The Canadian-born, Ireland-based artist Ndidi O pulls us by the collar into a staggering emotional space on her new album, "It’s About Time". You might recognize her commanding vocals drifting through high-stakes television moments on Netflix or HBO Max, but here, she strips away the glossy screen to sit right beside you. This is her most intensely personal and politically fierce work to date...

Helena May’s new single, “Side Effects,” doesn’t just enter a room; it strides in with the kind of confident, hip-swinging swagger that makes you instinctively check your own posture. This is Brit-Funk with a capital F, built on a groove that feels less like a rhythm and more like a wry, talkative companion. It’s got that specific, indefinable warmth of an old analogue recording,...