• Ella Langley, Weren’t for the Wind (Country)- “Weren’t for the Wind”, from Ella’s recent “Still Hungover” LP was the October Neuphoria winner, so carries over to this playlist.  In “Weren’t For the Wind”, Langley feigns introspection about her history of leaving relationships, ultimately blaming the wind for that “tumbleweed in me”, in another classically clever lyric.   

• Zach Bryan, High Road (Country/Americana)- Following his two consecutive #1 LP’s, “High Road” is Bryan’s newest single. For those who are new to Bryan/Neuphoria, he is an unlikely mega-star; a 7-year Navy vet from Oklahoma singing/writing thoughtful stripped down Americana music, who has sold over 30 million albums and singles since 2021.  “High Road’s” opening line of “Adderall and white-lace bras that make you fall in love” intrigues from the start.

• Gracie Abrams, That’s So True (Pop)- Sounding conspicuously like Tay-Tay, Gracie’s new single, “That’s So True” is already the #1 most streamed Spotify song in the US, UK and several other geos.  However, there is a bit of skepticism about Angelino Ms. Abrams meteoric rise; after all, she is the daughter of award-winning filmmaker J.J. Abrams (Super 8 and Star Wars and Mission Impossible sequels). Some say she an “industry plant”- is that true Gracie?

• JIN, Running Wild (K-Pop)- JIN is the first member of the K-Pop mega-band, BTS to complete his mandatory South Korean military service- and has now released his first solo EP, “Happy” featuring “Running Wild”.  While just released 4 days ago, “Running Wild” is already #10 on the Spotify Global Streaming Charts.  It’s no coincidence that “Running Wild” has a strong 90’s Brit Boy Band vibe as it was co-written and co-sung by Gary Barlow of Take That (Robbie Williams’ old band) fame.

• ROSÉ & Bruno Mars, APT. (K-Pop)- ROSÉ follows her BLACKPINK! Sisters, JENNIE and LISA, with a solo K-Pop hit in APT.  Since it’s late October release, the lightweight, but infectious “APT.” has been the #1 streamed song globally.  “APT.”, pronounced “apateu”- and meaning “apartment” in Korean, is a drinking game, often played by people in apartments in Korea. “APT.’s” chant bears more than a passing resemblance to Toni Basil’s “Mickey” from the 80’s.   

Trivia- Bruno Mars is a featured artist on both the #1 and #2 songs on the Spotify Global Streaming Charts, with “APT.” and “Die with a Smile”.

• Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Freedom of the Night (Dance)- Late October featured a showdown in the niche of Posh London Housewife Gay Icon Disco Divas with Social Media Profiles Showing their Mundane Family Lives.  In a close contest, Sophie’s classy, yet anthemic “Freedom of the Night” edged out Jessie Ware’s “Heaven in Your Arms”.  

• Rauw Alejandro & Bad Bunny, Qué Pasaría…. (Latin)- “Qué Pasaría….” debuted as the 8th most streamed song in the World this week, no surprise given that the reggaeton banger features Spotify’s most streamed artist from 2020 through 2023, Bad Bunny.  Rauw Alejandro is one of my crush, Rosalía's exes and well………he didn't deserve her anyway😉

• The Weeknd & Anitta, São Paulo (Latin/Baile Funk)- In “São Paulo”, The Weeknd teams with Brazil’s biggest popstar, Anitta to explore the brave new world of Brazilian "Baile Funk". As such, “São Paulo” has received tepid reviews from many of his traditional R&B fans.  However, the percussive staccato of Anitta’s treated vocal and the hardcore techno sound of “São Paulo” is already blasting out club sound systems.    

• Major Lazer & M.I.A., Where’s The Daddy? (Electronic/Rap)- For the uninitiated, Major Lazer is a seminal DJ collab, featuring Diplo and specializing in electronic/house adaptions of Caribbean music genres such as Jamaican Dancehall, Reggaeton and Soca.  The eccentrically creative, Sri Lankan M.I.A. joins ML on “Where’s The Daddy?”, a literal and figurative commentary on the absence of responsible male role models in modern families and society at large.

  M.I.A.’s “Where’s The Daddy?” lyric is undoubtedly influenced by both her unbringing, where she was raised in poverty while her absentee father was on the run from Sri Lankan authorities, being a Tamil separatist rebel leader, and her present, where she recently lost an ugly custody battle for her 14 year-old son with the father, Benjamin Bronfman, heir to the Seagram fortune.

Trivia- M.I.A. landed in hot water when she "flipped the bird" during her 2012 Super Bowl performance with Madonna. 

• Kendrick Lamar, Squabble Up (Rap)- As usual K-Dot dropped his 6th LP “GNX” on Nov 22, with zero advance notice or hype.  “GNX” is an homage to West Coast rap and less experimental than Kendrick’s last 3 LPs which have all been #1 globally.  With its authentic 90’s Oakland Hyphy Sound, 80's Debbie Deb sample and old school call-and-response break, “Squabble Up” will likely top the charts soon.  Watch out for “Squabble Up” when K-Dot headlines the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show.

• Tyler, the Creator, St. Chroma (Rap/R&B)- Tyler, the Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA has been the #1 LP since its late October release, with “St. Chroma” being in the streaming top 10.  The LP and “St. Chroma” in particular, are influenced by the 1961 children’s fantasy book “The Phantom Tollbooth”, in which the character Chroma conducts the color orchestra which creates the colors of the world.  By analogy, Tyler was inspired to rise from his black & white Hawthorne (LA suburb) upbringing by mentor Pharrell Williams, to explore the color of the larger creative world.

• Lola Young & Lil Yachty, Charlie (Alternative)- August Neuphoria winner Ms. Young is back with her boundary pushing new single “Charlie”.  Sounding a bit like “She’s Gone” by Hall & Oates if you were jacked up on codeine, “Charlie” has R&B, rock and jazz elements, excessive reverb/knob twisting and is topped off by a characteristically foggy rap by Lil Yachty.  Neuphorians, Meg, Tara, Paul H and I were lucky enough to see Lola preview “Charlie” live at the Fillmore last month.

• Cleo Sol, Fear When You Fly (R&B)- Brit Cleo Sol (Cleopatra Nikolic) was raised listening to R&B, Motown and Jazz by her Jamaican father and Serbian mother, both jazz musicians.  The deliciously timeless slow jam, “Fear When You Fly” reflects those influences and tells of overcoming troubles through faith.

• Celeste, This is Who I Am (R&B)- The 2019 BBC and BRIT New Artist of the Year, Celeste was chosen to write and sing the theme song to the newly released “Day of the Jackal” series, starring Eddie Redmayne as an assassin for hire, which like the 1973 movie, is based on the eponymous 1971 best seller.  As “This is Who I Am” progresses, it builds to an orchestral crescendo along with Celeste’s powerhouse wailing vocal.     

• Stromae & Pomme, Ma Meilleure Ennemie (World/Alternative)- Belgian electronic/rap star Stromae joins forces with French folk/pop star, Pomme for the lead song on the Soundtrack to the just released Season 2 of the critically-acclaimed steampunk TV series Arcane. "Ma Meilleure Ennemie", (My Best Enemy), entered the Global Spotify streaming charts at #7 this week.

Trivia- Stromae is the only primarily French singing performer to sell out Madison Square Garden, having done so several times.

• Magdalena Bay & Grimes, Image (Electronic/Alternative)- LA’s Magdalena Bay engaged Grimes to remix their single “Image” from their August 2024- which transformed the quirky electropop song to darkwave, with an irresistible gothic chorus. However, the current pressing question is whether Grimes (and her three kids, including one named “Techno Mechanicus”), will join her babydaddy, First Buddy-elect, Elon Musk at the $35 million Texas compound he is building so his multiple families can live together….

• Ethel Cain, Punish (Alternative)- Ethel Cain (Hayden Silas Anhedönia) is truly unique.  She is an autistic transgender Southern Baptist singer and sometimes runway model, who was featured on Neuphoria competitor, Barrack Obama’s 2022 playlist.  Critics have called “Punish” a “work of art”, with Cain’s haunting vocal singing lines like “Shame is sharp, and my skin gives so easy” which will hide in the cache of your subconcious.

• The Cure, Endsong (Alternative)- I am generally biased against releases by music artists past their prime- and frankly hadn’t found reason to pay attention to the Cure since 1989.  However, when I read the rave reviews to their new LP “Songs of a Lost World”, I decided to give it a listen- and was floored.  Full disclosure, I go back to the beginning of the Cure, wearing out the grooves of their 1st two LPs in 1979 and 1980 (only available on import) and seeing them live in small venues in the early 80’s.

Reportedly, “Songs of a Lost World” was inspired by Robert Smith’s shame from his broken promise to be present to comfort his ill brother at his death.  Therefore, it is no surprise that the LP is dark and includes no radio-friendly songs.  The last song on the LP, “Endsong” is no exception, having no vocal until the 6:20 mark- but the wait is worth it.  Based on its slowly building multi-layered atmosphere and Smith’s familiar plaintive voice singing “Wondering what became of that boy and the world he called his own.  Now I’m outside in the dark, wondering how I got so old…….It’s all gone”, many Reddit reviewers said they cried as the song/album ended.