NEW ADDS: Caroline Polachek, SZA, Budjerah, and *more
Caroline Polachek - Welcome To My Island
Genre: Alternative pop
RIYL: Chairlift, Charli XCX, FKA Twigs
You’re going to be stranded on a deserted island and you can only bring one thing with you. What do you choose? It’s a trick question — Caroline Polachek already has you taken care of. On her latest single “Welcome To My Island,” which arrived with the announcement of her highly-anticipated sophomore record Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, the ethereal pop enchantress ushers listeners into her solitary world, complete with swaying palm trees and an air of mystic yearning. “Welcome to my island / hope you like me / you ain’t leaving,” she sings monotonously over a bed of twinkling electropop. Despite Polachek’s droning delivery, it feels more like an invitation for adventure than a threat.
- Fitz Cain
SZA - Shirt
Genre: R&B
RIYL: Summer Walker, Kali Uchis, Jhené Aiko
SZA trusts no one, not even herself. The R&B singer-songwriter’s career-making debut album Ctrl showed her oscillating between intoxicating confidence and painful insecurity, inhabiting both spaces with an unmistakable sincerity. An excruciating six and a half years later, its follow-up S.O.S. is set to be released this Friday. The record’s latest offering “Shirt” deals in anger and self-doubt, delivering all the silky-smooth sound and introspective lyricism that fans have been hungry for. Backdropped by a minimalistic and bassy drum beat, its punchy chorus starts out with a middle finger and ends in a balled-up fist. “Still don't know my worth, still stressing perfection / Let you all in my mental, got me looking too desperate / Damn, you ain't deserve,” she sings on the latter half. Even when SZA feels lost, her frustration spills out with candidness and clarity.
- Fitz Cain
Budjerah - Ready For The Sky
Genre: Pop
RIYL: Miiesha, The Tesky Brothers, Muroki
Budjerah Slabb, known mononymously as Budjerah, is an 18-year-old Aboriginal Australian from New South Wales. “Ready For The Sky” is one of his most recent singles, and is a soulful pop song that is impossible not to groove to. The chorus is incredibly catchy, and has a gospel choir supporting his main vocals which help solidify the melody. Budjerah said that he grew up singing Sam Cooke and listening to other gospel choirs, so it makes lots of sense that he would include those influences in his primarily pop songs to give them that extra soul. The song gives me a nostalgic coming-of-age feel, especially when the chorus states, “I'm aiming for the sky, please, open your mind / I need room to fly, cannot deny” which clearly alludes to wanting to have space to grow up and do what you want. This message is a very of-age message for the young artist to be sharing with the world, and feels authentic. I am excited to see what else Budjerah has to offer as his career progresses!
- Shiloh
more* - Really Want to See You Again
Genre: Indie Pop/Rock
RIYL: Dora Jar, Haley Blais, Hovvdy
A few weeks ago, I was editing the newsletter and got to read Ava Kalenze's review of more* at the Echo. The week afterwards, I was making the playlist for my show, 123Movies, and saw "Really Want to See You Again" in the recommended songs section. Today, as I scrolled through our New Adds playlist to write this, I saw "Really Want to See You Again"... again. I am happy to report that I have seen this song again and again and again and it never gets old. Just when you think you've got the melody down, more* switches it up, abruptly slowing down the vocals in a lower octave: "Look at our shadows enough and you'll see/ we're matching." This upbeat and yet varied song matches the feel of more*'s new EP, Another Change, as the LA-based group creates a distinct sound without becoming tiring.
- Lydia