Blending Malay and English lyrics, Shahera Sam delivers a heartfelt single "Kenapa (Why)" that explores life’s questions through the sounds of Southeast Asia. Shahera Sam from Kuala Lumpur turns personal questions into musical poems in her first song, "Kenapa (Why)". The song is a big step forward for the up-and-coming Malaysian artist. She wrote the reflective words when she was 17 years old, with only a...

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...