Arn-Identified Flying Objects Alien Friend caught me entirely off guard with his single, "John in Roses' Deep". Since setting off on his own in 2020, the Swedish solo artist and former REDMOON singer and guitarist has frequently stirred acoustic Americana and electric power pop together. Here, though, he unearths a pitch-black, traditional murder ballad. https://open.spotify.com/track/0t1vuoXfweiH62utynIwEt?si=aIBBxd2ESI-DrcivYHMIrg The track revolves around a rhythmic, stubbornly cyclical melody that sets...

A warning can sound like ego until you learn what preceded it. YesaYa’s "D.P.W.M" makes that tension the starting point of its challenge. "Don’t Play With Me" can read as a boast, or a wall raised before anyone gets close. Yet the UK rap single places confidence beside years of doubts, delays and knock-backs. That difference gives the statement weight. The point is not invulnerability. It...