Read on for this week’s hottest singles from Hemlocke Springs, Camp Kona and more.
This week, we’re featuring a variety of genres – from indie rock to electropop – as well as two NYU artists. For TikTok scrollers, we’re also looking at Hemlocke Springs’ new track, “girlfriend.” Read on to learn more.
“Living Forever” by Mia Timms
Abby Thompson, writer
“Live Forever,” the lead single from NYU Clive Davis Institute sophomore Mia Timms’ forthcoming mini-album, features a Julia Jacklin-esque reverent vocal and lyrics that make you want to scream while racing down the highway in the midst of a breakup. The single finds Timms lingering over a lost love as she mournfully sings, “Can you feel it now / Under the skin / I can feel you creeping in” over a throbbing guitar and a foot-tapping drum line. With opening track Lucy Decus’ satisfying indie rock and beabadoobee’s punchy guitar solo after the “Dye It Red”-esque chorus, “Live Forever” finds its place among the modern indie rock gods—yet the driving melody and melancholy lyrics of -still feel refreshingly new. An instantly catchy tune that needs to be on repeat, this song bodes well for a bright future for Tims.
“girlfriend” from Hemlock Springs
Sandy Batulga, staff writer
In the bridge of her new single “girlfriend,” Hemlock Springs sings, “Two, three, four.. / Secretly I’m reaching for / A beat that surpasses my expectations / Will I ever get it / I’m a girl in the business / So there is little room for idle contemplation.” This music video is responsible for making the song popular on TikTok. Released on November 2nd, “girlfriend” has amassed over 2.8 million streams on Spotify and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Springs said in a TikTok that she recorded the song in her bedroom in North Carolina, creating a relatively simple composition with an original sound and an intriguing narrative.
Although all the instruments were created with pre-made sound packs in Logic, the “girlfriend” is the opposite of normal. The choppy synth melody that runs throughout the track, the use of an otherworldly digital string section, and Springs’ unique voice create a whimsical electronic soundscape—the perfect backdrop for a game of Animal Crossing. The artist’s stylized vocals also contribute to the cartoony tone of “girlfriend” with TikTok comments making comparisons between the artist and characters like Louise Belcher from Bob’s Hamburgers and Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls. The different vocal intensities that Springs uses, such as the slight wheezing that permeates her soft whispers and the intense screams of her promotional songs, help shape a narrative that immediately captivates the listener. The only problem with this song is how stunningly short it is, clocking in at just over two minutes. Its brevity, however, lends itself to endless repetition. With this single, Hemlock Springs has proven herself to be a key player in the electropop scene, so look forward to her next release.
“Rely On (頼らない)” by Camp Kona
Yas Akdag, music editor
Camp Kona’s latest single “Rely On (頼らない)” is bilingual electropop. The Clive Davies protégé sings in English and Japanese as she ponders the potential future of a romantic relationship. “I need someone I can lean on,” she sings over a snarling 808 bass, 16-note hi-hat and funky video game-like synths, before explaining in the second verse, “Being alone doesn’t scare me / I know , that I make myself happy / You have to be different / Don’t rush to the mountains as soon as you hit them.” The artist blends the two languages seamlessly, with melodic Japanese phrases that fit perfectly into the setting or ending of English phrases. Through her direct, honest lyrics and multi-lingual approach, “Rely On” adds a delightfully refreshing and unique twist to a trendy, quasi-stagnant genre.
“Fallout” by Yo La Teng
Holden Lay, staff writer
On “Fallout,” Yo La Tengo don’t miss a beat, seamlessly returning to their slack-rock sound, as if they haven’t been one of indie rock’s most exciting and consistently innovative bands for over 30 years. It’s strangely touching to hear Ira Kaplan, James McNew and Georgia Hubley play a new song in this style again, but it hardly feels like an imitation of their own late ’90s work. Instead, they find a renewed sense of wisdom and immediacy in their songs, with Kaplan bemoaning the woes of introspection, singing “It makes me sick / What’s in my head / So hard to react the same way / I wanna fight the time” and “I don’t I’ll tell you how it will be / I don’t have what you want from me.” Over rolling waves of chugging guitar and rumbling fuzzy bass, his vocals sound as contained and delicately beautiful as ever. After much experimentation on their expansive 2018 album, There’s A Riot Going On, Yo La Tengo once again proved their knack for the delightfully unexpected – this time by going back to basics.
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