Empara Mi returns with ‘I Hate Everyone’, the fifth single from her forthcoming concept album Monsters & Masochists, and perhaps her most ironically intimate release yet. Following the soaring alt-pop of ‘Closer to Heaven’ and the visceral theatricality of ‘Masochist’, Empara Mi unveils a defiant, cinematic anti-anthem built for outsiders, overthinkers, and the beautifully misunderstood.
Self-produced and featuring the sweeping grandeur of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, ‘I Hate Everyone’ is a cathartic swirl of alt-pop, orchestral drama, and brutal honesty. Beneath its blunt title lies something far more tender: a love song for the socially anxious, with the strings on the track written, in a beautifully cruel twist, by the very person the song is about.
“This track is about the noise in your head at every party,” Empara Mi explains. “The internal panic of feeling too much, too loud, too weird, but then finding that one person who’s even more weird than you and then suddenly you fit in everywhere they are.”
Empara Mi’s bold vocals flow effortlessly across this track – she sings: “Cos I hate everyone / Hate everyone / Hate everyone but you…” Scored with heart-pounding percussion, eerie string swells, and a hook that balances rage and relief, ‘I Hate Everyone’ is a standout moment in the Monsters & Masochists story, an album that journeys through grief, transformation, and emotional extremes.
Empara Mi’s music has already earned her 50 million streams, major TV syncs (Ginny & Georgia, Transformers, The Day of the Jackal), and praise for her powerful vocal and production. With her debut headline show on the horizon and Monsters & Masochists set for release on October 10th, 2025, she’s carving out a world that’s as theatrical as it is painfully human.
Japanese singer-songwriter Fujii Kaze has released his new song “Love Like This” via Universal Music Japan/Republic Records – listen here.
The track showcases Kaze’s smooth vocals over a warm, gentle melody and is the latest preview of his upcoming third studio album Prema, out September 5th – pre-order/pre-save the album here. The official music video, directed by Aerin Moreno (Tate McRae, LISA, Maroon 5), explores the complexities of love — watch here.
Reflecting on the song, Kaze Fujii shares, “What is the purest form of love? And the supreme bliss it brings? I guess I don’t know it yet, but in this song, I pretended I did.”
“Love Like This” arrives on the heels of Kaze’s triumphant sold-out European tour, with stops in Berlin, Paris, and London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. He also debuted at major international festivals including Roskilde (Denmark), NN North Sea Jazz (Netherlands), and Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), further cementing his global rise.
Earlier this summer, Kaze made his highly anticipated return with powerful lead single “Hachikō,” his first new music in three years since his acclaimed sophomore album LOVE ALL SERVE ALL. The new release sparked global buzz after over 10,000 fans attended a surprise pop-up event in Bangkok. Watch the “Hachikō” music video here.
Toronto powerhouse rapper Haviah Mighty joins forces with rising R&B sensation Shantel May on her latest release, “Lucky”, a bold collaboration between two of the city’s most compelling voices – out on the 1st of August.
Opening with intricate keys and a laid-back groove, “Lucky” sets the tone with funky basslines and Haviah’s effortless, distinctive delivery. Produced by John Fellner and KTOE, the track marks the third instalment in Haviah’s V2 Healing Era, following “Double the Fun” and “OK!” This time, she teams up with Shantel May to blend lush, soulful vocals with confident bars, creating a rich contrast. Rooted in classic boom bap and live instrumentation, “Lucky” explores mutual appreciation in a relationship where both partners know they’re fortunate to have each other, but question whether that gratitude is truly seen. While continuing to echo themes of self-love and inner worth, the song also leans into the longing for care and validation from others.
Talking on the track, Haviah tells us: When this combination is right… any connection feels magical. Lucky, even.”
Los Angeles-based indie pop duo The Two Lips today share the sparkling new single “clue” – listen HERE. The track follows “talk”, their official debut for Island Records UK.
The Two Lips combine ethereal dream-pop textures with grounded, honest lyricism – think the whispered intimacy of Clairo meets the haziness of Kali Uchis with a dusting of pop production… making for some insanely catchy tunes that are as emotionally resonant as they are hypnotic.
About the single, The Two Lips—Andrea and Jewlz commented, “‘clue’ is a song about the feeling when you have exhausted all options trying to save a relationship and you feel like you’ve reached a dead end. Both parties can’t seem to figure each other out, and you reminisce on good times before things went sour. Still, there’s hope that the “case” can be cracked and the relationship is worth saving.”
highly regarded singer, composer, and producer Johan Lenox returns with the powerful next installment of his forthcoming album, ‘Finally’, a striking new single featuring creative multi-hyphenate artist Alé Araya. With its mix of classical instrumentation, warped electronics, and off-kilter pop elements, the track builds a mood that’s both immersive and uneasy. This marks the third single from Johan’s forthcoming album, following the success of ‘When Morning Comes’ and ‘Eclipse (ft. KayCyy)’, and offers a deeper look into what’s shaping up to be his most dynamic and boundary-pushing project to date.
Primed for a breakthrough this year, rising pop artist Haiden Henderson unleashes his anxiously awaited new tension EP out now via LAVA/Republic Records. Listen HERE. Watch the “tension” music video HERE.
“A friendship-turned-romantic stitches all of these songs together,” Henderson admits in discussing the EP. “It complicated my life. tension follows the arc of this situation becoming complicated and falling out. Since the relationship ended without closure, the songs are my way of getting my side of the story out. More than anything I’ve made in the past, there’s a journey within this project for anyone open to it.”
He initially drew audiences into the project’s living and breathing world by way of the buzzing tracks “lovesucker,” “lips,” and “sweat.” Among many standouts, the eight-song collection boasts the title track and single “tension.” During the latter, he stretches an emotional vocal across an elastic soundscape accented by grainy guitar, airy beat-craft, and a slinky bassline. He may be grappling with still residing in the vicinity of an ex-lover, but he goes on to flaunt his range with the refrain, “You still live, down the street, we don’t speak, tension’s all I know.”
By holding nothing back, Haiden has quietly incited a cult-level of adoration since his emergence in 2021. He initially buzzed with the Good Grief EP [2022] followed by the Choke on My Heart EP [2024] and the lover boy EP [2024]. The latter spawned “hell of a good time,” which popped off to the tune of 25 million streams. He sold out headline shows in addition to sharing stages with everyone from MICO to Landon Barker. Along the way, he received acclaim courtesy of PAPER Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and more. Simultaneously, he attracted a devout audience of acolytes affectionately dubbed “Haider Nation.”
COLBIE CAILLAT, MADDIE & TAE
“Live Without”
• Bright, bold, and built for summer, “Live Without” is a pop-country anthem made to be blasted with the windows down. Performed with Maddie & Tae, co-written with Liz Rose, Eric Arjes, and Jimmy Robbins – and produced by Robbins and Arjes – the track delivers a singalong-ready dose of strength and clarity after heartbreak.
• With sparkling production and an empowering hook, the song captures that moment when grief gives way to freedom. “Goodbye ain’t the bullet that I thought it was,” Colbie sings, turning a breakup into a celebration of resilience.
• “Live Without” is the fourth single from Colbie’s upcoming country duets album, This Time Around, due out this fall. A Christmas tour with frequent collaborator Gavin DeGraw will follow in December.
CHLOE STROLL
“I Stood My Ground”
• Canadian singer-songwriter Chloe Stroll unveils her powerful new single, “I Stood My Ground,” accompanied by an evocative music video, available to watch here.
• The track was co-written with GRAMMY Award-winner Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion), and the music video was creatively directed by Untold Studios (Adele, Billie Eilish).
• Chloe has also announced her highly anticipated debut album, Bloom in the Break, set to release on September 12th. This track is the second single from the record, and follows “You’re OK,” a poignant release praised by Building Your Own Nashville as “an acoustic gem that excels in its simplicity.”
Indie-pop duo Eighty Ninety return with their new single, “Hollywood Dream.” Propelled by pulsing guitars, irresistible hooks, and cinematic production, the track dives into the push and pull of a love that feels straight out of a movie, blurring the line between romantic fantasy and harsh reality.
“‘Hollywood Dream’ is about the thrill and longing that can consume a relationship until you start to wonder if that intensity is love or just addiction,” the duo explain. “It’s about the desire to mythologize your life, to see yourself inside a cinematic story that gives everything meaning — even the pain. But it’s also about how those stories can trap you. And how, even when you know that, part of you still wants to stay inside the dream.”
singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Eddie Benjamin shares “DRIVING,” a soulful new song that basks in an open-hearted yet deceptively breezy energy. Listen to the single HERE and watch the equally dreamy video HERE.
With hopeful, self-reflective lyrics and an upbeat rhythm, “DRIVING” further exemplifies Eddie’s dynamic musicianship as he once again writes, plays every instrument, and produces the track, with co-production from Alex Salibian (Harry Styles). Opening with gorgeous guitar and Eddie’s silken vocals—“Don’t have to say too much, I’ll turn my thinking off”—the warm, easy vibe builds to a reassuring chorus: “Shake off that feelin’, just keep it on dreamin’ my love / It’s gonna be okay, if you keep on… / Just keep on drivin’, just keep it all movin’.”
The dreamy, subtly trippy music video follows Eddie through surreal beachside scenes, blurring reality and fantasy, past and present. Directed by Adrian Villagomez (The Kid LAROI, Denzel Curry), the video was notably shot on film.
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