The Monthly Music Edit: November
With music dropping around the clock, the cycle of releases never stops. That’s why each month, we scan scenes across the globe to spotlight essential new finds from fresh voices and emerging artists in our monthly music edit.
For our inaugural edit, discover new music from Buenos Aires to Bankstown, with a selection featuring Lakna, ABRILA, AFTR PARTY and more.
‘Glaçon’ by Lakna
A rising voice from Switzerland, Lakna peels back layers of her own story and identity with honesty and humour on her new album ‘Kiwi avec la peau’. Drawing on R&B, dancehall and Afro-influenced sounds, all with a pop edge, the Swiss-Burkinabe artist introduces ‘Glaçon’ early in the record. The track begins with an arpeggiated sequence of vocal chops, backed by a light pad, before the drums and Lakna’s lead vocals enter together on the chorus. Beneath its catchy hook, ‘Glaçon’ dissects the anatomy of a frozen heart, exploring themes of emotional repression, childhood memories and vulnerability.
‘FESTEK’ by $AVAGE
Egyptian rapper $AVAGE wastes no time establishing a frenetic burst of energy on his latest single 'FESTEK'. Just over two minutes long, the trap track pairs a heavy, distorted bassline with an interplay of ad-libs and echoing word repetitions. $AVAGE’s delivery plays with subtle shifts in pitch and timbre alongside fast, punchy passages and emphasised, drawn-out syllables, while his bars project unrestrained bravado as he fires off boasts with the same force that drives the production. Tightly constructed around a seamless loop, the song makes for an effortless repeat listen.
‘Take A Video’ by Olivia C. Dacal
‘Take A Video’ sees the Australian artist capture the feeling of a late-night drive, steeped in nostalgia. From producing in her bedroom to becoming a student at Berklee, Dacal has steadily built anticipation for the track over the past few months, ahead of its release as part of her upcoming EP. The cinematic alt-pop song unfolds through bleary-eyed soundscapes, which she bedazzles with her signature retro-futurism and layers of reverb-drenched instrumentation and singing. Her smooth, soulful vocals – recalling the sound of Lana Del Rey's earlier records – carry a carefree quality that adds to the track’s laid-back atmosphere, a mood she further encapsulates in the accompanying music video.
‘LÀ GÌ’ by AFTR PARTY
The singer leans into the darker side of his R&B sound with ‘LÀ Gì’, a track oozing with passion and sensuality. With its deep, prominent low-end, the single's visceral production creates both a seductive atmosphere and a driving rhythm. AFTR PARTY’s clear, controlled vocals, which occasionally soar into his higher register, are punctuated by slick runs. By leading with a Vietnamese chorus before shifting into an English verse, the Bankstown artist proudly champions his Southeast Asian background.
‘bet’ by Feux
Coming through with his front-to-back electronic record ‘ANEMOIA*’, Feux delivers a standout moment with ‘bet’, the closing track on the album. The song briefly slows down before the chorus drops into the dancefloor-ready refrain: “Samedi, je dance, tu dance, on dance, ensemble.” The electronic production lifts the chorus into a moment of euphoria you wish could be frozen in time, contrasting with lyrics about dancing through pain and longing. A London native from Camden, Feux taps into his British-Belgian background for his songwriting, moving between English and French throughout his tracks.
‘stumm’ by kid kapri
‘stumm’ becomes kid kapri’s take on the lingering 3AM thoughts after a romance falls apart. The German rapper delivers his verses in a calm, restrained manner, while the nostalgic, almost melancholic lyrics convey the heartache of a relationship that did not work out. Taken from his EP ‘Kleine Dinge’, the song’s dreamy hip-hop production balances a fast, tightly programmed drum loop with a soft piano melody and a subtle underlying bassline, reinforcing the track’s introspective core.
‘Lucía’ by Korashe and Kfé
A slow-burner with a sudden ignition. Released shortly ahead of their joint album ‘DARKETONA’ – a non-linear blend of pop, neoperreo, and distorted electronic styles – Spanish artists Korashe and Kfé display their hyper-experimental musical language on ‘Lucía’. The track features Korashe’s angelic voice floating over clear, atmospheric synth chords before splintering into an avalanche of sound halfway through. Kfé drives the track forward with isolated impact hits and muffled sub-kicks reminiscent of a heartbeat. Dedicated to her mother, Korashe centres the track on unconditional support and recognising herself in her mother’s eyes.
‘ATLAS’ by ELIAS
‘ATLAS’ maps out ELIAS’s world, bringing together the various influences that shaped his upbringing. Having developed his own take on raï music, the French-Algerian artist’s latest release melodically propels him further into pop territory. Yet the two worlds he grew up with remain intertwined, with North African sounds framing the intro and outro on ‘ATLAS’. Rich in cross-cultural references, his songwriting speaks of defiance, self-belief and a deep connection to his Algerian roots. With a compass that seems to point in several directions, ELIAS fluidly jumps between English, French and Algerian Darija.
‘Otro Código’ (feat. Hoods) by ABRILA
Bariloche-born and raised artist ABRILA, who later relocated to the Argentinian capital to develop her career, is known for her R&B, pop and hip-hop influences. On her latest single ‘Otro Código’, featuring fellow Argentinian Hoods who sat behind the production and piano, she firmly leans into the latter terrain. A synth lead and autotuned vocal chops in the intro pave the way for the stripped-back alternative trap arrangement based around a staccato 808 and skittering hi-hats, leaving plenty of room for her vocals as ABRILA drops bars about rising from dark times with an effortless, stoic delivery.
‘DJSTAR’ (feat. SAGA BOUY) by REHMA
On ‘DJSTAR’ – an electronic and pop-rap crossover fuelled by flirtation and the thrill of surrendering to the moment – the Pakistani-American singer teams up with former BROCKHAMPTON member Jabari Manwa, who goes by the stage name SAGA BOUY. The Grenada-born artist and co-producer features on the second verse with a melodic rap flow, while REHMA’s singing colours the track with her pop-R&B sensibility. The high-octane release takes on a funk-tinged feel through a sample of Aura’s ‘Yesterday’s Love’, anchored by a bold 808 and the artists’ own spliced vocals.
