Singer-songwriter Ross Newhouse has built a solid fanbase within his native state of New Jersey for quite some time now, starting with his debut EP ‘Suddenly I Demand Repair’ (listen here) back in 2021.
Newhouse’s latest single, ‘Glass/Flows’, shows that this artist still continues to create brilliant indie-pop music. This is a beautifully dreamy and melodic track that draws inspiration sonically from the likes of Finneas and The 1975. Lyrically, Ross explains that the song is ‘about trying to pick up the pieces but knowing you’ll always see the cracks’.
To date, Newhouse’s songs have amassed more than 650k cumulative streams on Spotify. He’s also received praise globally from outlets as diverse as NJ.com and Japan’s Niche Music. Catch Ross performing at New York’s Cassette on the 18th March – tickets available here.
We’ve long been fans of Swedish artist Menke. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, this talent crafts some of the most profound and sincere indie-pop songs to come out of the Nordic region.
New single ‘Only When In Motion’ (co-written with Nick Hahn) was inspired by a challenging time for Menke, when life and its direction felt uncertain. Elaborating on the song’s theme, she says:
“The only thing that brought relief and helped my thoughts to rest was setting my body in motion and letting my heart beat harder. When we move, our thoughts become clearer, fear softens, and what has been can wash away. It’s a reminder that life is not something we hold on to, but something we move through.”
Menke has achieved a series of acclaimed releases – from 2018’s debut EP ‘Till havet’ to 2024’s ‘Elver’ (listen here). She has amassed more than 15 million streams on Spotify and was featured by the likes of Clash and Gaffa magazines.
Melbourne’s moonsea (aka Cecilia Xu) returns today with a tongue-in-cheek, albeit slightly sinister-sounding track called ‘I’ll kill you if you die before me’.
Despite its menacing title, the song is actually a tender and heartfelt ode to love, and the fears it can bring when you wonder what life would be like without your special someone.
moonsea has been a prominent name within Australia’s and New Zealand’s alt-pop scene from as early as 2020, when she was mentored by Gordi (aka Sophie Payten) as part of AIR’s Women in Music program.
Alongside her work as a musician, moonsea is also professionally involved in the world of medicine, which often inspires her approach to songwriting.
Time for your weekly dance anthem! If you like your 90s R&B but also enjoy a good rave, then you’ll probably love Bailo and Ricky Remedy’s bold new collaboration, ‘Tonight’.
This trap banger puts a new spin on Montell Jordan’s classic ‘Get It On Tonite‘, adding a complex yet euphoric beat structure that comes through within the first few seconds of pressing play.
This isn’t the first time that Bailo and Ricky Remedy have worked together – they joined forces on Bailo’s 2022 ‘OHKAY!’ EP, which ended up getting plays from the likes of Marshmello, Alison Wonderland, and CORTR.
You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘Too Much to Handle’ was a Britpop anthem from the 90’s, but it is in fact a new song by Danish outfit Mansfield.
A well known name within Denmark’s indie scene, Mansfield first picked up major traction with the release of their 2020 debut album, ‘Star-Crossed Lovers‘. Songs from the record, like ‘A Place in the Sun’, propelled the group’s popularity with critics and indie fans alike.
And they haven’t stopped releasing music since, continuously evolving their sound. Speaking on the new single, frontman Christian Stage says:
“This song is our way of expressing what we’ve learnt along the way. We’ve worked hard to get to where we are, but it’s so easy to lose yourself in that process. Making music and performing is great. Yet it’s difficult to stay focused when all sorts of things call for your time and attention.”
Coincidentally, in keeping with the UK indie theme, Mansfield will play alongside British band All The Young at Copenhagen’s Rust on the 27th of February – you can grab your tickets here.
One of New York’s finest emerging singer-songwriters, ROREY returns with a powerful new single called ‘Temporary Tragedy’.
The track blends bedroom pop with mellow indie, resulting in a sound that feels melancholic and pensive. The lyrics are inspired by the realisation that in some relationships, the pain of staying together becomes heavier than breaking up.
“The song is about the cost of self abandonment when you grip intimacy and what it means to choose yourself. While the video is rooted in my first queer relationship, its message is universal: sometimes love isn’t enough to bridge the gap between hope and reality, when the other person can’t meet you there.”
Recent love for ROREY’s work has come from the likes of Earmilk and Chrd Magazine, and her songs have landed placements on flagship Spotify playlists like Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds Indie.
Mona et Toi is the creative project of musicians Alison Manicourt and Shervin Hejazi. Based in Barcelona, these two artists craft a distinctive style of ‘noir rock’, which you can experience on their new single, ‘Nothing Rhymes With Myself’.
The production builds an atmospheric soundscape that is mysterious yet hypnotic, while the lyrics look at themes of insecurity and the fear of failing. The song is finessed, and almost cinematic in tone, but still has a sense of emotional rawness that is refreshingly relatable.
The track is lifted from the duo’s forthcoming album, ‘Radical Romance of Mind’, which is out in August.
If you’ve yet to come across London artist Lily Lyons, then today’s release of her new single, ‘Holding up the Heavens’, will serve as the perfect introduction.
The track is an addition to her 2025 debut album, ‘Re-Open The World’ (listen here), and presents listeners with a beautifully constructed fusion of indie and folk. The song was produced alongside Joel Pott, who has also worked with the likes of George Ezra and London Grammar.
Lily’s music has received acclaim from outlets like Rolling Stone UK, The Line of Best Fit, and BBC Radio 2. She’s also played the iconic Glastonbury stage and will perform at London’s St Matthias Church on the 20th of February – you can get tickets here.
Hailing from South London, Moniah is a hugely promising newcomer that we’re really excited to be sharing with you today. By blending soft pop with indie and R&B, this artist’s work hits the spot for anyone who enjoys sonically chilled yet lyrically powerful songs.
New single ‘Love You Twice’ uses water as a metaphor for love and its connection to our daily lives. Moniah elaborates:
“’Love You Twice’ is a journey into feeling safe, growing in love, and responding to it. Love is the strongest emotion of humankind, and I want anyone who hears it to find their own story and take away something uniquely theirs.”
Moniah’s music has already picked up praise from respected tastemaker outlets like CLOUT and EARMILK, as well as national outlets as prominent as BBC Radio 6 Music and 1Xtra.
If you enjoy Moniah’s work as much as we do, then make sure you check out her acclaimed 2025 EP, ‘ANYWHERE BUT HERE’, which you can stream on Spotify.
There’s no doubt that this is an artist on the rise with the potential to become one of the UK’s next big musical exports, so keep Moniah on your radars!
Alva Lys is an emerging singer and songwriter from Sweden, currently based in Copenhagen. This exciting artist caught our attention today with the release of her new single, ‘One Night in Berlin’.
Inspired by the German city’s notorious nightlife, the song blends dark pop with electronica, creating a soundscape that is both atmospheric and intriguing. The track feels sinister and tense but still maintains a playful pop sensibility.
“Driven by pulsing beats and atmospheric synth layers, the song captures the intensity of a fleeting connection on a Berlin dancefloor – the kind of night that feels endless until reality breaks through.”
You can explore more music by Alva Lys on Spotify, where she’s amassed thousands of streams from only a handful of songs.
Prague might not be the first place you think of when shoegaze comes to mind, but that’s all about to change with the introduction of Czech alt-rock outfit JOYLESS AS FVCK.
This group are gaining momentum not only in their home nation but also across Central Europe thanks to their bold, raw and immediately arresting sound. New single ‘Rivers’ addresses the social and economic pressures that we face every day in modern life.
“‘Rivers’ was written from a sense of being pulled by work, expectations and algorithms more than by personal will. Coming from a region where economic and social pressure is tangible, that tension turns physical.”
The song’s lyrics are brought to life in the music video, which is intentionally shot in a 9:16 format to replicate a phone’s interface.
“The video mirrors how contemporary life is consumed: vertically, endlessly, compulsively. Fast cuts, meme fragments and digital noise create something uncomfortably familiar rather than ironic.”
Holly Woodlove is the artistic project of Alexander Dausch, a San Diego-based independent musician, producer, and composer.
Dausch crafts his sound alone, from the writing process through to the recording and mixing in his studio. This allows for total creative freedom and, as you’ll experience when listening to ‘Run Back’, a sense of authenticity that feels true to the artist.
This track delivers a sound that blends nostalgic glam rock with indie rock. The production feels warm and familiar, but ultimately this is a distinctive style of music that is refreshingly original.
An upcoming album, titled ‘The Most Beautiful Lie’, is scheduled for release on the 4th of March. In the meantime, you can explore more Holly Woodlove songs here.
With her unique and unashamedly bold approach to electronic pop, Berlin’s FLOSS has become a name to watch. This rising talent recently gained a tonne of traction after releasing an EP called ‘ANGRY B!TCH RAVE’ and continues to build momentum with her new single, ‘Wasteland’.
The song treats us to an energising and hypnotic mix of hyperpop and techno-pop. It’s a fearless and experimental production that commands you to listen, and frankly, we’re obsessed.
FLOSS’s music has gained support from outlets as respected as Vogue and Berliner Zeitung. She’s also played the iconic stages of the Reeperbahn and Lollapalooza festivals and supported Sophie Ellis-Bextor on tour.
It’s hard not to like Cruz Beckham’s music. This artist has a flair for writing songs that have a quintessentially British sound. A hybrid of melodic pop and fuzzy rock, with some added playfulness.
New single ‘for your love’ is one of our favourite releases of the week, and we’re sure you’ll be just as charmed by it when you press play.
“I love this song. It’s been so fun to play live over the last couple of months. It was the first track I properly finished with Justin and Lewis, who are total legends at what they do, and we all walked away knowing this had really laid the foundations for everything else we’ve created together. For me, it’s all about love and being fearless in that love, but I hope everyone can interpret it in their own way and find their own meaning to it.”
You can catch Cruz on tour across the UK and Europe soon – tickets available here.
“To me it’s samsara in a song. The wheel of life; winning, losing, living, dying. Having had something and praying you’ll have it again.Whether it’s sex, money, vitality, love. I always said I wanted the Vivaldi song at my wedding or funeral but I think this is giving more revenge heist energy.”
Lifted from the upcoming album ‘THE AFTERPARTY’, out on the 8th May via Virgin Records.
Bahjat is pioneering the Arabic pop movement with a border-defying sound, blending his Middle Eastern roots with a modern Western edge.
Making music like this is not easy. Sometimes it can come across as cliché, but when it’s done right, then it’s a blissful sonic experience. Bahjat leads the way in this style of sound.
Born in Libya before migrating to Malta, this artist’s work has been listened to over 200 million times, and his work has picked up more than 500 million social media views, even winning TikTok’s Music Creator of the Year award.
Today is a special day for Bahjat as he releases his new EP, ‘A-POP’. Across its six songs, this record treats listeners to a perfected production that touches on all our emotions.
The EP starts with a beautifully stripped-back acoustic version of ‘Hometown Smile’, the song that propelled Bahjat into the mainstream, after which we are treated to ‘Ethereal’, a track with cinematic tones that feel epic but also mysterious.
‘Mama, I’m on TV’, the EP’s lead single, is a powerful and brutally honest pop anthem that centres around Bahjat’s struggles with being scrutinised in the public eye, while ‘Loco’ playfully flirts between Arabic and Spanish influences.
‘Maybe I’m the Villain’ is a classic song of self-awareness and leads to the last track on the EP, ‘Ma Maa Salama’, which gives us a heady dose of that classic (and brilliant) Max Martin sound from the early ’00s.
The record is a testament to Bahjat’s relentless quest for creating finessed pop songs that the whole world can find some joy and connection with.
To celebrate its release, we had the chance to ask Bahjat some quickfire questions to learn more about this hugely talented musician.
You’ve gone from teaching yourself keyboard in Tripoli and being a refugee in Malta to meeting Max Martin in Sweden. What is the single most important lesson those shifts taught you about resilience?
I’d say the single most important lesson I’ve learnt facing all those shifts is to believe in myself and my ability to come out on the other side no matter where life takes me.
I don’t think people realize the power you have when you believe that you deserve to do great things in life. From becoming a refugee, to losing 264 pounds, to building my music career by myself – the one constant was me believing that I could do it, showing up for myself, and putting in the work.
You’ve pioneered ‘A-POP’ to bridge the Middle East and the West; how do you balance staying true to your Arabic soul while aiming for a global pop sound?
What’s really cool about A-POP is that it’s a manifestation of that balance process. I grew up listening to ‘ABBA Gold’, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ (thanks to my mom), whilst also listening to Arabic hits on the radio. So, when I began writing music, this fusion of musical elements is what naturally came to me. My love for global pop music never came from a strategic place of ‘I want to succeed in music, so I’ll make pop’. I think as artists our main job is to protect the curious inner-child in us, so I always just try to stay true to that excitement and see where it takes me, without holding on too rigidly to definitions.
‘Mama, I’m on TV’ tackles the backlash you faced for being too vulnerable with your work. Why was it vital for you to confront cancel culture through music rather than staying silent?
As someone who writes songs to process their feelings, I honestly can’t see a scenario where I wouldn’t have felt the need to say something about this. I felt it was important to document this for the future generations of artists. Being an artist is almost like being a fictional character, where people feel like they can build you up and tear you down based on how they feel momentarily, and then just move on with their lives onto the next thing. For us artists, it feels like it’s the end of everything, and it often starts a downward spiral that’s difficult to get out of creatively and mentally. So, I feel that it’s important for artists to know that, unfortunately, it’s a part of the job, and you should never let it stop you from moving forward and making the art you wanna make. It was equally important to show the audience that it’s not just fun and games for us on the other side, like it is for them. Words stick, and words have magnitude.
Your new project, ‘A-POP’, features an acoustic reimagining of ‘Hometown Smile’. How does it feel to revisit the song that started it all now that you’ve reached over 150 million streams?
It was amazing to work on the acoustic version because that’s actually the original form of the song! I wrote it in 15 minutes on my guitar back in 2017 and I never would have expected it to become a part of millions of people’s lives. I also sing the song in this same style on all my livestreams on social media. So, it felt like a full-circle moment to finally capture it in a recorded format – after many requests from my fans, the bahjatroops, to release an acoustic version. I worked on it with my co-producer Howard Keith Debono, who’s also my main collaborator for my upcoming debut album. We had a lot of fun putting it together. Fun fact: it’s actually me playing guitar on the acoustic version! That was cool to do.
As a TikTok Music Creator of the Year and a leading independent artist, what is the ultimate boundary you hope to break next for Arab creators on the world stage?
For me, A-POP is more than my ‘global Pop with an Arabic soul’ musical style, it’s a manifestation of what I call the ‘awkward middle,’ the space where I constantly find myself. Throughout my life, I’ve never fit in no matter how hard I tried. I grew up on the internet and wasn’t ‘Arab enough’ as a kid, but too Arab to blend in when I moved abroad. I was too fat compared to other kids, but after losing 264 pounds, my loose skin made me ‘too weird’ to be considered normal. I was ‘too feminine’ to hang out with the boys, yet a boy who shouldn’t hang out with the girls. My music was ‘too English’ to be considered part of Arab Pop, but ‘too Arabic’ to be global pop. A-POP is my declaration that this ‘awkward middle’ not only exists, but it deserves to exist. It’s for anyone who feels pressured to dilute themselves to be accepted.
The boundary I hope to break for Arab creators on the world stage is the pressure to conform – to show the world that authenticity, complexity, and hybridity are strengths, not limitations.
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!
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.
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.
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.
