New Music Friday - 08/08/2025

Albums/EPs:

• Amaarae - Black Star
• ena mori - rOe 
• Greta Isaac - Dolly Zoom 
• NERIAH - Reason To Hate You
• Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer 
• Yves - Soft Error

Singles:

• Alexandra Kay - Straight For The Heart 
• Alok, ALTA & Robert Falcon (feat. Jess Glynne) - Love Has Gone
• CATTY - Prized Possession  
• Chloe Adams - Daddy's Gonna Kill Me 
• Daya - Agnostic  
• EMELINE - PORN STAR 
• Hannah Grace & Gabrielle Aplin - Why Can't I Cry About It? 
• Isabel - Playing God  
• Laufey - Snow White 
• Rita Ora - Joy
• Twinnie - Giddy Up 
• Valencia Grace - Super Elastic 
• venbee - new body parts  
• Yuneki - Baby Teeth

Amaarae - Black Star:

Stuck Up: Interesting start...could be annoying, could be good, we'll see. Vocal effects are fun! It's not exactly the same obviously but it somewhat reminds me of I'm That Girl by Beyonce on Renaissance. Well, not anymore. I'll be honest, it's not my favourite. I think some of the vocals and the production are a bit annoying to me...it's decent still though. 6/10

Starkilla (feat. Bree Runway & Starkillers): Sounds like a cunty song! Some of the song...like those weird vocal effects with that production. Nope... Oh thankfully it didn't last long. Ketamine, coke AND molly? Okay girl calm down. I do like this though. 7/10

ms60 (feat. Naomi Campbell): Giving stronger R&B vibes here. Honestly, decent, but not really my favourite? The talking section at the end was fun though. Very much cunty diva behaviour! 6/10

Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2 (feat. PinkPantheress): Oh, this really screams PinkPantheress. But like a way more chill version? I can't say I'm a major fan of it honestly. It feels like it's lacking a lot. It's kinda just there as a song? It feels like it could build to something though? It very much is. Overall a bland and boring song, even when it progresses a bit. I think this collab could have been a lot better. Well, it finally got its energy in the last like 15 seconds... 5/10

B2B: Charli XBOX you are over! Actually...maybe not. Maybe she's safe. It's alright...pleasant listen but far from my favourite... 5/10

She Is My Drug: REALLY? This interpolation of Believe by Cher? Do you believe in life off the drugs? Help??? I mean I really think the Believe callback strongly carries this song, otherwise...not fantastic. 6/10

Girlie-Pop!: Okay gun! Considering the title, I hoped I would like this more than I did. Sadly, it's not really my favourite, though it is one of the better songs on the album. It's more boppy than some of the other songs. 6/10

S.M.O.: You know what, forget the last song, this one is so much better even from the start?This was a bop! Really liked the production! 8/10

Fineshyt: Omg Gnarly mention? I was a bit scared this would be a bit of a Mandatory Ballad moment, but the hints of electronic production coming through...I should be safe. It definitely is more boppy, I wish it was more of one, but I still like it. 7/10

Dove Cameron: Some fun production here, with an R&B leaning song. I fear I do prefer Dove Cameron songs honestly...but this wasn't the worst. Production is carrying this for me, I think often the processed vocals are more of a miss for me... 6/10

Dream Scenario (feat. Charlie Wilson): Definitely has a dreamy sort of vibe with those vocals. It's just not really my favourite, as with a lot of the album. Okay vibe shift? Is this the Charlie bit? Oh, yikes... Moving on... 6/10

100DRUM: Meh so far at the intro to the song. Not really sold on all the background vocals. Oh, I like the drum production though! It's okay otherwise...where did the drums go? Cooler speedy section at the end though. 6/10

FREE THE YOUTH: This has boppy energy but doesn't fully work for me? Sadly. 6/10

Overall Verdict: I feel like one of the singles made me think I would like this more than I did. It's far from awful, it's decent, but I guess it's just not what I expected and it wasn't as good as I wanted? As an album, I won't return to it. There's like maybe 1-2 songs that I will, but I feel that's it. I think a lot of the vocals put me off, and it's not quite as 'boppy' as I would have liked either. Oh well! 

ena mori - rOe:

rOe: It's intro time. Let's see what I'm getting myself into. Enjoyable intro. [No rating]. 

Portion Control: Ohhh, this was a very enjoyable song. Some great vocals and production here. 8/10

Heartache Generation: I wasn't feeling this too strongly but wow, the production came THROUGH. Hell yeah. Almost makes me think of Lorde, almost like a song off Solar Power maybe, but more cunty and abrasive? 8/10

Sink: This has a good relaxing yet boppy vibe to it. Good song! 7/10

Trust Me: Another enjoyable song. Just a good song. I feel like I'm out of witty insights at this point. 7/10

Cub: Didn't feel this song quite as much. The middle part with the children was cute. But in general, definitely didn't feel this song as much. 6/10

Overall Verdict: I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did! It was a pretty good project overall. It was listed as New Wave on Apple Music, so maybe I'm a fan of that genre? I don't know. We'll find out one day. Some pretty good stuff here! I liked some songs more than others, but good stuff. 

Greta Isaac - Dolly Zoom  

SOFT SCOOP TALKING DOG: Wacky sounds. Oh okay, I guess we're going cunty now? I enjoyed this! 7/10

MOVIE STAR: Pretty similar here. Some good cunty pop. Don't you dare put your hamster in the microwave... 7/10

CAR CRASH: Ohhh, this could be my favourite of the songs! Greattt production, great voice. Great song! 7/10

VILLAIN: I feel like this is a bit of a miss overall. It isn't hitting for some reason. Oh well, you can't have it all. 6/10

Overall Verdict: Some great, if not a bit basic, cunty pop. I enjoyed it! Definitely an artist I will keep more of an eye on, because this was pretty decent. 

NERIAH - Reason To Hate You:

Spring Cleaning: This is a good song! It does scream indie pop artist but you know what, it's good. That chorus is great all around! 8/10

Rocket Science: I feel like some of the layered vocals aren't working for me, and it's a slower song that doesn't quite work as well for me. A bit of a miss, honestly. 5/10

Illiterate: We're not going country here are we? Enough! Yikes, it is. I'm over country-pop being everywhere, I can't lie. Anyway, it's decent. 6/10

Good Enough: I feel like I'm feeling this song is also decent but not the best. She lost the goods from the first song. There's a lot of different sounds on this project and I'm not sure it's working. Another slower song. 6/10

Reason To Hate You: Why are we doing the slow and sad songs? That's not what we want! Also known as it's not what I want! And I'm the only listener that matters! Okay, to be fair, that production is a bit different. That production really saved and carried the song. 7/10

Gone Girl: Okay, we've found some of the goods again thankfully. This is the lane for you! Good song. 7/10 

Perfect Goodbye: Again, another decent song, but not really special in my view. 6/10

Overall Verdict: I feel like this was a bit mixed as a project. Some great songs, where I think NERIAH truly shines, some not so good ones. And it just felt a bit of a mess sonically. Country pop, slow ballads, and very boppy pop. There's definitely potential here but I don't think she's quite where she could be yet.  

Ninajirachi - I Love My Computer:

London Song: I unfortunately have been to London. I really like the production on this! Oh wow, that is a DROP and a half! Amazing. 8/10

iPod Touch: This is going to be a project I enjoy a lot, I can tell. Hell yeah, great production yet again. Just looooove. 8/10

Fuck My Computer: This is all going to transition into each other? That's fun. Also, who doesn't want to fuck their computer? Still good but I definitely didn't enjoy this song quite as much as the previous two. 7/10

CSIRAC: I really like the repeated parts but like...not so keen on some of the talking parts. Very cool production though. 7/10

Delete: Again, good production. Good song. This is a consistently good album all the way through, and I love that. 7/10

ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ: Oh, this is an interlude. Makes sense with that title. Cute! [No rating].

All I Am: That was a smooth transition! Pretty good electronic production and becoming more boppy as the song goes on! Enjoyable listen. 7/10

Infohazard: Those sounds are familiar. Maybe another song? But I feel like this was not as good for me. Not bad, but yeah. It did get better when it built up. So actually, it was pretty good for most of it. Scratch what I said previously. 7/10

Battery Death: Least favourite of the songs so far unfortunately. Cool sounds and production but I wasn't feeling it as much. 6/10

Sing Good: A lot more stripped back at the start but I'm enjoying it. It's got a good energy to it. Good song. 7/10

It's You: Another good song. Liked the vocal distortions. 7/10

All At Once: Great drums at the start! This production is really fun! I like it. Is it just going to be an instrumental song? Not that I would mind. Good song. 7/10

Overall Verdict: This was a really enjoyable album! It was not quite as good as I hoped it would be at the beginning, but it was still pretty good. There's some truly fantastic electronic songs on this. Great album all around, and the worst is does is being pleasant to listen to rather than good. 

Yves - Soft Error:

White cat: I like the production but I'm not as much of a fan of the vocals. The production is quite cool though! I like the retro game vibe it has. Oh, for a second I thought it was fading out and the song was only 1 minute long...thankfully not.  7/10 

Soap (feat. PinkPantheress): THE SUGAR WATER CYANIDE SAMPLE? OMG. Obsessed! I love it. This is a good song but I wish the sample was used more than it was. Maybe that's just because I love Sugar Water Cyanide haha. Still, good song! Not sure I super felt PinkPantheress but that's okay. 7/10

Aibo (feat. Bratty): The production on this one could make it a big winner for me. Well, it wasn't as amazing as I wanted it to be but I still enjoyed it. Solid song! Parts of it remind me a bit of a Katy Perry song? 7/10

Do you feel it like i touch: Very chill and almost like...Oklou vibes here? Which I do appreciate. 7/10

Study: Something I should be doing right now but am not. I don't know, this kinda passed me by without leaving much of an impression. It was a pleasant listen but yeah. 6/10

mom: Pretty similar to this - it's a chill pleasant listen but not really my favourite. 6/10

Overall Verdict: I feel like this was basically split into two halves for me. I enjoyed the more boppier side, and was less keen on the slower and more dreamy side. I really enjoyed the Sugar Water Cyanide sample, I just wish it was used a bit more in the song! But there's some good songs here. I don't think it's a project I will return to, but I enjoyed listening to it. 

Singles:

Alexandra Kay - Straight For The Heart: I feel like this has an emotion in it that's connecting more with me? I guess it's the way it's sung? And I like the production too! It gives off slight country vibes but I really do like it! 7/10

Alok, ALTA & Robert Falcon (feat. Jess Glynne) - Love Has Gone: This will be a generic dance track but will it be good is the question? It was generic and fine, surprise. 6/10

CATTY - Prized Possession: This is a weird vibe! Strong electronic vibe. I enjoyed this! Does have somewhat of a Lady Gaga vibe for sure. 7/10

Chloe Adams - Daddy's Gonna Kill Me: It definitely sounds a bit different for an indie-alt pop song, so it has that going for it. Some more unique production. Still not my favourite though. 6/10

Daya - Agnostic: I am kinda agnostic on this song...I mean it's decent enough I guess? 6/10

EMELINE - PORN STAR: Decent electronic production here! I guess overall it was decent? 6/10

Hannah Grace & Gabrielle Aplin - Why Can't I Cry About It?: A slow ballad type song. Unsurprisingly didn't really do anything for me. Gosh, where are the good songs this week? 5/10

Isabel - Playing God: Didn't really feel the start of this. I did like the rest of this! I feel like the background vocals grew on me and it was just a nice listen in general. 7/10

Laufey - Snow White: Laufey is very much an artist that's not for me, but this is another song not really for me. It's a very chill laid back song, in a vibe that just doesn't work for me. Not bad by any means but it did nothing for me. It does give a bit of a Snow White vibe though, I'll give it that. 5/10

Rita Ora - Joy: I guess she was ready to release her new song. I'm not sure Rita Ora brings me joy...We're going for a disco dance kinda vibe I guess? I guess it's alright? Nothing special though... 6/10

Twinnie - Giddy Up: Okay most obvious country song to ever exist. I mean, it is, but also...meh. Doing nothing for me. 5/10

Valencia Grace - Super Elastic: This is a sample right? Funky. Valencia's voice is kinda...I'm not sure. It feels a bit too posh almost? Okay, this is a pretty cunty song though. Enjoyed it! Definitely has a big bop element to it, and I can see why a good friend recommended it to me. You have amazing taste as ever! 7/10

venbee - new body parts: Oh damn, okay, depressing lyrics with a beat. I do like the production. Good song honestly! Lyrics are ouch but yeah. 7/10

Yuneki - Baby Teeth: Again, a perfectly fine chill bop type of song. Nothing really special about it -- it's fine. 6/10