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Neuphoria April Playlist Release!
The Ella Langley Spring Continues!
Seems that it wasn’t enough that Ms. Langley’s songs were #’s 1 thru 6 in the US streaming charts pre-Coachella- and that she is the first female to ever have the #1 song on the US Billboard Pop and Country charts simultaneously. To further exert her dominance, Ella released a duet with fellow Country superstar Morgan Wallen on Friday that is sure to also go to #1. However, if you are a long-time Neuphorian, this is no surprise as Ella featured 3 times on Neuphoria in 2024 when she was a relative nobody.
Hopefully some Neuphorians were able to see Ella’s first-ever California appearance at Stagecoach last Friday.
Spring 2026 also marked the first time that AI-generated songs reached #1 on the Global Shazam and TikTok charts. However, this has created a backlash against formulaic AI slop. TAKE THAT AI! has been the counter reaction to the jarringly innovative Angine de Poitrine (on the April playlist) Live at KEXP video, which had >12 million views since debuting in March.
The Playlist direct links are:
If you wish to vote on the April Playlist, please submit your votes by EOD Sunday, May 10th PT (Monday, May 11th for the Europeans, Aussies and South Americans).
Oops, I didn’t mean to break your heart,
D
Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen, I Can’t Love You Anymore (Country)- Only weeks after releasing her #1 LP, “Dandelion” and dominating the US streaming charts, Ella is back with another brand-new song. “I Can’t Love You Anymore” has the same 70’s/80’s breezy pop and country sound as “Dandelion”, with the added star power of being a duet with superstar, Morgan Wallen.
Noah Kahan, Doors (Pop/Folk)- On April 24, Vermonter Noah Kahan, released the follow up LP (“The Great Divide”) to his 2023 Global #1 LP “Stick Season”. And by that weekend, “Doors”, his song about self-sabotage of a relationship, was #1 on the US and UK streaming charts.
Kahan’s lyrics- In the new LP, Kahan’s lyrical themes lean heavily on hypocrisy- both his own and those of his fellow Vermonters. My favorite line is “You get told to go to hell by some summer-time flatlander- with a “coexistence” sticker on the bumper of theircar.”
Olivia Rodrigo, drop dead (Pop)- It was big news when former Disney star Olivia Rodrigo released her 1st single in & 2 years, “drop dead” on April 17. The song, about a stalker-ish crush by Ms. Rodrigo, debuted at #1 in this week's Billboard charts- Ms. Rodrigo’s 4th #1 US hit.
Temper City, Self Aware (Pop/Alternative)- When Temper City’s debut single “Self Aware” rocketed to #5 on the Global Shazam charts last week, I actually paused to double-check it wasn’t AI-generated—amid the influx of synthetic tracks currently clogging Shazam and TikTok. Turns out it’s the profoundly human, irresistible debut single Israeli alt-rockers Temple City.
Lewis Capaldi, Stay Love (Pop)- With its Coldplay-esque melody, stark piano and tender plea to “stay love” amid life’s challenges, Lewis Capaldi’s new single is hauntingly simple. The Scotsman’s signature raspy baritone seals the deal- making this emotional gut-punch a strong contender for his 7th UK #1 hit.
Holly Humberstone, Beauty Pageant (Pop)- The verse of Holly Humberstone’s “Beauty Pageant” evokes David Bowie’s cinematic “Life on Mars?”- one of my all-time faves. Paired with a swelling, cathartic chorus “Beauty Pageant” more than holds its own, though Holly’s understated UK Midlands charm felt a bit overwhelmed on last weekend’s Coachella stage; maybe better suited to a more intimate setting.
Mehro, Calling All Angels (432 hz) (Alternative)- mehro is an enigma, having no online presence and rarely conducting interviews- wanting their music to speak for itself. And “Calling All Angels” speaks volumes, with a beautiful wistful melody, lyrics of disoriented powerlessness and whisper-like vocals building to a distant scream.
Mehro Trivia- With a bit of sleuthing, I’ve found that Mehro Amato-Sturges was formerly Sam Sturges, a star basketball player from Manhattan Beach’s Mira Costa High School- a school familiar to many Neuphorians. In fact, Mehro is the great grandson of famous playwright and movie director Preston Sturges.
Arlo Parks & Sampha, Senses (Alternative)- Award winning British singer/songwriter Arlo Parks released her 3 rd LP, “Ambiguous Desire” in early April to critical acclaim, subtly shifting toward club breakbeats and electronic production. Some view this transition as a betrayal of her folk-ish roots, yet the album is a rewarding slow burn, as is “Senses”, with a melancholic downtempo melody that Sampha unpredictably takes in an ambient jazz direction at the close.
Momo Boyd & Infinity Song, Oops (R&B)- Momo Boyd debuted on Baby Keem's February hit single, "Good Flirt$". Her new single, “Oops” checks all of the boxes for a modern R&B classic; built on a velvety melody draped over a sumptuous slow jam bassline, with a sassy pseudo-apologetic lyric. The cheeky chorus, “Oops, I swear I meant to call back, Oops I never meant to break your heart”- punctuated by a novelty ringtone, is the icing on the cake.
OMAH LAY, I Am (AfroBeats)- Nov 2023 Neuphoria winner, OMAH LAY defied the sophomore slump with April’s “Clarity of Mind”- his 2nd LP after the critically acclaimed debut “Boy Alone”, as both the album and single “I Am” stormed to #1 in Nigeria and West Africa. Built around the mantra “I Am”, the track uses an intricate Afrobeats syncopation to induce a hypnotic- like trance.
Fakemink, Night, Blooming Jasmine (Rap/Electronic)- The Brit Fakemink’s experimental jerk-rap aesthetic is likely a bridge too far for most Neuphorians, but “Night, Blooming Jasmine” shows why he is a darling of the critics and an underground trendsetter.
Strobing house instrumentals clash with Fakemink’s heavily pitched-up vocals repeating a surreal block of lyrics delivered so relentlessly that they are stripped of their meaning, instead creating an oddly mesmerizing haze.
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Slayyyter, Beat Up Chanel$ (Electronic/Pop)- The 3 “y’s” in Slayyyter’s name perfectly encapsulates the Missouri transplant- unapologetically tacky, (politically) incorrect and gloriously extreme. Yet- it all works. Her 2026 Coachella set drew an overcapacity crowd despite a 3pm slot- delivering a career-defining performance by smashing the audience over the head with a glammed out 2x4 of a show.
“Beat Up Chanel$” is from Slayyyter’s March 27 LP, “Wor$t Girl In America”- and speaks of her yearning for sex, money, the “stickiest weed” and of course- tattered designer duds.
Prospa & Cloonee, Free Your Mind (House)- Prospa's recent acclaim has been long overdue—I've been riding with the Leeds duo for many years- yet they are still only 28 years-old. Fans enduring hour + long lines for their 2026 Coachella set were rewarded with a sweaty, modern reimagining of classic house and rave. The show’s apex was their new single “Free Your Mind”—one of the festival’s true defining moments, with the song now going viral in both dance clubs and bars across the world.
Deorro & La Adictiva (Banda/House)- Before his April LP “BOTAS & RAVE”, West Covina’s Mexican-american DJ Deorro (Erick Orrosquieta) could have been mistaken for a Benelux Big Room DJ. With “BOTAS & RAVE”, Deorro has reclaimed his Mexican heritage, partnering with many of regional Mexican music’s biggest acts to produce a groundbreaking mix of Banda, Cumbia and pounding EDM production. How do you say BANGER in Spanish?
Banda Music- Neuphorian JR (a 2nd generation Mexican-American) once joked to me that the Germans' most insidious act of cultural sabotage in Mexico wasn’t just grabbing coffee plantations and brewing pilsner, but instead the introduction of the accordion……..
Angine de Poitrine, Fabienk (Experimental/Jazz/Rock)-
TAKE THAT AI!.......has been the reaction to the masked Quebecois mathrock band Angine de Poitrine’s Live on KEXP video which has tallied >12 million views in the last two months. With AI music generation platforms, such as Suno going viral in 2026, fully AI-generated songs are now appearing on the global Shazam and streaming charts. However, Suno’s (and others’) music is created based on the millions of publicly available songs- and algorithms that revert to the formulaic mean.
The duo Angine de Poitrine (angina pectoris or chest pain in English) is the antithesis. They use complex 7/4, 7/8 time signatures, jarring microtonal guitars (24-note octaves), pedal activated multitracking as their songs build- all while wearing absurdist monochromatic outfits. Take that AI indeed!
Anitta & Marina Sena (Latin)- It is difficult to overstate Anitta’s profile in her native Brazil. The Queen of Brazilian Pop holds the record for most songs on the Brazilian charts, is a television talk show host, movie actress, production company owner and major LBGT, indigenous and women’s rights philanthropist.
Anitta returns to her Brazilian roots and away from her recent forays into sexualized pop/reggaeton in her April LP “EQUILIBRIUM”. “Mandinga” which samples Baden Powell’s familiar “Canto de Ossanha” is presently #2 in Brazil, with a sleek modernized bossa nova vibe.