“BOY JOY! is about the incredible feeling of trans and queer joy, it’s about finding your community and truly having that deep sense of pride. As a non-binary artist it feels counterintuitive to write a song so gendered, but i feel like there is something so special about the joy emanated from the trans masculine community and from my friends, i wanted to write a song that felt so playful but empowering, reminding everyone that there is always joy out there if you open yourself up to the right people, and no matter WHAT you are still here and exist regardless of what anyone says.”
Walter The Producer returns with a powerful new single that really does deserve a spin.
‘Lonely Cowbody’ is a refreshingly raw indie song that carries with it a tremendous amount of emotion. Somehow soulful in tone, the track takes listeners on a sonic rollercoaster and presents the indie genre in a bold and experimental way.
“I made ‘Lonely Cowboy’ with Alex Beitzke in March 2024. I had this guitar idea, and we built off that. A couple of months later, we met up and re-recorded everything a key higher. I was listening to a lot of Jimi Hendrix at the time. Brent Faiyaz has a song called ‘LA’ — that was a big inspiration vibe-wise.”
Alongside the release of the single, Walter The Producer has also unveiled a new collection of songs titled ‘Modern Rock’. As an artist who prefers to let his work speak for itself, he simply says ‘the songs just felt like modern rock’. You can stream the EP here.
This weekend’s banger comes courtesy of Barcelona-born singer and producer Rick Baster.
The mysteriously titled ‘005’ presents listeners with a pulsating blend of 90s trance, electronica and pop. Alongside its captivating production, this song’s anthemic melody and rousing chorus is sure to stick in your minds for a good while.
“Born from a late-night jam session filled with energy and experimentation.”
While this is the first time we feature Baster on these pages, this talent has been building momentum as early as 2019, accumulating more than 2 million streams to date with the release of just four singles.
US talent Souvenir is here to banish your weekday blues with his shimmering new single, ‘Velvet’.
This retro-tinged slice of bliss fuses cheeky lyrics with a funky pop sound that is both classic and modern at the same time.
This is the kind of song you’d feel good playing in the car on a long drive, or while you’re getting ready to hit the town, or if you just need to listen to something to lift your mood after a long day.
“Vintage wine, coconut oil, a Harry Styles and Troye Sivan threesome, analogue synth bass lines, and vocoder riffs – the lush bed of ‘Velvet’ is irresistible and deeply satisfying.”
The track is taken from Souvenir’s latest EP of the same name, which was produced by Alfitude favourite FLORIO. It’s a brilliant collection of songs that we highly recommend you check out!
“Fresh from appearing at this year’s Great Escape Festival, ‘Who Knew Dancing Was A Sin’ pays homage musically and visually to the Northern Soul dance scene still thriving in Reay’s hometown of Manchester, and now being embraced by a new generation.”
“When rumours spread through a friendship group, things can get a little out of hand. This song was born out of that exact situation between me and a friend. It wasn’t like anything was even really happening between us but nonetheless, people spun the situation into something it wasn’t and it brought us to a simple realisation – if they’re going to be talking about it already, we may as well give it a go.”
“’Learning to Forget’ has a true Georgian structure, from starting quite slow, melancholy and reflective, to progressing to a heavy, distorted and powerful sound – expect the unexpected! The song itself discusses heartbreak and how you can be so eager to forget everything when a relationship ends. Even though you don’t want the memories and small reminders of that person, they still happen.” – Georgia McKiernan, Georgian
“’lvl 5 – GHOSTWRITER’ is about the silence between the lines. It’s for the moments when you want to be honest, but the words won’t land, or won’t come at all. The song explores the longing for someone else to say it for you, to save you from choosing between truth and lie when neither feels safe. It’s the sound of hoping to be understood without having to explain. A love letter in code. A confession you wish someone else could write for you.”
“This single is about passion & love, making up after disagreements and the fact that the connection is still very much felt for my person in the aftermath of an argument…sometimes even more so. These words are based on the moments of re-connecting and finding common ground again. Because that’s what it’s like when you’re walking through life with the person you love, sometimes it gets messy or irritating, but that doesn’t mean ya’ll can’t make it ‘fun’ too. So yeah, this song is very much for the lovebirds out there. Produced by Terry Hunter, a Chicago house legend, naturally we dove into a very sparkly, musical, nostalgic house sound which was so incredibly fun for me. He is an Icon and so I feel very blessed to have created such a magical record with him.”
“This song has become the happy backdrop to my life, buoying me unexpectedly in quiet moments. I met mokina at a time when I was seeking some stability after years of living and working in unfamiliar places, but I inadvertently found a slough of new challenges that I navigated as well as I could. This song casts a generous glow over these times that were not always easy or graceful for me. I think the song can be a reminder that it’s important to be generous with ourselves when we reflect back on our learning curves.” – the real talia
We’ve been fans of Charles Costa for some time now, and it’s wonderful to watch this accomplished UK-based music grow in popularity over recent months.
The artist’s latest offering, ‘Emilie’, is a masterclass in indie-pop. The sound is easy to connect with, yet carries an eccentricity that is really quite intriguing to experience. Speaking on the track’s inspiration, Costa explains:
“This song is a result of society’s pressure and expectations on someone and how it squeezed them into a lesser version of themselves. It’s a love story ofc but a sad one of vivid longing and disappointment. It doesn’t sound sad, maybe wistful and dreamy at points but to me it’s about spitting out pain and celebrating sadness.”
If you’re based in the UK, then you can catch the artist performing at London’s The Grace on the 12th of June – tickets can be found here. You can also explore Costa’s self-titled LP (which, impressively, was recorded in only six weeks) over on Spotify.
“’Flicker’ is about putting too much energy into people who don’t give it back. It’s that feeling when you realise you’ve been pouring into the wrong cups – people who wouldn’t do the same for you.”
We’ve got a very exciting alt-pop talent to share with you today emerging from Germany, called BOVIY.
What strikes us most about this musician is her natural flair for crafting songs that are universally enjoyable, while still maintaining a sense of uniqueness that reflects the artist’s strong personality.
New single ‘Kidz’ treats listeners to a track that is, to put it simply, a bop. It evolves as you continue listening into an anthem for the younger generations and the restlessness that they feel in today’s world.
UK starlet Liv Cartier continues to impress us with the release of her powerful new single, ‘Golden’.
This is a song that immediately captivates a listener from the moment that you play it. It’s deeply emotive and emotionally raw, while the lyricism presents the listener with some of Cartier’s most honest and vulnerable thoughts. Anyone who’s felt insecure from being in love will most likely relate to this track.
“The whole premise of this song is no matter how much you love or how much you give, their intention will always be the same and if they’re going to leave then ultimately they will. I wrote this when I was grappling with vulnerability, expressing a fear of being forgotten by someone I loved so deeply. I think I just got to the point where I knew they had checked out, like I really knew they couldn’t stand me anymore and it was the weirdest thing. I do believe in thoughts and words being so powerful and I think that I always doubted whether I was good enough for this person and I truly believed they deserved more at the time, which explains the chorus ‘I don’t know if I will ever feel golden, would you wait around and see?’ I had these deep insecurities, which I lead me to overthink every single aspect of this relationship, I always felt like I just couldn’t get it right and I couldn’t understand why. However, I do think that this instinct of knowing I shouldn’t be sticking around should’ve been listened too so much sooner as the relationship was so toxic, I had just romanticised every single aspect of it.”
There’s no doubt in our minds that Cartier will very quickly become one of the country’s brightest newcomers, and with her previous collaboration with Apollo On The Run already racking up close to 500k streams on Spotify, we’re not the only ones who think so!
Manchester-based Geordie artist Sweets is back with one of his most honest releases to date. ‘GREEN LIGHTS’ was inspired by a traumatising relationship that the musician faced and brings to light the way that hurt people navigate life.
The lyrics are refreshingly raw and sincere, while the song’s production showcases some of the most interesting hip hop sounds to emerge from the UK right now.
With fellow artists like Anthony Szmierek, GANS, Everyone You Know, and BBY all being fans, it’s clear to see that this talent has a bright future ahead. Sweets is currently preparing a new EP, titled ‘GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT’, which is due out soon. In the meantime, you can explore more of his work on Spotify.
A perfect harmony between UK garage and techno, tesh’s new single ‘APOLOGIES’ makes an immediate impact from the moment you press play.
Lifted from the artist’s ‘CYCLES + REPETITIONS’ EP (out now), this track guides the listener through a spectrum of emotions – from moments of darkness to heightened euphoria – while still sounding cohesive.
“‘APOLOGIES’ is my way of paying homage to the new wave of UKG/2-step, while showcasing some fresh production styles. I used that iconic vocal sample but gave it a darker twist. The track is kept simple, with not too much going on, as I really wanted the strong drum kit and booming bass to shine through. Emotionally, it’s a reflection of my own struggles with communication, especially in relationships. The end of the track is meant to be that moment of reflection and clarity.”
Tesh’s music has been heralded by Billboard magazine, while their songs have landed placements on flagship playlists like Spotify’s All New Dance and Amazon’s Breakthrough Electronic.
We don’t showcase soul music as much as we’d like to, so Babé Sila’s release of ‘Found’ today is a welcome addition.
Based between London and NYC (by way of Hungary), Sila is establishing herself as one of the genre’s most exciting rising artists. Her style seamlessly weaves traditional soul and R&B into modern pop productions, resulting in songs that are nostalgic yet current. On her new single, she says:
“‘Found’ is the pure essence of summer love—an ode to the kind of happiness that takes over when you fall hard in love. With every beat, ‘Found’ radiates the euphoria of discovering not just someone special but a love that lifts, heals, and sweetens life itself.”
Sila has already received seals of approval from tastemakers like Highsnobiety, Earmilk and Equate; and with a string of recent releases all picking up traction, we think this talent might be soul’s breakout star in 2025.
New Zealand artist Paige is back with one of our favourite pop releases of the month, and we’re so happy to be sharing it with you today.
‘twenties’ is an introspective song that reflects on the singer’s young adulthood, reminiscing and wondering how things may have been if she had just had more faith that life would turn out alright in the end.
“I wrote this song about how fast my life has moved and how I wish I spent more time enjoying my twenties. I wish I took time to look around with gratitude and see that everything is all working out well.”
The track serves as a taster for Paige’s upcoming ‘Paigesspace’ EP, which will be her fourth project to date. This hugely popular singer and songwriter has amassed more than 75 million career streams and performed alongside global names like the Jonas Brothers and Holly Humberstone.
