ROIL’s Living Outside the Closet is less interested in catharsis than documentation. Across eleven tracks, the Belgium-based songwriter maps the emotional residue left behind by shame, desire, masculinity, and queer isolation with an almost uncomfortable level of specificity. The album rarely reaches for dramatic reinvention or polished empowerment narratives; instead, it lingers inside emotional contradictions, allowing awkwardness and vulnerability to coexist without resolu

On “Stoned,” NMDA and Isabelle Rose create something that feels less like a single and more like an emotional environment. The track merges electrosoul warmth with cinematic electronic structure, resulting in a piece that feels immersive from its first moments. NMDA’s production thrives in contrast—organic instrumentation sits beside precise electronic detailing, creating a tension that never fully resolves. The groove is steady but elastic, giving the track a sense of moveme

On Divine Intermission, Dayfiction explore the uneasy beauty of instability with striking confidence. The Virginia quintet have steadily evolved from their garage rock beginnings into a far more nuanced and atmospheric force, and this latest EP finds them operating with sharpened artistic focus. It is a record preoccupied with movement — emotional, geographical, and existential — yet grounded by a sophisticated understanding of mood and texture. Recorded shortly before vocali

Astor's “Lift Him Up” is an exercise in emotional compression. The Danish-Spanish artist works within the familiar framework of alternative electronic pop, but what distinguishes the track is its refusal to inflate its subject matter into melodrama. Instead, it tightens it into something contained, almost claustrophobic. The production leans heavily on industrial percussion and subdued, shadowed synth work. While the palette is not particularly novel within contemporary alt-p

With “Necessary Evil,” MIIA proves that emotional storytelling and electronic music can coexist beautifully. The single merges UK garage-inspired rhythms, glossy electronic textures, and emotionally charged songwriting into a track that feels equally built for headphones and dancefloors. It’s dark, addictive, and filled with late-night energy. The production is sleek and atmospheric, driven by punchy basslines and fast-moving percussion that give the song a restless pulse. Ye

LEXA - Rainbow Honour's Musician of the Year and Sex Education star - releases 'Baggage Claim', the lead single from A Guide to Heartbreak, the final chapter of her EP trilogy. It's a record about a first breakup with a trans person, written and produced exclusively by trans+ artists. That's not a footnote. That's the foundation. Co-written with SATCH - the established songwriter behind Transpose, a dedicated trans+ songwriting camp launched in collaboration with The Ivors Ac

There is a restless energy running through Whoop's long-awaited new single 'Tightrope'. It’s a song that feels permanently suspended between caution and impulse, capturing the uneasy feeling of standing on the edge of a decision while knowing there’s no way back once you take the next step. Drawn from the band’s latest album 'Time to Talk', 'Tightrope' showcases a group that has grown increasingly confident in blending styles without losing sight of its identity. The track mo

There is a particular kind of heartbreak that rarely gets written about. Not the dramatic collapse of a relationship or the grand cinematic farewell, but the quieter frustrations that build over time; such as the unanswered texts, the emotional distance, and the feeling of wanting just a little more reassurance from someone who seems reluctant to offer it. And on her latest single 'Hold My Hand', Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sarah Mickey transforms that familiar emotional gap i

Instrumental music often faces a unique challenge. Without lyrics to guide the listener, it must communicate through mood, texture and suggestion alone. And on the new single 'Yvette', French composer Esvan Du Quador embraces that challenge completely, creating a piece that feels like a memory slowly resurfacing from somewhere deep within. Written as part of his ongoing Famille series, 'Yvette' serves as a deeply personal tribute while remaining open enough for us to find our

There is a particular kind of song that feels like the moment after the drama has unfolded, after the heartbreak has landed, and when the camera slowly pulls away and the audience is left to sit with what remains. Beljune’s 'White Heat' exists in that rare space, transforming introspection into something expansive, cinematic, and quietly devastating. The Birmingham-raised artist has steadily built a reputation for creating alternative pop that prioritises atmosphere as much a

Some songs arrive with grand statements and sweeping gestures, while others find their strength in stillness. Jason Lenyer Buchanan’s Gus Gus belongs firmly to the latter category, unfolding with patience and grace as it explores memory, change, and the subtle emotions that accompany life’s turning points. The single captures an artist standing at the threshold of a new chapter. There is a sense of reflection woven throughout the track, as though he is taking a moment to look

James White & The Wild Fire have unveiled their latest single, The Ballad of Jimmy Blanco, released on 29th May, offering another compelling preview of their forthcoming EP, How To Replace Anxiety With A Broken Heart, due for release on 19th June. Formed in 2019, the band have steadily carved out a distinctive space where psychedelic folk rock intersects with traditional American roots music. Their sound combines atmospheric, expansive textures with the structural precision o

North West indie quartet Movin’ On continue their impressive rise with the release of their second single, How We Used To, arriving on 29th May. Following a debut that earned airplay from Steve Lamacq on BBC Radio 6 Music, the band return with a bold and confident follow-up that further showcases their growing potential. Blending emotionally sincere songwriting with driving indie energy, How We Used To captures both the raw intensity of the band's live performances and their

Terry Jee is back with "Rainy Day Love", a feelgood pop-soul track that lives up to its title. Built around an easy groove, bright melodies and a positive outlook, it's the kind of song that aims to lift the mood from the first few seconds. The Paris-based artist has spent years moving between pop, soul and electronic music, and this latest release finds him settling comfortably into the soulful side of his sound. "Rainy Day Love" keeps things light and accessible, using rain

There is a difference between writing about a life transition and turning that transition into advice. On “Less Important Things,” Eric Hirshberg mostly stays on the better side of that line. His new single is about becoming an empty nester, but it does not try to tell listeners what the experience means in any universal, tidy way. Instead, the song sits with the feeling. Hirshberg writes from the moment after the children have left home, when the routines of parenthood are n

Photo Credit: Valeria Melnykova Following the release of his latest single 'All I need is love', Flex caught up with Slovak singer-songwriter Alan Murin to discover what influences his uplifting pop sound. If you enjoy Alan's picks, be sure to check out 'All I need is love' at the end of the article. 1. “Legend” by Drake If I had to choose five songs that define different chapters of my life, the first one would be “Legend” by Drake. Drake was probably the first artist who tr

Some albums are designed to grab your attention immediately. But 'Hollyhocks' works differently. It reveals itself gradually, like a conversation that becomes more meaningful the longer it continues. Henry Nielsen’s debut is filled with stories of overlooked people; those family members standing quietly in the corner, the individuals wrestling with regrets nobody else notices, and the dreamers who spend more time reflecting than speaking. Yet rather than treating these charac

With a new face joining the outfit, Energy Whores are exploring sounds and textures that bring a fresh creative vision to an already established band There is a version of Energy Whores that arrives with sirens blazing. ‘Hey Hey Hate!’, the opener from their January 2026 album Arsenal of Democracy, is that version: sharp, confrontational, politically loaded and built for maximum impact. It is very good. ‘Fade to Gray’, their new single, is something else entirely, and the dis

Essex/London-based singer-songwriter George Bone has announced his forthcoming debut EP The Yes Man alongside the release of a new single, ‘Floating Away’, a sweeping, heatfelt, cinematic track that builds anticipation for the upcming full release. Fresh from being named among BBC Introducing Essex & Cambridgeshire’s Ones To Watch for 2025, Bone’s latest release leans into the emotional storytelling and stylistic fluidity that have defined his rise so far. The single serves

There is a quiet confidence running through Stomp Box Choir's latest single 'Desert Island Daydream'. Throughout this new offering, the collective opts for a warmer, more organic and ultimately more immersive sound to pursue. Built around the longstanding creative partnership between producer Howsie and songwriter Joe Stratton, Stomp Box Choir have always approached electronic music through the lens of songcraft. Melody, atmosphere, and emotional resonance sit at the centre o