2025 is almost halfway over, can you believe it? Hope it’s been treating you well! To celebrate this halfway point, here are 5 tracks you may have missed.
Piper Connolly – welcome back girl (hi 5 remix)
This hi 5 remix of Piper Connolly’s ‘welcome back girl’ is from an EP of remixed songs by Piper Connolly called GLITCHGIRL.EXE (Remix). This is a complete evolution of the original track, the punchy pop-rock power vocals meshed with dark EDM influences. It steps up the vocal production to make them full, and they have an electric twang at times, but let a lot of emotion through. Additionally, the way the sound builds prepares great drops, and then flows down in energy to allow for multiple moments of powerful pickups. Lyrically, it seems to come from the perspective of a girl who was mistreated. Instead of sitting back and taking this treatment, she fights back.
Attaboy – Lost in Time
‘Lost in Time’ is part of an EP called “Can’t Stop Now.” It has a sound that sounds like a mix of video game music and a video game sound with a bass drive that’s 80s-inspired. This track builds up an electronic soundspace that drives forward at a moderate pace but holds back enough for a sense of introspection. The vocals are produced well to the electronic sound, and the use of filtering keeps them dynamic throughout. There’s something warm about it that’s perfect for the summer season. Also, the lyrics fit the sound well. It builds on the title to tell the story of a warm night in summer that feels like paradise in a moment captured in a feeling of near perfection.
Gabrielle Manna – Typecast
‘Typecast’ features a dark, buzzy bass with deeper guitar playing and vocals taking the forefront with emotionally diverse theatrical vocals. The held-back tempo that ushers the song in leaves room for introspection and thought. It also gives space for well-held vocal notes to ring out in fullness. In a lot of tracks, smooth vocal production clashes with buzzier instrumentation. That being said, this track blends the two well with crisp production. It has an alternative pop sound that rests in the range of pop idol greatness. Lyrically, it uses the idea of being typecast in a play or film as a metaphor for being a people pleaser. It’s about acting and being a certain way just to fit a view from others.
Little Minutes – My Jealousy
‘My Jealousy’ is a pop-rock track with unique instrumentation that throws back to sci-fi horror films at the start. The vocals seem to fit an infectious trill, and the atmospheric opening is cut in with buzzy and powerful bass. The vocals hit a bright buzz, but there’s an emotional pull that shines especially through the end of vocal lines. This track does great at introducing and pulling back different elements at the right time to create a catchy but dynamic flow. Lyrically, it comes from the perspective of a celebrity who is jealous of another. It comes from the eyes of a narrator who wants what someone else has and isn’t afraid to do what it takes to get it.
Nicole Obarzanek – Toxic
‘Toxic’ is a pop track that can be described best as vibey. There’s an optimistic bounce built with a clap-centric percussion and bright synths that rest softly above the rest of the music. The vocals in this track are definitely the highlight. Their production is a bit electronic, but it allows them to truly shine. The verses have this smooth, gorgeous flow, and the chorus brightens them up to add a bit more of a punchiness. Additionally, they have a really catchy rhythmic flow that evolves throughout the track. Lyrically, it tells the narrative from the perspective of someone who’s tired of another’s gossip and toxicity. As a song, it feels like a coming-of-age film.
Written by Sage Plapp
Cover image by Ann H
