Enfnts Terribles

1. Caroline Polachek – Welcome To My Island

After the extraordinary “Sunset”, the sun shines on “Welcome To My Island” as if it were the last time it would orbit our globe. Caroline Polachek has a gift for putting a dramatic line in her songs, which time and again does something to their listener. This is also the case on this new single. The stanzas guide us towards a chorus, in which, like a true nymph, she takes every vocal turn to move us all the way into a trance, but at the same time prompts you to quickly sing along in your head. “Welcome To My Island” shows all her abilities as a writer, singer and producer, as she truly fulfils the definition of a musical jack-of-all-trades.

2. Rebecca Black – Look At You

After the ravishing “Crumbs” just under a month ago, on “Look At You” she strikes other tones we have never heard from her before. The overpowering hyper-pop production gives way to a quiet melody on the latest throw, on which she puts her voice more central than ever. The ballad is about your loved ones who can no longer see the good in themselves and are completely discouraged. With her story and the undoubtedly difficult period she had to endure in mind, “Look At You” comes in and shows that she cares little for all that hatred. Rebecca Black has found herself as an artist and that makes this new music all the more beautiful.

3. ANAÏS MVA – Cruel

On her debut single “Cruel”, we hear a singer who sits somewhere between the ballads of Angèle, the dreaminess of Pomme and the buildup of Iliona. The production is very minimal, giving the song a very acoustic feel that really highlights her voice and lyrics. So despite staying in the quieter registers, there is also a certain catchiness in her chorus that is still accompanied by a fine fragility, however. “Cruel” is, in other words, a very successful first throw of a new Brussels singer who can take the music world by storm.

4. Ão – Mulher

We are immediately enchanted on “Mulher” by delicious Afro-Portuguese and South American rhythms and sounds, which take on a sensual edge thanks to singer Brenda Corijn’s characterful voice. Despite not immediately understanding the Portuguese lyrics, the song does penetrate our hearts completely, and Bert Peyffers’ rousing percussion has an incantatory energy. Ão kidnaps us on “Mulher” to other places, places where our soul can lose itself completely in warm melodies and our thoughts escape reality for a while.

5. Lana Del Rey – Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd

Lana Del Rey remains the queen of melancholy and announced a new album along with her new single “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd”, to be released on 10 March. Once again, she remains completely true to her sensual and seductive sound, once again putting herself in the spotlight as the ultimate pop lolita. The calm and gentle nature of the song gives this single an unassuming aura that only Lana Del Rey gets in her songs.

Picture by Nedda Afsari