Enfnts Terribles

1. Patches — Push Me

A few weeks ago, Patches blew us away with her cover of Sade’s “Pearls” and simultaneously promised us that new music was coming. Together with her musical soulmate Aram Santy, she worked on her debut album, of which “Push Me” is the first single, showing her in her environment. With incredible ease, she puts her sensuality center stage, sketching her own universe in which we will lose ourselves more often in the coming months. A stellar single by the Belgian talents that perfectly introduces Patches’ first album.

2. Orbit — Follow Don’t Follow

A few weeks ago, Orbit released the first single from his next project, and with his new single, “Follow Don’t Follow”, the German multi-instrumentalist continues that musical trend. By now, his melancholic soundscapes are his trademark and are further intensified in this new pitch. The emotional charge and the cross between a certain joie de vivre and a heartwarming tristesse leave another irrevocable impression on us. This is music for night walks through the rain on the way back from a party while simultaneously being the ideal soundtrack for a sun-drenched day in a park. Brilliant.

3. Jess need strong boy — Lustsaft

New Belgian duo Jess need strong boy want to use their project to get rid of the shame surrounding sexuality, and they more than succeeded with their debut single “Lustsaft”. The German lyrics are explicit and don’t shy away from taboos because those are meant to be broken. Add to this a haunting electronic production full of dark beats and sounds, and you have a song that immediately scores some points with us.

4. Jessica Bouhez — Love Of My Life

Jessica Bouhez’s greatest asset on “Love Of My Life” is, by far, her wonderfully husky voice, with which she adds a huge layer to every song she sings and sings it effortlessly. The first stanza starts with a subdued production, which then breaks open thanks to catchy trap beats with a lot of nice effects hidden in the details. “Love Of My Life” is a refreshing pop gem that highlights the Belgian talent’s abilities as a singer and makes you feel like you haven’t heard the last of this up-and-coming singer.

5. Tristan — More Like Her

Tristan’s debut album Wellif is still fresh in our minds and regularly in our ears, but the Belgian pop nymph clearly wants to continue showing what she has to offer. In her music video for the new “More Like Her”, she crawls into the role of a feline to plant her claws right into our necks. Her quirky pop production should not sacrifice theatricality on this work either, and thus has a lot to offer on many levels. This is a great show, again.

6. Orchid — Everything in Every Direction

Orchids are among our favorite flowers because of their elegance and aura. It is simultaneously the stage name of Londoner Orchid, whose biggest influences include Rosalía and Grimes. After her previous EP was incredibly well received, she takes the next step with “Everything in Every Direction”, showing us her trustworthy side. The ballad contains elements from UKG, giving you a sentimental song on the one hand and a club-ready one on the other. This single makes it clear she will blossom even more in the future.

7. JÁNA — I Do

Sweden remains a country where the music industry continues to thrive, and pop acts guarantee top quality. JÁNA belongs to the new generation of artists from the Scandinavian country and, with “I Do”, delivers yet another perfect example of punishing scandi pop. The song can be placed somewhere between electronic R&B and alt-pop, delivering a very nice result. The subdued nature at the beginning gets bigger and bigger thanks to synths and drums, creating a wonderful climax.

8. Stella Explorer — Club Atlantis

When we discovered Stella Explorer with her hit song “Gold Rush”, we could hear her potential in her music. And her newest single, “Club Atlantis”, proves we were right. The melancholic track invites you to dream with an interesting dream-pop refrain that makes you envision a dream catcher in the wind. At first glance, the Swedish-South African artist writes simple songs, but she elevates them into something greater through a tremendously good sense of mood creation and sound details. Safe to say, we enjoy immersing ourselves in “Club Atlantis”.

9. Ouri — Twin

Despite having an incredible penchant for ferocious beats and danceable productions, we have an ever-growing weakness for subtle electronic music. That’s something Ouri masters like no other and shows on the sensitive “Twin”, where she uses her voice as the main ingredient by slowing down the rhythm. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist finds her peace in “Twin” and takes all the space she needs to develop further. It is no surprise that Yaeji is taking her on tour.

10. Belot — Cool Whip

With a non-obvious stanza, the British Belot begins her new single “Cool Whip” with an intriguing vocal line, which is then seduced by the funky production and switches to a catchy song in the chorus. It reminds us of Remi Wolf, among others, telling their stories with great playfulness. “Cool Whip”, in other words, is a fresh and fruity addition to our playlist.

Picture of Patches by Leen Hoogmartens