Enfnts Terribles

1. Lorde — Solar Power

Fans of Lorde had to be patient because New Zealand’s superstar released her last album Melodrama four years ago. After touring the world and reviewing onion rings, the living icon took some steps back to perfect her brand-new music. And it was worth the wait.

“Solar Power” is surprisingly laidback and calm, which we don’t mind. The song definitely needs a few replays to grow on you but eventually becomes a very cute pop song that brings a lot of good vibes. Fun fact: the backing vocals on “Solar Power” were recorded by Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo.

2. Raissa — Free

If you’re a frequent reader of Enfnts Terribles, you’ve already heard about rising star Raissa. The 23-year-old singer conquered our little hearts during our interview earlier this year when she revealed that new music was on its way … she didn’t lie.

There’s such an amazing energy about Raissa’s music that can’t be explained. On her newest single “Free”, she immediately grabs our attention and holds it throughout the whole three minutes. The dark sounds and her angelic voice are a bright spot in the ever-evolving pop industry.

3. Aili x Transistorcake — Futsu

Aili is without any doubt one of the next stars in Belgian music. The young singer already scored a little hit with her first singles “Dansu” and “Pari Pari” and is now releasing her debut EP. Because the project only has songs that are already released, the new “Futsu” can be considered a new single.

“Futsu” is the cute last song on the EP. In less than three minutes, Aili tries to reach a climax by letting beats and basses flow through each other. The singer makes it a decent whole by singing in Japanese, the icing on the cake for a very promising debut EP. Keep an eye on Aili next summer because she’ll be turning up the heat.

4. Tkay Maidza — Cashmere

It’s always interesting to see artists show different sides of their artistry and Tkay Maidza is definitely a versatile artist. The Zimbabwean-born artist released her debut album Tkay in 2016 but has reinvented herself with every new project. On her newest music, she’s casually slowing it down and proves that she’s far from being a one-trick pony.

“Cashmere” really feels as soft as cashmere with its sultry melodies and the amazing chorus. Instead of pouring her heart and soul into fierce rap-verses, Tkay highlights another side of her music by singing like a true goddess.

5. Red Moon — Thirsty

Whenever you listen to a song by Red Moon, you can’t help but get chills all over your body. The Norwegian-Swiss artist sees music as her ideal way of reflecting her emotions and makes the most inspiring, timeless songs you’ll hear today.

Her newest offering “Thirsty” is a beautiful ode to queer expression and the human connection. Translated into a mesmerizing music video, this song is another timeless track of the talented artist. The dreaminess and rawness are the perfect counterweights to her brilliant songwriting, which makes “Thirty” another highlight in her discography.

6. Eefje de Visser — Cybele

After the release of her newest album Bitterzoet, Eefje de Visser had to postpone her tour several times. Now that the situation is looking better, there’s another reason why she can’t tour; she’s is pregnant. Before she births her first child and her new project, Eefje tried something completely new: the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague asked her to compose a song based on a painting in their collection, with “Cybele” as result.

On the track, Eefje describes the painting but does that in her own poetic way. Guided by mysterious synths and dark electronica, the Dutch singer tries to take you into the artwork. She created an oasis of peace while we become a lot more curious about what the painting is actually about. We’re already planning our trip to The Hague thanks to Eefje de Visser!

7. Crystal Murray — BOSS

The Paris-based songstress Crystal Murray has been on our radar for quite some time now and hasn’t been disappointing with anything she has put out so far. While she had to postpone her tour, she worked on new music, and we can confirm: she never sounded more confident.

It won’t come as a surprise, but on “BOSS”, Murray just confirms what we already knew for a while; she’s a real boss! The jazzy and slightly abstract sounds in the instrumental give the whole song an interesting twist. Crystal Murray is the CEO of neo-soul. Periodt.

8. LZI FT and Wrist Boi — Pegasus

LZI FT is a recent discovery of Enfnts Terribles and keeps himself busy by dropping one track after the other. Just a couple of weeks ago, he unveiled his newest mixtape ALTERNATE DIMENSION, and continues his streak of new music with the incredibly cool “Pegasus”.

Together with his friend Wrist Boi, LZI nails every single mark on his new track. “Pegasus” is building a bridge between hyper pop and hip hop, something that works too well to stay underrated like this. We only got one thing to say: add this song to your playlist and hit the repeat button over and over again!

9. Pongo — Bruxos

Last year, Pongo was close to her big breakthrough, but thanks to the worldwide pandemic, she never really got the chance to perform. That’s especially sad because the music the Angolan-Portuguese singer makes is perfect for the dancefloor. With finally some light at the end of the tunnel, she now releases the new “Bruxos”, the perfect single to celebrate in a dark club.

The song starts with hard beats and a lot of exotic sounds. Pongo herself shouts all sorts of things in between, sending the tempo through the roof. The ideal single to play at festivals next summer, as the singer will undoubtedly make large crowds dance like it’s nothing.

10. Raye — Call On Me

Without even having an album out, Raye belongs to Britain’s most popular pop singers with over a billion streams on Spotify alone. The singer has been collaborating with legends like David Guetta, Charli XCX, and Major Lazer but has released some serious bops on her own too.

Before she’ll finally grace us with her debut album, Raye decided to share the summer anthem “Call On Me”. The infectious pop song has probably the most catchy chorus of this whole selection and just provides you with the best possible energy you could wish for. Let’s go, Raye, give us that album!

Co-written by Lucas Palmans