There is no denying that Friday is the best day of the week where new music is released and we geek out at every playlist available while celebrating the end of the work week and getting excited about weekend plans. While new music is dropping almost every day, we understand that the task of breaking through all that music clutter is difficult. Here at Popwire, we do you a favour by handpicking new singles and albums you ought to keep your headphones on for.
RENE, You Haunt Me
‘You Haunt Me’ is the second single from RENE’s upcoming EP ’Something To Hide’, slated for release in April 2021. The single is an emotional pop-rock track where lyrics and instrumentation mirror the internal conflict and longing that stem from heartache. The slow build-up and eventual climax of its sonic elements reflect the narrative of the song – a gripping story of stasis and helplessness, culminating to a peak with resounding desperation, and finally, emancipation.
Causeway Youth, Small Talk
Ambient Pop band duo Causeway Youth released ‘Small Talk’ just last week. With atmospheric textures, jangly guitars and ever-relatable lyrics for any introverted or socially awkward person, the single speaks up about how one might feel when put in a spot when socializing is needed, and overwhelming feelings of anxiety and questions start running through your head.
YEO, U IN?
Having always explored the realms of R&B, Melbourne-based music producer Yeo released‘U IN?‘, marking the return of his signature basslines and keytar solo (this one’s always a huge surprise personally when he whips it out while performing live). ‘U IN?’ tells the story of an unexpected conversation leading to a potential relationship with someone that has been in and out of your life for years. The single includes a polished 90s R&B and funk throwback groove, rapid-fire verses, and can we stress again that keytar solo?‘U IN?’ is the first of a series of singles Yeo plans to release this year, with an accompanying cooking series where Yeo prepares and serves up his favourite Asian comfort dishes.
Listen to ‘U IN?
Amanda Ong, Leave Me Alone
‘Leave Me Alone’ was written a day before local indie-folk singer-songwriter, Amanda Ong’s birthday. The lyrics perpetuate the hope for a (literal) better tomorrow amidst overwhelming sentimeNts of dejection. With equal parts of jazz and funk, and introspection, the track steps into a lonely inner-world, lending a voice to the ebb and flow of a personal internal struggle. The smooth vocals cut straight to the heart with lyrics that are earnest and unfiltered, in an attempt to soothe an underlying emotional tug-of-war – or at least, to make the first step towards rationalization.
Listen to ‘Leave Me Alone’
Izat Ibrahim, Battles
’Battles’ was written during a particularly and personal difficult time for Izat Ibrahim and his family, going through a year of hope and despair at the same time. This ballad hits home deep, conveying a simple message of how anyone who is going through struggles, be it big or small, and of wanting to be there for that person through a phone call at the end of the day.
Burmese Bombshells, Aphrodite, Ruin Me!
First showcased at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre on 16 January 2021, ‘Aphrodite, Ruin Me!’ is Burmese Bombshells‘ first single of the new year. The track is about pursuing solely sexual relations with another, following a persona so consumed by the intimacy that every moment feels akin to an oxytocin high. ‘Aphrodite, Ruin Me!’ is arranged with a special focus on rich drums and heavy vocal harmonies, to enable the jarring juxtaposition between euphonious melodies and less-than-chaste innuendos. Infusing 70’s funk with contemporary indie pop, the band creates a complex buffet of elements that one can hardly categorize, but induces a sonic texture that paints the picture of lust, euphoria, mindless (but still transcendental) sex, and zero strings attached.