• Alex Warren (with Jelly Roll), Bloodline (Pop/Americana)- “Bloodline” is Warren’s follow up to his current Global #1 smash, “Ordinary”.  With “Bloodline”, the Carlsbad native ups the ante of his Christian Rock-cum-Mumford & Sons sound, with an even more sweeping gospel backed chorus- a sure formula for Anglo-world chart success.

  
  

• Renee Rapp, Leave Me Alone (Pop/Rock)- The star of Mean Girls on both Broadway and film, Rapp’s latest “Leave Me Alone” bears a Joan Jett-meets-Aly & AJ sound and the charmingly irreverent “Leave me alone bitch, I wanna have fun” refrain. “Leave Me Alone” also makes a subtle bid for 2025 Song of the Summer with its pool-time chorus, “Come get wet in the deep end, T-t-t-take it off, C-c-c-cannonball!”. 

  Trivia- “Leave Me Alone’s” diss of Ms. Rapp’s former show The Sex Lives of College Girls (“I took my sex life with me, now the show ain’t fuckin”) has made headlines in Hollywood.

  
  

• sombr, undressed (Pop/Alternative)- Featuring on Neuphoria for the 2nd straight month, is the model-handsome 19-year-old New Yorker, sombr.  His latest single, “undressed” is #4 and rising in the UK, Australia and Ireland, with a melody and syncopation reminiscent of the 2011 hit “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye.

  
  

• Benson Boone, Magical Mystical (Pop)- the 22-year-old crooner made a big splash at 2025 Coachella, with a skintight baby blue sequined jumpsuit, backing guitar by Sir Brian May, a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody”- and a backflip from a stage platform. Summoning Harry Styles, ELO and "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John in equal measure, the saccharine “Mystical Magical” is a preview of Boone’s upcoming June LP.

  
  

• Ravyn Lenae, Love Me Not (R&B)- Like our new pope, Ms. Lenae hails from Chicago’s South Side, but unlike the pontiff, she has a #2 single in the UK and a coloratura soprano voice.  While originally released in 2024, “Love Me Not” recently went viral on TikTok- and is moving rapidly up the charts globally.

  
  

• Kali Uchis, Sunshine & Rain…..(Pop/R&B)- The versatile Colombian American Uchis’ has followed up her critically acclaimed Spanish language “Orquideas” with May 2025’s “Sincerely” LP.  “Sincerely”, described by critics as a “phantasmagoria of pleasure” and a “gauze-covered cocoon of sound”, is a cohesive LP, so it was difficult to pick one standout tune, but “Sunshine & Rain…..” is included here. Anyone want to join me to see Kali at the Chase Center in SF on Aug 18th?

    

• Ayra Starr & Wizkid, Gimme Dat (AfroBeats)- A current top hit in Africa, “Gimme Dat” is a collab between AfroBeats mega-stars; Ayra Starr, the Beninese 23-year-old, and Wizkid the 30-something Nigerian.  In the sensual “Gimme Dat”, “Ayra drips with Naija attitude” with Wizkid “escalating the record’s already magnetic energy” according to the Premium Times Nigeria. Uh-huh🫠

   

• Cautious Clay, Promises (9am) (R&B)- Cleveland’s multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter released his 2nd LP “The Hours: Morning” in May, with each song representing a different phase of the morning.  Clay’s shiny uplifting falsetto in “Promises (9am)” belies the lyric of disappointment of unmet relationship expectations.

  
  

• Tommy Cash, Espresso Macchiato (Pop/EuroTrash)- The 3rd place finisher in May 17th’s Eurovision, Estonia’s Tommy Cash’s (Tomas Tammemets) sang in “Anglitaliano” about his love for coffee and cigarettes while offering greeting card proverbs (“Life is like spaghetti, it’s hard until you make it”).  The long-maned Cash won over fans and critics with his wit, quirky charm and goofy crazy-legs dancing in “Espresso Macchiato”- a EuroTrash gem.

  Trivia- Estonia was beaten by Austria’s winner “Wasted Love”, featuring singer JJ’s disturbingly high soprano register, Israel’s #2 “New Day Will Rise”, performed by Yuval Raphael- who survived the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack only by hiding under dead Israeli bodies for 8 hours.

Trivia Question (Easy)- This is the 2nd straight year that there has been a hit with a title about coffee.  Can you name the other one?

• YOTTO & Something Good, Love Shop (Progressive House/Trance)- Helsinki’s YOTTO (Otto Yliperttula) is a longtime star of the English/Finnish Trance Music label Anjunabeats.  An anthemic banger, featuring an ending Moroder-like keyboard solo, try using “Love Shop” as workout inspiration.

  
  

• Pulp, Got to Have Love (Rock/Alternative)- Returning to Neuphoria for the 2nd straight month, the stirring “Got to Have Love” is another preview of “More”, Pulp’s expected first LP in 24 years. Jarvis Cocker describes the song as “slightly hysterical” and “giving myself a real talking-to”.  The official song video (Got to Have Love YouTube ) is recommended.

  
  

  The much-awaited “More” will be previewed at “listening parties” on May 29 before its release at select record stores throughout the world- and we're hoping that Ameoba on Haight St. is one of them🤞

• Turnstile, Never Enough (Rock/Metal)- “Never Enough” is a preview of Baltimore metal band, Turnstile’s upcoming eponymous LP, which faces huge expectations given that their last LP “Glow On” is considered by some critics as one of the best of this decade.  The new LP is expected to be more pop accessible, which will undoubtedly disappoint their hardcore fans.

  
  

• Sleep Token, Even in Arcadia (Metal)- Despite their metalcore origins, the mysterious Sleep Token’s May LP “Even in Arcadia”, is already the #1 LP in the US and throughout Europe, while the band members remain anonymous.  What we do know is that Sleep Token are British, the masked members are named “Vessel”, “II”, “III” and “IV” and “Even in Arcadia” received a 2.3 out of 10 review from Pitchfork…… OUCH!

  
  

Mei Semones, Animaru (Indie/Jazz/Metal)- If challenged to classify the Brooklyn-based, Berklee School of Music grad Semones’ sound, one might say Jazz/Grunge/Bossa Nova/Progressive Rock/J-Pop, but that may only scratch the surface. Alternatively singing in Japanese and English, her debut LP “Animaru” is a critics’ favorite.  But if she gets nominated for a Grammy- will they have to create a new category?

• HAIM, Down to be Wrong (Alternative)- The San Fernando Valley sisters have released another preview from their forthcoming “I quit” LP, “Down to be Wrong”, which was called the “Rock Anthem for the Summer” by the beleagured Harvard Crimson. Featuring a breakup lyric more about clarity than heartbreak, “Down to be Wrong” conjures up hazy memories of Tom Petty and Sheryl Crow classics.

  
  

• Lainey Wilson, Somewhere Over Laredo (Country)- Grammy and multi-CMA award winner, Lainey continues her streak of compelling singles with “Somewhere Over Laredo”.  While interpolating the hook of Judy Garland’s classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, into a Country song would justify skepticism, Lainey pulls it off using restraint, superior songwriting and her singular twangy vocal.