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For artists who write from lived experience, some songs exist simply to document a moment rather than resolve it. “Temporary Tragedy” does exactly that. Instead of offering answers or framing the story as growth, the song stays inside the period after a breakup where nothing feels settled and emotions remain unresolved.
NYC-based bedroom pop/rock singer-songwriter ROREY released “Temporary Tragedy” alongside a music video, marking her first release of the year. The track focuses on the internal impact of staying in a relationship that was emotionally uneven, where one person continued investing while the other had already disengaged.
Lyrically, the song avoids blame and instead centers on the effects of emotional waiting. Lines like “I’m losing sleep / I can’t breathe / And I can’t eat / And I’m losing me” reflect the physical and mental toll of remaining attached to someone who cannot meet the same level of commitment. The narrative is less about heartbreak itself and more about the slow process of losing parts of yourself in the attempt to keep something alive.
Musically, “Temporary Tragedy” sits within bedroom pop and alternative pop, built around layered guitars, strings, and a restrained vocal delivery. The production supports the theme of repetition and rumination, mirroring the mental loops that often follow emotional loss.
The music video expands on these ideas using a red string board as a central visual. The imagery represents the pattern of replaying memories and searching for meaning after a relationship ends. While the story is rooted in ROREY’s first queer relationship, the structure of the song and video keeps the perspective open, allowing it to reflect broader experiences of emotional imbalance.
“Temporary Tragedy” fits naturally within Spotify spaces such as Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Pop, Indie Pop, Bedroom Pop, Alt Pop, Pop Rising, and sad hour, appealing to listeners who gravitate toward personal narratives without resolution.
For artists who live in a constant state of reflection, inspiration often arrives in unexpected ways. For indie-pop singer-songwriter Mindy Gledhill, a chance discovery of a decommissioned phone booth in an antique shop sparked one of the most transformative chapters of her career — leading to her conceptual Phone Booth Sessions project and now a new era of colorful, emotionally honest pop.
Originally known for her delicate folk sound and spiritually rooted songwriting, Gledhill built a loyal following with early releases like Anchor and fan-favorite tracks such as “I Do Adore.” Over time, her music evolved into something more inward and personal, especially as she began questioning the faith and identity she was raised in.
That process came fully into focus with Rabbit Hole in 2019, where Gledhill confronted her shifting beliefs head-on. From there, The Phone Booth Sessions Vol. 1 in 2024 introduced a striking concept: songs written as conversations between her adult self and the girl she used to be — raw, compassionate, and deeply reflective.
Now, as she prepares for The Phone Booth Sessions Vol. 2 in early 2026, Gledhill is stepping into a brighter, more pop-forward lane with her latest single “Paint Your Lips Red.”
The track feels like a subtle reinvention. Sonically, it’s more vibrant and playful than much of her earlier work, blending glossy pop textures with her signature emotional intimacy. Lyrically, it leans into themes of self-expression, reclamation, and quiet confidence — a kind of anthem for choosing yourself without apology.
It’s refreshing, modern pop, but still unmistakably Mindy: thoughtful, warm, and quietly powerful. The song feels less like a departure and more like an artist finally comfortable coloring outside the lines she once lived within.
With a new album on the horizon and a growing catalog that bridges folk roots with contemporary pop, Mindy Gledhill continues to prove that evolution doesn’t mean losing yourself — sometimes it simply means finding new ways to show up as who you really are. “Paint Your Lips Red” feels like a strong fit for Spotify playlists such as Fresh Finds Pop, Indie Pop, Pop Rising, Women of Pop, and Feel-Good Pop, and should resonate with listeners who gravitate toward artists like Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Kacey Musgraves, Colbie Caillat, Birdy, and early indie-pop era Taylor Swift.
Welsh soul artist SJ Hill steps into his most vulnerable and cinematic chapter yet with his new single “Spell On Me,” a powerful release that captures the emotional chaos of loving someone who both saves and destroys you at the same time. The track feels like a confession set to music — dramatic, intimate, and driven by a voice that sounds like it’s carrying the weight of every word.
After gaining momentum with his previous single “Tonight,” which racked up over 1.4 million Instagram views and more than 40,000 streams, Hill continues to carve out his space as one of the most emotionally compelling emerging voices in UK soul and pop. From Cardiff stages to international attention, his journey has included major milestones such as appearances on BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Radio Wales A-List, and Spotify’s Fresh Finds, as well as live performances at venues like Wembley Arena and the O2 Academy London. He’s also no stranger to mainstream audiences, having reached X Factor bootcamp in 2017, won an episode of ITV’s Romeo & Duet, and made the semi-finals of LLIAS – The Welsh Voice. Most recently, his growing reputation saw him performing for high-profile guests including John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and Chris Martin at a New Year’s Eve event in the Maldives.
“‘Spell On Me’ is a song that I hope a lot of people can relate to,” says SJ Hill. “It’s about the type of relationship when you know someone is bad for you, but you keep coming back because they lift you up and break you down in equal measure.”
Co-written with long-time collaborator Tommy John, the song explores emotional contradiction and dependency — the kind of connection that feels intoxicating even when it’s clearly unhealthy. Lyrically, Hill leans into themes of obsession, emotional addiction, and the strange comfort found in chaos, portraying love as something that can feel both like medicine and poison. The result is a track that feels deeply human, balancing tenderness with tension, and vulnerability with restraint.
Sonically, “Spell On Me” blends modern soul with pop sensibility, anchored by hypnotic melodies and a vocal performance that feels both fragile and commanding. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t just tell a story, but pulls the listener directly into the emotional experience itself. Fans of artists like Hozier, Rag’n’Bone Man, Lewis Capaldi, Dermot Kennedy, Sam Smith, and The Weeknd will recognize the same emotional intensity and cinematic depth that defines the best of contemporary soul-pop.
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I’ve been following Avery Cochrane for a while now. The first track that caught my attention was “Shapeshifting on a Saturday Night,” a song that keeps finding its way back into rotation. From the start, it was clear Avery has a handle on turning personal moments into pop songs that stay with you. So when a new release arrived, it already had my attention.
Her latest single, “Griever,” focuses on what happens after an unexpected encounter with someone from your past. Not the moment itself, but the days that follow. The thoughts that show up later. The things you replay. The realization that some feelings never left. The song lives in that space, where memory and reaction keep looping.
“Griever” opens with layered vocals and piano, with no beat at first, letting the words sit on their own. There’s a sense of drama in the structure that recalls the pop instincts of Charli xcx, especially in how the song builds tension before releasing it. When the beat comes in, the track shifts into motion, pairing movement with lyrics that stay focused on the spiral underneath.
The writing is where the song locks in. Avery uses rhyme chains that keep the listener pulled forward: “fingers” into “wringer” into “restaurant singer,” “leader” into “believer” into “10 years weaker,” “feature” into “theater” into “griever.” The repetition and structure mirror how thoughts circle after the fact, revisiting the same ideas from different angles.
Specific lines carry much of the weight. “3 years gone, but I’m 10 years weaker” and “You turned a short film to a full-length feature” capture how memory stretches moments beyond their original scale. There’s also humor threaded through the song, grounding it in real experience rather than letting it drift into distance. Lines like “I even got fired as the restaurant singer” and “She’s taking pictures in my swimsuit / That’s cute” keep the perspective intact.
From a listening standpoint, “Griever” fits well alongside current pop discovery and alt-pop playlists on Spotify, including New Music Friday, Indie Pop, Pop Rising, Alt Pop, Bedroom Pop, and Sad Girl Starter Pack, where songwriting and structure drive repeat listens.
“Griever” feels like a song built for replay, not because it asks for attention, but because it reflects a process many people recognize. Avery Cochrane continues to build a catalog that documents those moments clearly, one song at a time.
Momentum continues to build for Keni Titus, who returns with “hands to myself,” a quietly magnetic alt-pop track that leans into curiosity, temptation, and the soft ache of wondering what else might be out there. Released via ADA, the song arrives alongside a new music video and marks the third release from her upcoming debut album AngelPink, due February 6, 2026.
Co-written with Will Taylor of Hovvdy, “hands to myself” thrives in restraint. It doesn’t rush the moment—instead, it lingers in the in-between space where longing, self-control, and imagination overlap. Sonically subtle and emotionally precise, the track reflects the album’s broader theme of duality: staying grounded while quietly questioning what you may have taken for granted.
Keni describes AngelPink as a process of losing herself and finding her way back—not to another person, but inward. Written in the aftermath of a breakup and a close friendship ending, the album documents isolation, healing, and rediscovering joy in creation. “Making art is supposed to be fun,” she says. “Not perfect—but fun.” That philosophy runs through “hands to myself,” which feels honest, unguarded, and gently self-aware.
Lyrically, the song circles the familiar “grass is greener” pull, capturing discovery and longing without judgment. It’s reflective rather than dramatic, letting small observations do the emotional work. That intimacy makes it a natural fit for Spotify playlists that favor nuance and atmosphere, including New Music Friday, Indie Pop, Alt Pop, Bedroom Pop, Sad Girl Starter Pack, Chill Pop, and late-night discovery playlists driven by introspective storytelling.
The release comes as Keni prepares to headline sold-out shows in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, signaling a clear step forward as she approaches her debut album era. With “hands to myself,” Keni Titus continues to shape AngelPink into a diary of becoming—documenting who we were, who we’re shedding, and who we’re learning to hold a little more gently.
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