Round-Up: Nine Musical Worlds Shaped by Desire, Identity, Freedom, and Belonging
Going up against the algorithm to discover new music can sometimes feel impossible, but with this selection, we’re helping you push past the relentless insistence of trends and make room for songs and artists that deserve to be heard.
ØTTA
Infused to the core with the energy of Rio de Janeiro, “PELE DE MAR,” the new album from Portuguese artist, producer, and DJ ØTTA, has arrived on digital platforms via HOTTIES, her label and global party platform.
Marking a 12-year career that took shape with her debut EP “Plus One,” the eight-track release brings together the artist’s entire cultural background, once again setting the party in motion through techno, UK garage, Brazilian funk, Latin rhythms, and rave.
Tracks such as “RIO” featuring Clara Ribeiro, “GATA FINA” with Fiah Miau, “REBOLA DE SALTO” alongside Lua de Santana, and “4X4” with Bibi Babydoll are just some of the highlights in this collection, dazzling through their unexpected fusions and magnetic rhythms.
ZUZU SILK, SELENA FAIDER, AND BALI
“Slow Down” is the latest release from Zuzu Silk, Selena Faider, and duo Bali, who come together for a house track about the rush of a romance moving faster than it can be controlled, even as its warning signs become harder to ignore.
The song arrives through Noir Fever, Aluna’s label, and is carried by Zuzu Silk’s standout vocals. She first made an impression at the label’s inaugural songwriting camp, eventually becoming the first artist signed to its publishing division, which in turn supports the growth of Black artists within electronic music.
Selena Faider and Bali bring their talent and a warm, groove-centered approach, turning the combination of their strengths into a polished and captivating mix that is difficult to ignore.
ELLORY GRACE
At just 17, but backed by remarkably mature and undeniable talent, Ellory Grace earns her place on this list on her own merits with her new single “Seventeen Years,” a confessional and intimate track in which she describes anxiety as an unwanted guest that has stayed far too long.
Exploring a mental health topic that, fortunately, is becoming increasingly visible, the singer-songwriter joined forces with Valerie Borghesi as co-writer, with Alec Zeilon and Hunter Bennett handling production.
“Seventeen Years” joins a growing catalog that already includes “In Between,” “Threads,” and “Girl I Buried,” giving Ellory Grace a body of work that reflects her development as a young singer, songwriter, performer, and storyteller. Her latest release adds another personal perspective to that catalog, turning an experience she has lived with for years into a song about taking back some control over the space anxiety occupies in her life.
BECCA BOWEN
Becca Bowen turns up the volume with “Raise a Little Hell,” an upbeat country track that adds a modern rock edge to her Southern roots. Spirited and unapologetic, the single embraces the pleasure of breaking routine, gathering your friends, and letting your rebellious side take control for a while.
That confident attitude reflects the path Bowen has followed since winning For Love or Likes on Outdoor Channel in 2021. Her debut album, “Like You’ve Never Been Loved,” arrived in 2022, followed by the 2024 EP “County Line,” while her catalog has surpassed one million streams across digital platforms.
The singer has also performed at CMA Fest, Carolina Country Music Festival 2026, Whiskey Jam, and Bridgestone Arena, and opened for artists including Alabama, Emily Ann Roberts, and Colt Ford.
CHRISSI POLAND
Chrissi Poland returns to the roots of soul with “Forever Muscle Shoals,” an album recorded live at FAME Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, two essential places for understanding the history of American music. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist moves through songs from the past with a voice shaped by blues, rock, jazz, and Americana.
The project was born after a visit to FAME Studios in 2022, when Poland realized she needed to return to that place to record. The result brings together new interpretations of songs associated with Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Cher, and Bob Dylan, preserving their emotional intensity while translating them into her own language.
The collaborations include James Otto on “Wild Horses” and Ryan Shaw on “Respect Yourself,” while “Hold On I’m Comin” serves as a tribute to Sam Moore, with whom Poland toured for more than a decade.
CHRISTIAN PARKER
Relationships that leave a lasting mark, even those destined to be fleeting, occupy a central place in “Scales & Strings,” Christian Parker’s upcoming album. The project arrives in October with a collection of songs built around the experiences and connections that have shaped his story.
One of its previews is “Three Months Long,” co-written with Neil Perry and inspired by a summer romance. Parker focuses on the decision to live through something special even when it is obvious that it will not last forever, finding value in the experience beyond its ending.
Before releasing the album, the musician will deliver a special performance on September 25 at Nashville’s Woolworth Theatre. The concert will offer the first glimpse into a body of work that seems ready to find beauty in temporary relationships and in everything that remains after a goodbye.
JAMES BRUNER
Moving effortlessly between hard rock and pop, driven by guitar and exploring themes of love, lust, and desire, singer-songwriter James Bruner releases “Can’t Keep Wanting You,” his debut album.
The collection reflects a strong influence from David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Lenny Kravitz, and Prince. A skateboarding enthusiast with a love for rebellion and rock and roll, Bruner brings those influences into his own approach.
Fast-paced drums, bass lines that occasionally take over, and a melancholic touch that tastes of the past are among the defining characteristics of the album, which also arrives after hundreds of performances across the United States and Europe, where he has shared stages with Orianthi, Barns Courtney, The Struts, Those Damn Crows, and Yonaka.
COURTNEY ELLE
Courtney Elle finds common ground between contemporary pop, funk, disco, and classic R&B. The singer-songwriter, born in Wilmington, Delaware, complements that sonic diversity with a theatrical sensibility that turns each release into a visual universe inspired by fashion, film, architecture, and different moments in history.
Through her collaboration with producer, songwriter, and director Darrell Lawrence, Courtney Elle has developed a sound that brings together the glamour associated with the Cotton Club and The Savoy, ’80s funk, and the immediacy of contemporary pop. “JUKE” captures that combination through a powerful bassline, R&B textures, and a music video set in a nighttime fantasy inspired by the 1940s.
In “Freedom,” Elle expands her exploration toward self-acceptance and the need to let go of other people’s expectations. Both songs reveal two forms of freedom, one born on the dance floor and the other through recognizing one’s own identity, connected by an artist who understands music and imagery as parts of the same story.
Matthew Waldman brings his creative disciplines together under BUTCHIE, a project where electronic pop, electroclash, futurepop, disco, and psychedelia become tools for examining identity. Those ideas converge on “EVERPRESENCE,” a nine-track album that places movement, memory, and emotional unrest inside a sound designed for both reflection and the dance floor.
Tokyo plays an important role throughout that world. The artist moved there as a young adult, returned in 2018 after an extensive career in New York, and now draws from the city’s constant motion to connect physical surroundings with more private emotional landscapes.
Opening track “Gaslight” makes that connection especially clear. Written after the end of a 24-year relationship, the song began with Waldman’s experience of emotional manipulation before expanding toward the social and political consequences of blame-shifting. Its propulsive retro-dance production gives those difficult ideas a physical pulse, capturing the broader tension that runs through “EVERPRESENCE” and the struggle to understand reality while everything around it remains in motion.