Listening to Oxiroma unfold "Hug & Hold the Ocean (Cosmo Symphonic Version)" feels less like pressing play on a digital file and more like opening a window in a submarine that somehow navigates the Milky Way. Roman, the creative force behind the moniker, brings a peculiar discipline to this composition perhaps it’s the Kriya Yoga, or maybe the ghost of his big band trumpet...

This song's composition makes it an easy bet that it will be remembered as one of the year's finest musical offerings. The 17-year-old performer's latest single, "Why I," is an exciting showcase of talent and charisma. He's so talented and smart musically that he can take existing tunes and give them a whole new spin. It's obvious in this song that he's singing to a female,...