Sam Ostler’s new single, “Lights,” then. It unfolds less like a sudden, intrusive glare and more like the slow, determined burn of a really good stage light finally finding its mark after a prolonged blackout. It’s pop, yes, vibrant and undeniably contemporary as advertised – clean lines, clear intentions. Yet, there’s a certain satisfying heft beneath the melodic uplift, a feeling that these notes...

GINAxC’s single, “Dopamine Rush,” doesn’t so much arrive as it… activates. It’s less a gentle introduction and more a direct feed into the central nervous system, a jolt that bypasses polite conversation entirely. This Swedish artist paints with a palette of electronic pop and synthpop that feels less like colours and more like raw, flickering currents. https://open.spotify.com/track/1gP0GuFz5k07cWtNMwwIPa?si=356ad09ab6b14a4c The track itself is a shrine to the fierce,...