September 2025
Hiya Neuphorians!
With the advent in 2025 of Italian Brainrot, the Zombieboy Dance, and Bunna Summa, Neuphorians could be excused for thinking that social media music had reached its trendpocalypse. But that didn’t anticipate late August’s appearance of the mysterious 70’s styled, absurdly gap-toothed, yet hunky Mr. Fantasy.
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Already accumulating over 20 million TikTok views and reaching #1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart, Mr. Fantasy, who is featured on September’s playlist, is evidence that the music oddballverse continues.
You will also notice that the Neuphoria site has a new look.
New features include:
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Each song now has its own Spotify widget with the accompanying thumbnail/text- so now you can read and listen to a 15 second snip of the song, simultaneously without toggling.
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The song links also have “like” and “dislike” buttons to facilitate quick voting, if you’d prefer not to also leave comments.
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Improved graphics and design
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If you wish to vote on the September Playlist, please submit your votes by EOD Sunday, October 5 PT (Monday October 6 for the Europeans and Aussies).
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Happy listening!
Olivia Dean, Man I Need (R&B/Pop)- Making her 3rd appearance in the last 4 playlists, Ms. Dean is clearly a Neuphoria fave- and with “Man I Need” being #1 in the UK, she is also a darling of the Brits (and a BRIT School grad). “Man I Need” gracefully mixes tinges of R&B, yacht rock and gospel- effortlessly catchy.
New feature
Beéle, top diesel (Latin)- The 22 year-old Beéle is currently Colombia’s “It Boy”, with 3
songs in their top 10 (including “top diesel” at #1) and his debut LP, “BORONDO” at #1. The distinct Afrobeats sound of “top diesel” is no mistake as Beéle was inspired to take up songwriting by discovering Nigerian Afrobeats star, Davido.
Mr. Fantasy, Mr. Fantasy (Pop/Euro Disco)- The account @iamtherealmrfantasy first
appeared on TikTok and Instagram in late August with mysterious posts of a cavemanly hunky, 70’s styled and absurdly gap-toothed content creator named, “Mr. Fantasy”.
Already accumulating over 20 million TikTok views and reaching #1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Chart, the moptopped Mr. Fantasy has recently been outed as being an alter ego of New Zealand’s KJ Apa of Riverdale fame.
Sabrina Carpenter, Tears (Pop)- Unsurprisingly, the most recent single from ‘Brina’s hit August 29 LP, “Tears” debuted in the Global Top 5. “Tears” is a satirical commentary on the low expectations for modern men as Brina’s mate merely assembling IKEA furniture acts as an aphrodisiac for Ms. Carpenter.
Tears Trivia- Neuphorian Sarah told me of a friend who was responsible for an important corporate all hands call recently- and delegated selecting the opening hold music to an intern.
Sarah’s friend was alarmed to hear Sabrina singing the explicit“Tears run down my thighs” as hundreds of listeners on hold waited for the CEO to start the call….
RAYE, WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! (R&B)- The 2024 Song of the Year and Artist of the Year BRIT award winner Raye’s September 19 single “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” debuted at #5 in the UK.
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The song continues the theme of cheeky courtship commentary, with Raye wondering “What is taking him so long to find me?” against blasting horns and an Aughts beat reminiscent of Beyonce’s debut “Dangerously in Love” LP.
aespa, Rich Man (K-Pop)- Debuting at #1 in South Korea, “Rich Man” sees aespa flexing their girlboss bona fides, replying to their mom’s prompting to find an affluent mate: “Mom, I already have everything, I am a Rich Man!”
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According to Wikipedia, aespa’s name “combines the English initials for “avatar” and “experience” with the word “aspect” to symbolize the idea of meeting another self and experiencing the new world”……….........
Nia Archives & CLIPZ, Maia Maia (House/Brazilian)- “Maia Maia” is the logical evolution from Ms. Archives brilliant 2022 “Baianá”, which was a favorite soundtrack to hipster commercials. Teaming with fellow British DJ CLIPZ (aka Redlight), Nia demonstrates her encyclopedic knowledge of club music genres my mixing UK jungle. beats with Brazilian rhythms to create a dizzying Carnaval banger.
Guedra Guedra, Calling Out (World)- Morrocan DJ Guedra Guedra’s late August LP “Mutant”, which mixes Detroit House sensibilities with Saharan desert-scape sounds, has received rave reviews. “Mutant” was described by PopMatters as a “scintillating work from an artist deeply invested in every sound he touches”, including “folkloric musical practices of groups that are underrepresented and marginalized in the mainstream.”
Lola Young, Penny Out of Nothing (Alternative)- Former Neuphoria winner, Ms.Young released her 4 th LP last Friday. “Penny Out of Nothing” sees Lola attempting to reclaim a semblance of control over others despite her usual chaotic, yet vulnerable self; this against a unique Dorian minor jazz chord progression.
While Lola’s recent spell in rehab has drawn public comparisons to fellow BRIT school grad, Amy Winehouse, Lola’s candor about her recovery in “Not Like That Anymore” shows promise of a happier ending. However, there is concern about her on-stage collapse in NYC this week.
Blood Orange, Mind Loaded (feat. Caroline Polachek, Lorde & Mustafa)
(Alternative)- The dreamlike “Mind Loaded” features delicate harmonies from Blood Orange’s (Dev Hynes’) all-star collaborators and is the most streamed song from Blood Orange’s critically acclaimed recent LP “Essex Honey”. Music Talkers said “Mind Loaded feels free, but the freedom here is in the form- or lack of it. It’s as if the song doesn’t care whether or not you’re listening. It simply exists for itself.”​​
Justin Bieber, Witchya (Pop/R&B)- By releasing the completely new LP “Swag II” in September, just after “Swag”, Biebs prompts the timeless question “Can you have too much of a good thing?” While “Swag II” has faced some criticism that Justin is pandering to the streaming platforms by releasing 44 songs in 6 weeks, I believe that “Swag II” has the same high quality as “Swag” which was called “a masterpiece” by the snobby New Yorker magazine.
“Witchya” is likely the most traditional Biebs crooner from the Swag catalog, but still bears the vanguard negative space production of Dijon,mk.gee and gang.
Kali Uchis & Ravyn Lenae, Cry about it! (Pop/Latin)- Kali continues with her dreamy doo-wop sound with September’s “Cry about it!”, which was introduced live on The Tonight Show. Teaming with Ravyn Lenae, who is fresh from her global #2 smash “Love Me Not”, “Cry about it!” contrasts Uchi’s smooth vocal with Lenae’s distinct falsetto- “and it’s instantly magical” per Music Talkers.
Saint Motel, Wait & See (Alternative)- LA’s Saint Motel veer toward dream-pop with the sweepingly orchestrated September single “Wait & See” which features a Moonage Daydream-esque chorus. Neuphorian Eoin and I observed a distinct Vegas showman vibe (in a good way) from SM’s frontman A.J. Jackson when seeing them live in 2024.
Ladytron, I Believe in You (Alternative)- Seminal Liverpool Electroclash band, Ladytron make a welcome return with September’s “I Believe in You”. Featuring Helen Marnie’s distinctive coolly detached vocal, “I Believe in You” is hypnotic, yet dancefloor- ready, building slowly to a multi-layered summit. Thanks to Neuphorian Paddybear for suggesting “I Believe in You”.
Twenty one pilots (“21p”), City Walls (Rock)- 21p’s September LP “Breach” is the #1 LP on Billboard’s charts and continues 21p’s circuitous 8 LP chronicle of protagonist Clancy batting to escape the dystopian city Dema and its nine Bishops- supposedly representing singer Tyler Joseph’s battles with doubt and mental health. The Christian-adjacent Ohio rockers sing, rap and riff their hearts out with the maximalist “City Walls”.
Royel Otis, come on home (Alternative)- 20-something Aussies Royel Otis released their 2 nd LP, “Hickey” in late August, featuring the pre-released single “Moody” which climbed to #1 in Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart in July. “come on home” is a sleeper from the LP with singer Otis Pavlovic alternating between “it’s not over” and “it’s all over” to reflect the volatility of post-breakup denial- which belies the song’s breezy sound.
Fine, Portal (Alternative)- Copenhagen is having a moment, spawning talented new female alternative artists ML Buch, Smerz, Erika de Casier, Astrid Sonne and Fine Glindvad Jensen (“Fine”). Stereogum says “Portal” “lingers, casting a spell with its restraint….The reverb on her voice and the sparseness of the melody make the track feel both intimate and otherworldly”
Stereogum ventured that “Fine” likely has a different connotation in Danish- and that Fine’s parents weren’t naming their child “Just OK”
