, hinting at a narrative that’s grand and perhaps just a little chaotic.
The track’s relentless energy and pulsating beats create an atmosphere that’s hard to ignore – whether for its infectiousness or its chaotic promise of liberation. The lyrics, centered around themes of sisterhood, confidence, and the thrill of the night, oscillate between empowerment and something more ambiguous – teetering on the edge of celebration and rebellion. Rosé and Jisoo’s lines evoke vulnerability beneath the high-energy exterior, while Jennie and Lisa’s rallying cries to jump and dance seem to invite both escape and confrontation. The chorus’s repetitive hook – “run up, uh, jump” – could be seen as an irresistible call to action or perhaps a hypnotic trap, depending on how you listen. Vocally, BLACKPINK’s members deliver with a mix of attitude and subtle nuance, their performance riding a fine line between fierce confidence and playful defiance. There’s a certain ambiguity in the tone – whether it’s a celebration of freedom or an acknowledgment of the chaos that comes with it. The song’s layered message seems to invite multiple interpretations: is it an anthem of empowerment, or does it revel in the wild unpredictability of nights that blur boundaries? Or perhaps both.
In the end, Jump leaves more questions than answers. Its energetic push might inspire listeners to dance their feelings out or make them question what’s real beneath the surface. Whether one finds it exhilarating or overwhelming, it’s hard to deny that the song leaves a lingering sense of ambiguity – an invitation to jump into the unknown, whatever that might mean.
:: “Only Bad Men Make Me Feel This Way” – Gina Zo ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Gina Zo’s syrupy pop-folk single “Only Bad Men Make Me Feel This Way” displays deeply profound lyrics and clear emotional expression. The song narrates the ups and downs of newfound freedom after a breakup when you recognize you’re stronger alone, but still feel the ache of what was lost. Taking acoustic guitar and fusing it with luminous synth atmospheres, this simple yet compelling backdrop truly brings the piece to life. The music video showcases the effects of a toxic romance and just how harmful it can be.
Zo, a vibrant vocalist originally from Philadelphia’s suburbs and now making her mark in Los Angeles, is more than just a singer-songwriter, she’s a symbol of honesty and strength in every song and performance. By proudly embracing her bisexuality in her 2023 track “Faking It,” Zo has turned her experiences into a meaningful anthem for the LGBTQIA+ community, illustrating embracing your true identity and challenging societal expectations. That song carries great strength, and this new release resonates with equal force.
:: “Sky Is Falling” – Bones Shredder ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Bones Shredder’s “Sky Is Falling” might just be sunlight manifest in sound – but spend too much time basking in it, and you’ll feel the burn. A slice of infectious, feel-good alt-rock with a deeper ache rippling beneath the surface, this track pairs soaring power-pop guitars and Lucy Giles’ airy harmonies with Randy Moore’s unmistakable knack for bittersweet hooks. It’s bright and effervescent – practically begging to be blasted on a summer drive – but listen closely and you’ll hear a soul processing chaos, gratitude, and change in real time. A love song to the people who catch you when you’re falling, with a subtle sting baked into every glistening chord.
“I finished writing ‘Sky Is Falling’ right after I demoed out the last single, ‘Daylight,’” Moore shares. “I was feeling really good about so many things in my life at that moment. It felt like I was finally reaching some peace after the chaotic year I just had – feeling grateful for all of the people who had supported me while I was going through the craziest time in my life so far. Thankful for my family, my partner, and my friends for keeping me so grounded while the sky was falling.”
It’s the latest single off Morbid Little Thing, Bones Shredder’s upcoming debut album (out September 19 via Sunken Teeth Records). The San Jose project is the solo vehicle of Randy Moore – a longtime sideman for Dan Andriano and Matt Skiba, now stepping into his own spotlight with grit, wit, and a healthy dose of horror-tinged charm. Fueled by chunky guitars and classic AM pop sensibilities, Bones Shredder’s music nods to Fountains of Wayne, Ozma, and early Weezer, but it’s Moore’s perspective – both tongue-in-cheek and heart-on-sleeve – that makes Morbid Little Thing so compelling. “Sky Is Falling” is a perfect entry point: Punchy, poignant, and endlessly replayable.
:: “A Woman Like You”- Katzù Oso ::
Julius Robinson, California
Los Angeles native Katzù Oso showcases an intimate new single. Titled “A Woman Like You,” the piece is a soft reflection on the courage it takes to be vulnerable with a partner. His warm, luscious vocals glide over a delicate, glistening backdrop for the ultimate intoxicating track. With soothing sounds evoking vibes of acts like Chicano Batman, the second he starts singing you are instantly drawn in.
Katzù Oso, a Chicano artist rooted in the streets of East LA and Boyle Heights, channels his cultural heritage into dreamy melodies and modern soundscapes. With the success of his EPs Colour and Pastel, he now expands his sonic palette, transporting listeners to a new dimension with his debut full-length album, Tmí. Oso’s album maps out his personal evolution, offering an audible journey through the formative years he spent in Boyle Heights. This project is infused with immense heart, and ‘A Woman Like You’ truly captures that genuine passion.
:: “The Rules” – Adult Leisure ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Adult Leisure’s “The Rules” might sound like it belongs on the soundtrack to an ’80s breakup scene – rain on the windshield, neon flickering in a motel mirror – but it doesn’t just brood for aesthetic. It burns. Anchored by a looping, invigorating guitar riff and brought to life by dueling vocals from Neil Scott and Jess Chivers, this cinematic alt-rock anthem aches with truth. It’s dramatic and devastating, but in the most satisfying way – a churn of resentment, regret, and recognition that builds to a chorus as raw as it is addictive. You can feel the bitterness. You can dance through it anyway.
“‘The Rules’ is our ode to the classic duets of the ‘70s and ‘80s,” the band explain. “As with most of our songs, we strive to explore the less attractive aspects of relationships. I think in a world full of plastic romanticism and insincere love songs, we want to address the realism of love. Sometimes relationships are hard, and sometimes you end up resenting that person; you become petty and start picking at the person you’re supposed to love and look after. I think this is something we all share; we like to see ourselves as good people, but we are all sadly capable of being cruel.”
“We are all lovers of older music, and I think, unintentionally, this was our homage to ‘Islands in the Stream,’ albeit with a much more bitter and jilted view of love and relationships. We got our friend Jess Chivers to sing the counter part, and we loved how the vocal styles between Neil and Jess just worked.”
“The verses of the song are an apology for being flawed (as we all are), the pre-choruses then lean into the recovery and moving on from the relationship, whereas the chorus is an out-and-out argument. It’s pettiness and frustration in full, each hurling their anger at each other, with irony being that they’re singing the same thing; it shows a total lack of listening or understanding, and that this is well and truly finished.”
Following standout festival sets and a string of buzzy singles, “The Rules” is the latest taste of The Things You Don’t Know Yet, Adult Leisure’s long-awaited debut album out October 3rd. Recorded with Ollie Searle and mastered by John Webber (David Bowie, Coach Party), it finds the Bristol quartet leaning fully into their emotive, neon-soaked indie-rock sound – one that exists completely outside of time. If this song is any indication, their full-length is going to hurt so good.
:: “Access Denied” – ZADA ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
Scarcely a year removed from the release of her debut album, Water in the Desert, ZADA has been keeping the early career momentum going strong with a flurry of new singles released across 2025. One of her most energetic and infectious works of hers yet arrives in the form of “Access Denied,” which features an utterly pulsating beat expertly manufactured by ZADA’s longtime collaborators Chin Injeti and Brian West. The lyrics, which the three of them all shared a role in crafting, detailing ZADA regaining control in a situation with an ex-flame which, let’s just say, “made oil and water look like paradise.” Her message to this fella now is: “You can’t stay in my heart like a stowaway… It’s in your head. Don’t fantasize. It’s up to me ’cause I decide.”
“I wanted the lyrics to be very straight forward… A+B=C. This didn’t work, I learned a lesson, and I’m moving on,” says ZADA, who is originally from Ethiopia and now a resident of Whistler, British Columbia. It’s no doubt cathartic for her to craft a song of this nature, but she also hopes that her listeners will be able to share that same feeling of fulfillment. “I want listeners to feel like they can find themselves within the song,” she says. “I’m talking about dealing with self-confidence, strength, and creating boundaries – something we all want a better handle on.”
:: Folklore Vol. 2 – Compilation via Folklore Records ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
Folklore Vol. 2 is a luminous showcase of where contemporary folk is headed, not backwards into nostalgia, but forward into textured, emotionally nuanced soundscapes. Released via Folklore Records, the compilation brings together four rising artists who each contribute a singular voice to a collective whole that feels deeply cohesive yet wonderfully diverse. From the lo-fi, indie-rock elegance of Nierra Creek’s “Burn Out The Fire” to the intimate psychedelia of Quaking Aspens’ “Flume,” this second volume builds on the groundwork laid by its predecessor with a sharper, more cinematic edge. Each track feels like a world unto itself, layered, introspective, and resonant with both personal and universal longing.
Where Vol. 1 introduced listeners to the soul of Folklore, Vol. 2 expands its emotional and sonic terrain. Adam Spry’s “Tangled” brings West Coast vulnerability wrapped in analogue warmth, a DIY gem that lingers with quiet strength. Meanwhile, Mezanmi (formerly Ajimal) delivers the stunning closer “This Time Yesterday,” a haunting slow-build produced by Grammy-winner Guy Massey, that crescendos with orchestral beauty and raw, aching intimacy. What unites these tracks is not genre, but intention, a shared commitment to truth-telling through sound. Folklore Records, founded by Brighton’s Jacko Hooper, continues to prove it’s more than a label; it’s a refuge for songwriters with depth, and Vol. 2 is its most compelling argument yet.
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