Kicking off our Wonderlist this week is Young T and Bugsey. Propelling to fame after their single “Don’t Rush” made waves in the TikTok trend business, the track was inescapable as it played over millions of glow-up challenges. Dropping their fifteen track highly anticipated mixtape “Truth Be Told” today, the duo stay true to their sound and continue to develop their lyricism and prowess. Showcasing beach-side afrobeats in track “Nice” featuring Blxst, the pair prove they are a force to be reckoned with as they climb the ranks of their craft.

Prepping us well and truly for the weekend is Sigala, with the playful club-worthy anthem, “Melody”. True to its namesake, the track is interspersed with an unshakeable melody, which lends itself to Sigala’s well known elevated sound. The chorus gives all the arm-raising energy required to kick-start a pre-drink party, and therefore earns a spot in our Wonderlist as well as our personal playlists.

If beat-heavy tunes and chart-climbers won’t satisfy your Friday night me-time, Deaf Havana have gifted their fans with a treat for the eyes as well as the eardrums today with the drop of “Going Clear”. Hacked from their sixth studio album The Present Is A Foreign Land, the track is a masterpiece filled with overpowering base and drums that trigger goosebumps all over. When speaking of the track release, band member James explains its “A song I started writing a long time ago but it wasn’t until recently that I really realised it’s a sone purely about addiction and the effect it has on loved ones and family members.” Deaf Havana’s new album is due for release on the 15th of July, and we will be clutching onto our tissues and speakers until then.

Gently ushering us into a dreamscape soundscape this week is Shaé Universe with her intimate new single “Pushin”. Boasting an effortless flow and natural groove, it’s no wonder the artist tells us the track “was written with ease”. Elaborating further, Shaé explains “It flowed so naturally because it was a subconscious premonition of certain relationships that would come to an end in my life.” Aside from the track, it is Shaé’s unapologetic attitude we will be carrying with us for the rest of the year.

Hailing from the outskirts of Toronto, Nemahsis plunges back into our playlists with “Dollar Signs”, her third single since garnering a rapid 600K following on TikTok. Reflecting on her personal struggles when met with adversity, the accompanying music video, directed by Crowns & Owls, portrays the singer’s struggles in a subtle yet poignant way – all taken in one singular expanding shot. The track itself gives way to the weight of expectation, with a raw and uncensored guitar ballad trickling into Nemahsis’ innocent and soul-touching vocals.

Coming in hot this new music Friday was Internet Money with another instalment of their snapping cadence with single “Flossin”. Layering glistening piano chords over crisp handclaps, the track makes for the perfect stage upon which the artist can reel their clean bars. Partnering with YoungBoy NBA, the single delves into the experienced downfalls of reaching stardom, lamenting on their new-found ability to tell who they can and cannot trust with their friendship. Though deep in narrative, the track itself is a stellar display of Internet Money’s infectious tune-crafting, posing the perfect example of what’s to come for their imminent album release.

It appears turning the personal struggles of being alone in the limelight into catching tracks is somewhat of a trend. Often frequenting themes of mental health battles within his music, emo trap crooner Iannn Dior has released “Thought It Was”, a single from his deluxe album, On To Better Things featuring Travis Barker and Machine Gun Kelly. Following his rapid shot to fame, the 22-year-old Puerto-Rico born rapper puts his reflective mind to the track “Thought It Was”, which touchingly narratives Iann’s psyche through his soft flat-line style vocals. Both Travis Barker and Machine Gun Kelly prove themselves a melodic match to the artist, offering a welcomed shift in tone through their vocal shifts and rhythm. BRB, going to go cry into our pillow.

Giving us all the vibes to never settle for anything less than what we deserve, Debbie has spun J Hus’ “Did You See” into a heart-string snapping tune of pure soul and body.
Dropping last night, the single sees Debbie’s vocals soar across a triumphant choir, as she details the perils of modern-day love. If there was one song we could go back and play to our younger selves, this would be our first at hand.

With the January blues having every artist wearing their broken hearts on their sleeve, Asher Knight joins the club with the intensely vulnerable yet uplifting track, “Survive”. With a cataclysmic drop at its chorus, the fast-rising Bradford-born artist is as satisfying as is relatable. Like the tracks of classic heartbreak movies, Asher seamlessly uses his unmatched ear for catching hooks and empowering beats to move his audience — even without an invested backstory. Holding nothing back, we can’t wait to see where Asher’s versatility will lead him to next.

Pulling through with a final dosage of empathetic narratives, House of El release his mixtape, “BOOK OF EL” — a total encapsulation of the Northampton-based artist’s sophisticated penmanship and penchant for creating versatile soundscapes. Played all the way through, “BOOK OF EL” is a true testament to the multiple flavours that make up the sound of House of El. In the groove-laced track “Push On”, House of El’s delicate falsetto meshes perfectly with the melodic jazz and breezy backing tune that infuses the track. The soulful symphonies are exactly what we needed to hear to end the week right, and start the next one better.

Finally, ending our Wonderlist with a track as infectious as it is flirtatious, Amanda Reifer comes through with her new hip-swaying single, “Bag”. The release of the hit comes with the announcement that the Bajan singer and songwriter has officially signed with Republic Records. Filled with stylised groove, “Bag” is an irresistible mix of base-heavy hip-hop and loop-worthy pop, which commands aux-lead privileges from the off. In the accompanying visual which sees the artist in her element, even Amanda herself cannot resist the pull of the head-nodding hooks. Paired with her new management and her flourishing skill, Amanda Reifer has us all officially under her spell.