Cat Mayel's "FREE" arrived, not on a silver platter, but more like a rogue pigeon delivering a very important message – a crumpled napkin with profound scribbles. This Nigerian producer, composer, arranger, and all-around sonic sorceress has served up a single dose of alternative neo-soul that feels… well, free. As free as a shopping cart with a wonky wheel, anyway. It goes where it...

Robin Swann’s new single, “Flaunt You,” lands with the deceptive sheen of polished indie pop, but listen closer – there’s grit under its fingernails, a heart beating anxiously beneath the bright synth layers often crafted with collaborator Xander Lee. It captures that peculiar, stomach-flipping vertigo of falling headlong into a love that feels both utterly destined and terrifyingly risky. You know the feeling, like...