Clarity Liao – ‘Lose’
Singer-songwriter Clarity Liao turns jealousy and romantic insecurity into irresistible pop on ‘Lose’, the vibrant focus single from forthcoming debut EP ‘Dear…’. Originally conceived as a vulnerable piano ballad, the track blossoms into upbeat drums and electric guitars that playfully clash with its emotional turmoil, capturing the messy journey from comparison and obsession towards the difficult realisation that sometimes loving someone also means learning to let them go.
Max Swan – ‘LMK’
Max Swan turns the act of rebuilding into a moving metaphor for human connection on ‘LMK’, a soulful, understated single about learning to love people openly and being present when it matters most. Emerging from the aftermath of a devastating flood, the song’s voice-memo piano, warm instrumentation and intimate vocal performance give it a beautifully lived-in quality, transforming five difficult years into an affecting statement of compassion, perseverance and hope.
Shadow Flowers – ‘Paraselene’
Shadow Flowers make an arresting first statement with ‘Paraselene’, a dense yet melodic swirl of shoegaze and alternative rock that channels grief through layers of distortion, repetition and shimmering atmosphere. Serving as the gateway to debut album ‘Blood Book’, the single thrives on the tension between beauty and disintegration, allowing Aaron Mills’ guitars to blur, buckle and bloom into something both emotionally heavy and strangely weightless.
Tom Ymani – ‘Amorium’
Belgian artist Tom Ymani embraces the exhilarating messiness of wanting someone you cannot have on Amorium, pairing ‘I Want You Way’ and ‘Encore Plus’ into a vibrant two-track rush of romantic longing and dance-pop release. Rather than allowing unrequited desire to sink into melancholy, Ymani turns it into movement, colour and celebration, revealing an increasingly confident pop identity built around emotional openness and the freedom to express exactly who he is.
Wormogenic – ‘16’
Wormogenic captures the strange collision of vulnerability and exhilaration that comes with growing up on ‘16’, a luminous alt-pop anthem born from a birthday spent feeling isolated and alone. Gritty bass and guitars cut through waves of glossy, New Order-tinged synths as anxiety and self-sabotage are transformed into something thrillingly immediate, setting an ambitious benchmark for her forthcoming debut EP ‘Bandaids’.
