Author: ALFITUDE

New Music: 9EN

We’ve got a very promising newcomer to share with you today, going by the name of 9EN (GEN). With a flair for fusing the past with the future, this talent creates sounds that are in a lane of their own.

‘Roots’ is a perfect introduction. The track makes use of a traditional instrument called the kobyz, and layers its distinctive sound over a hypnotic electronic beat.

“This song blends the ancient and the future, centered around the kobyz, a sacred instrument once used in spiritual rituals. Lyrically, it reflects nature’s cycles – winter giving way to spring, renewal, and the flow of life.”

While we still don’t know much about this 9EN, we’re quite sure that their style of work will resonate with a huge audience. An exciting talent to keep on your radars!

9EN | Ones To Watch Playlist

club hearts – NEPTUNE

Can you ever get enough of club hearts? Not for us, at least. This LA-based artist returns with a new single that is as intriguing as it is charming.

At its core, ‘NEPTUNE’ is a dark-pop song with hints of synth. It’s dramatic, almost sinister, but also quirky. And it’s that unexpected style of production that makes us love this musician’s work so much.

“‘NEPTUNE’ is built on a dangerous contradiction: the willingness to suffer through devastating lows for one brief, shining moment of transcendence.”

club hearts continues to win fans across the globe, and has so far amassed more than half a million career streams on Spotify.

club hearts | Ones To Watch Playlist

willoh – FASHION

Rising experimental artist willoh returns with a brilliant new single today, called ‘FASHION’.

As we’ve come to expect from this Missouri-based musician, the track treats us to a style of sound that is unlike anything else. The production is full of surprising twists, bouncing from soft indie-pop verses to raw and abrasive rock choruses.

“‘FASHION’ felt like nothing real was tangible at the time I was recording this. Like there was a constant feeling that anything good was fake.”

willoh currently commands more than 23k monthly listeners on Spotify, and has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams on the platform from previous releases. She has also picked up praise from notable tastemakers like EARMILK and SPIN.

willoh | Ones To Watch Playlist

Celine Cairo – Cycles

Photo / Hessel Stuut

Dutch artist Celine Cairo has firmly established herself as one of the leading figures in the Netherlands’ indie music scene. With more than 45 million career streams to date, Cairo’s work clearly resonates with a huge number of listeners across the globe.

The acclaimed singer and songwriter returns today with a sublime new single called ‘Cycles’. The song showcases a dark and atmospheric production that thoughtfully balances indie with elements of pop, trip-hop and folk. Lyrically, the track centres around themes of life and death and our relationship with nature.

A new album is scheduled for release this June, but in the meantime be sure to explore more of Cairo’s music on Spotify here.

Celine Cairo | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Phoebe Isobel

Photo / Jonas Forsberg

We’re big champions of emerging Swedish talent, so we’re very excited to be sharing with you a newcomer who goes by the name of Phoebe Isobel.

Based in Stockholm, Phoebe is not only an aspiring pop artist, but she’s also a producer, songwriter, DJ… and classically trained opera singer.

Today is a big day for Phoebe, as she releases her debut EP ‘Bully’, from which ‘Clairvoyant’ is lifted. The sound is mysterious, distinct, and dark and offers a fresh perspective on the electro pop genre. Yet, despite its sonic character, the song’s lyrics encourage us to let go of the toxicity that surrounds us – and to aspire to better lives.

“Dreaming’s not naive, so what’s your vision?”

Make sure you check out the rest of the EP here, and if you’re based in Stockholm, then you can catch Phoebe performing at Spy Bar on the 19th of February.

Phoebe Isobel | Ones To Watch Playlist | Nordic Sound Playlist

Hayden Everett – Killer Whale

We’ve followed Hayden Everett’s career from as early as 2019, and we’re so glad to see that he’s still creating gorgeous records that are some of the finest in American indie-folk.

Introspective new single ‘Killer Whale’ reveals us to Hayden at his most vulnerable and is taken from his upcoming ‘So The Sun Can Pour‘ album, of which he says:

“Summer needs winter. Joy needs sorrow. Day needs night. When love is real, grief is simply the proportional result of how deeply we cared – and somehow, the love is always worth it. The alternative is stagnance and apathy. So let it rain so the sun can pour.”

Hayden’s music has achieved acclaim from the likes of Wonderland and FAULT magazines, as well as tastemakers as notable as Earmilk andOnes To Watch. The album ‘So The Sun Can Pour’ is set for release on the 17th April.

Hayden Everett | Ones To Watch Playlist

MIIA – Wonder Why

Fans of melancholic Scandinavian music will appreciate MIIA’s latest single, ‘Wonder Why’.

The song tells of the sadness that comes with not being able to be with someone you love. It’s a type of heartache that many of us have experienced at some point, and with this song, MIIA presents it in a beautifully moving way.

“‘Wonder Why’ tells the story about meeting someone you instantly connect with, and the quiet heartache of knowing that you can’t stay in each others lives…”

The production fuses dark, dreamy pop with subtle hints of trip-hop, creating a soundscape that is really quite mesmerising to experience, and showcases MIIA’s continuous musical evolution.

MIIA | Ones To Watch Playlist | Nordic Sound Playlist

sad alex + Grayson Foster – Eyes First

It wouldn’t be a proper Friday at Alfitude without sharing a bop for the weekend ahead, and this time it’s from LA’s sad alex and her new collaboration with Grayson Foster.

‘Eyes First’ is pop at its best. It’s a simple love song with a catchy melody that will stick in your minds all day.

Alongside the music that sad alex releases under her own name, she is also a seasoned songwriter who has written for the likes of Kelly Rowland and Jordin Sparks.

sad alex | Grayson Foster | Ones To Watch Playlist

Worricka – You

Worricka is a talent who deserves all the acclaim he gets. Supported by outlets as influential as The Guardian, Wonderland Magazine, and BBC Radio 1, this artist’s dedication to creating future-forward soul music is both recognised and praised.

Following on from a recent collaboration with pop icon Boy George (who has praised Worricka as a ‘Jazz Goddess’), the artist returns with a bold new single called ‘You’. The track’s production blends soulful tones with a raw, indie twist that is very compelling to experience.

“The song’s lyrics are flickering between the moments of pain that can cause you, to then switching and basking in that amazing, warm and drugged-up feeling it can give you. This is completely autobiographical and is about my last heartbreak. Singing and songwriting are mystical to me. Music, I find to be the most pliable art form as it can accompany you in almost every part of your life. It can accentuate the beautiful moments, help you through heartbreak and pull you out of despair.”

Worricka’s songs have amassed more than 150k streams on Spotify so far. Check out his previous releases here.

Worricka | Ones To Watch Playlist

Troy Javelona – WHAT’S A GUY GOTTA DO

British-Filipino artist Troy Javelona returns with one of our favourite songs of the week, called ‘WHAT’S A GUY GOTTA DO’.

The track was recorded between Troy’s bedroom and a professional London studio, giving it a distinctive feel that is somehow both ‘DIY’ and polished. This adds to the raw emotion that the lyrics deliver, of which Troy explains:

“When my girlfriend and I broke up we lived a couple doors down from each other, so some of the lyrics touch upon that. I poured my guts into that song.”

Since last featuring Troy on Alfitude back in 2023, he’s gone on to build a huge global fanbase, amassing more than 30 million career streams and commanding more than 589k monthly listeners on Spotify.

Troy Javelona | Ones To Watch Playlist

Malaki – Saoirse

Irish hip hop artist Malaki is no stranger to these pages. This acclaimed talent has won the hearts of fans and critics alike in recent years, and the quality of his work never fails to impress.

New single ‘Saoirse’ (a popular girl’s name in Ireland that translates to ‘freedom’) was produced by mixing engineer John Foyle, who is also known for his collaborations with the likes of Kali Uchis, Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, and FKA Twigs.

The song’s lyrics are inspired by Malaki’s time growing up in Dublin and capture the thoughts and sentiments that come with being young and restless.

Malaki’s music has landed placements on flagship playlists like Spotify’s New Music Friday UK, Alternative Ireland, and Apple Music’s Irish Hip Hop. You can catch the artist performing in Dublin and London soon, with dates and venues listed below.

Malaki | Ones To Watch Playlist

Malaki Live Dates – Spring 2026

  • The Workman’s Club, Dublin – Feb 27th 2026 
  • The Dublin Castle, London – March 20th 2026 

New Music: Celina Savage

If you’re in need of a tonic to soothe your midweek blues, then we have the perfect song for you, courtesy of US-based singer and songwriter Celina Savage.

As a student at the iconic Berklee College of Music, we could safely assume that this 19-year-old talent already has a bright future ahead of her, especially if we consider her new single, ‘Baby Names’.

This is a charming indie-folk song that carries its beauty in its simplicity. Listeners can enjoy sincere storytelling, soft vocals, and a comforting style of sound. On the track, Celina explains:

“‘Baby Names’ is a hopeful song about growing old and simultaneously closer with someone. An idealized future image I’ve held since I was young. I’ve had a dream baby name for as long as I can remember. This song was written when I met someone of that same name and couldn’t help but imagine what my future could have in store for me.”

The song is lifted from Celina’s debut album of the same name, which you can stream here.

Celina Savage | Ones To Watch Playlist

Bad Patterns + Justin Joseph – DANGER

North London’s Bad Patterns is back with one of the week’s biggest dance releases, ‘DANGER’.

Created in collaboration with Justin Joseph, this hypnotic track treats listeners to a UK garage-inspired production. The sound is classic and recognisable but also carries a fresh and modern twist.

Bad Patterns is no stranger to experimenting with his sound and is sonically inspired by a diverse spectrum of talents – from Chris Lorenzo and Camelphat to Jax Jones and Gorgon City.

Bad Patterns | Justin Joseph | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Villő

Villő is a type of artist that we rarely have the pleasure of discovering, so we’re very excited to be sharing her work with you today. Cited as the ‘Aurora of Hungary’, this promising 23-year-old singer and songwriter is already receiving acclaim in both her home nation and across Europe.

‘Léleklények’, which translates to ‘Soul Beings’, is a sublime piece of music that showcases some of the finest dream-pop that we’ve heard so far this year. The sound is ethereal in character and elevates the listener to an almost transcendent state. Lyrically, the track centres around the idea that as humans, we simply exist as spiritual beings, encased in a body of flesh.

The song is lifted from Villő’s forthcoming debut LP, ‘Madárlány’, which is scheduled for release on the 13th March 2026. In the meantime, you can listen to more of this artist’s work right here.

Villő | Ones To Watch Playlist

Jaime Deraz + Bad Boyfriend – Supercut

We’re starting the week with a charming pop banger from American talents Jaime Deraz and Bad Boyfriend, called ‘Supercut’.

The track was inspired by a relationship that, despite ending a decade ago, still reappears in the Deraz’s memories even to this day. Complementing the melancholic lyrics, the production serves listeners with a UK garage beat, adding to the song’s sense of nostalgia.

“As everyone started reflecting on 2016, I wrote this as a way of revisiting decade-old memories that still feel painfully current.”

Impressively, the song adds to Deraz’s catalogue of over 150 songs that she has already released. This artist has garnered more than 17 million career streams and also landed placements on flagship playlists like Dance Rising and several regional New Music Fridays.

Jaime Deraz | Bad Boyfriend | Ones To Watch Playlist

Interview: Quickfire with BruceBan$hee

BruceBan$hee is one of the most original newcomers to emerge from Maryland in quite some time. This genre-bending musician creates music that truly crosses boundaries, thanks in part to his diverse and eclectic taste in music.

What makes this artist really interesting, though, is his experimental way of working. Known for recording his productions in unusual places like childhood haunts and playgrounds, his sound is distinctive and has a sense of character that is rarely experienced in alternative music.

BruceBan$hee cites the likes of Neon Trees, Deftones, and Nirvana as some of his inspirations, and you can hear this come through on his powerful new single, ‘$trawberry Blues’.

To coincide with the release of the song, we had the opportunity to ask this rising talent some questions to get to know them better…

Your influences range from heavy rock to emo pop. For someone who has never heard your music before, how would you describe the sound that you’re creating right now?

My sound lives somewhere between a mosh pit, nature, and a late-night drive. I make emotional alternative music for people who feel too much or not enough. It’s heavy teenage dream energy with pop memory.

You record your songs in unusual spots like old childhood hangouts; how did being in those types of places help you capture the raw feeling of your new single?

I don’t like recording where it feels recommended – I like recording where it feels pure. If the environment makes me angsty, the emotion usually comes out real.

You describe your sound as ‘controlling the chaos as a one-man band’. How do you balance the heavy energy of influences like Turnstile with the catchy chorus appeal of bands like Neon Trees?

It’s chaos with a melody you can sing back & learn to make friends with your demons. I want the hook to stay in your head, but the feeling to stay trapped, choking in between your sternum.

‘$trawberry Blues’ is a tribute to a late best friend. How has writing your music lately helped you process that loss and come to terms with mortality?

Nostalgia and pain live in the same places for me, and that shows up in the vocals.

What can fans expect from your live performances that they might not get just by listening to the studio recordings?

I try to capture moments/energy, not performances.

You can stream more of BruceBan$hee’s music on Spotify, and make sure you check out his most recent EP, ‘TEENAGEANGST’.

BruceBan$hee | Ones To Watch Playlist

New Music: Crab

US outfit Crab are rapidly gaining traction across their home state of New York, thanks to their refreshing blend of alt-rock and post-punk.

New single ‘Unlimited’ is a collaboration with Vitruvian Sound’s Stephen Kurpis and instantly gets your heart rate racing. It’s a loud and atmospheric song that fuses post-rock with elements of art rock and shoegaze.

As you might gauge from their sound, Crab’s work is likely best experienced live. You can catch them performing at Main Drag’s Winter Madness on the 13th February.

Crab | Ones To Watch Playlist

charlieonnafriday – Never Do

“‘Never Do’ is about being really into someone and how that kind of feeling starts to change your life, your habits, and the way you act. That’s how you know it actually means something. The song we sampled, ‘I’m Sprung,’ has a funny, lighthearted vibe that makes love feel fun and easy, and it fits perfectly with everything I’m feeling in ‘Never Do.’ I’m sprung — what can I say?”

charlieonnafriday | Ones To Watch Playlist