Listening to Arnold J.’s new single, "Muddy Waters," isn't quite like anything else swirling around right now. It arrives with the gentle insistence of incoming tide, pulling you into its specific gravity. Arnold J., Ghanaian-born and now Canada-based, weaves a sound tagged as alt-country and folk, but those labels feel thin, like trying to contain smoke. There’s earthiness, sure, but his soulful vocal lines...

In the ever-shifting topography of modern music, where trends appear and vanish like digital ghosts, a new voice has emerged from Sydney, Australia, with a clarity and purpose that demands attention. At just 14 years old, JNZI has released his debut single, “Speaker,” a track that is already making its presence felt on national radio and beyond. It’s a song that doesn’t just ask...