From moody ambient pop to explosive rage rap, this week’s standout releases push emotional boundaries and genre expectations. Maddie Regent unpacks vulnerability with atmospheric precision on “Miss Virgo,” while Shaun Royal and EthanUno take R&B into soulful and bilingual territory, respectively. We get breakup anthems from Tarric and Crystal Starr, sonic therapy from Brandon Woody, and a high-voltage return from Ken Carson. Whether you’re seeking quiet reflection or a full-volume release, this roundup has a track (or ten) that’ll hit home.
1. Shaun Royal – “Coast In Romance”
With “Coast In Romance,” South Central Los Angeles native Shaun Royal pays homage to the golden era of 90s R&B while anchoring his sound firmly in the present. The single fuses warm, cinematic instrumentation with Royal’s velvet-smooth vocals and emotionally detailed songwriting, exploring themes of love, trust, and romantic escape. Premiered at LA’s Taste of Soul Festival and supported by a visually rich music video, the track offers a textured listening experience that’s both personal and widely resonant. Royal—whose performance at the 28th Annual Soul Train Awards earned a standing ovation—continues to define his artistic voice through storytelling, nostalgia, and modern soul, establishing himself as a thoughtful torchbearer for contemporary R&B.
2. Maddie Regent – “Miss Virgo”
Indie-pop artist Maddie Regent releases “Miss Virgo,” the final single ahead of her debut album, On the phone with my mom, out May 16. The track situates itself in a textured, atmospheric soundscape that prioritizes mood over melody, using layered synths, distant vocal echoes, and sparse beats to create a restrained yet deliberate sense of introspection. Regent draws from personal experience—specifically her time in a recovery center at 17—to narrate a story not of catharsis, but of co-existence with discomfort. Lyrically, she avoids grand declarations, opting instead for vignettes: crocheting in group therapy, watching Pretty Little Liars, and forging temporary kinships under institutional watch. While the song itself leans more into ambient pop than structural experimentation, its context gives it weight. Artists like Gracie Abrams and Samia have successfully turned similar introspective narratives into long-form artistic growth, suggesting that Regent’s strength may lie less in sonic novelty and more in her ability to translate personal memory into music that resists spectacle.
3. EthanUno – “MALA MÍA”
EthanUno pivots into new sonic territory with “MALA MÍA,” his first reggaetón-influenced release and his first track performed almost entirely in Spanish. Built around a classic dembow rhythm and guided by minimalist production choices, the single centers emotional clarity over musical maximalism. Written, produced, and mastered entirely in his home studio, “MALA MÍA” reflects the San Diego artist’s commitment to DIY artistry while extending his sound into more global pop currents. The visualizer, set against vivid neon graffiti, mirrors the track’s contrast of vulnerability and aesthetic control. Following the playful energy of “phase 1” and the introspection of his necesidad EP, this single positions EthanUno as an artist actively shaping his bilingual, genre-fluid identity on his own terms.
4. Tarric – “Untied”
Tarric’s latest single, “Untied,” threads emotional disorientation into a richly textured indie rock arrangement, offering a breakup anthem that resists cliché. His vocals move with careful restraint, capturing the dual sensation of grief and relief that often follows emotional separation. The production evokes the melancholy of The Smiths and the introspective weight of Depeche Mode without leaning too heavily on either. “Untied” marks a clear evolution for Tarric as both songwriter and interpreter, using heartbreak not as an endpoint but as a catalyst for self-examination. If the track is any indication, his forthcoming album Method will be a thoughtful excavation of the spaces between pain, clarity, and freedom.
5. Calum Hood – “Don’t Forget You Love Me”
Calum Hood, best known as the bassist for 5 Seconds of Summer, launches his solo career with “Don’t Forget You Love Me,” a synth-laced, emotionally charged single that introduces a more introspective tone than his band work typically allows. The track balances tight, Eighties-influenced pop production with lyrical themes of regret and accountability, reflecting on the discomfort of confronting past mistakes without fully romanticizing them. Collaborating with Jack LaFrantz (Benson Boone) and Jackson Phillips (Day Wave), Hood explores the duality between control and emotional disarray—a tension that also shapes his upcoming album Order Chaos Order. Rather than seeking to redefine his artistry, Hood leans into emotional specificity, using personal history and a restrained sound to carve space for quiet reckoning in a genre often dominated by spectacle.
6. Linnon Stylz – “Robbery”
Detroit native Linnon Stylz channels raw vulnerability into carefully controlled power on “Robbery,” a track that fuses retro soul with modern R&B textures. Produced by Maksym Beats, the song leans on crisp basslines and cinematic strings to frame Stylz’s commanding vocal delivery. While the subject matter—emotional betrayal and resilience—could lend itself to melodrama, Stylz approaches it with measured intensity, offering catharsis without self-pity. Drawing influence from legacy artists like Usher and Chris Brown, Stylz continues to carve out a lane that honors R&B’s emotional lineage while staying grounded in contemporary sound design. “Robbery” serves as both a personal testimony and a sonic assertion of agency, showing an artist turning private pain into public power.
7. Ken Carson – More Chaos
Ken Carson returns with More Chaos, a full-length follow-up that expands his high-octane, distortion-heavy aesthetic into sharper focus. Known for shaping the sound of rage rap alongside Playboi Carti’s Opium label, Carson leans deeper into the genre’s blown-out textures and experimental structuring, pushing his sound to a more aggressive and stylized edge. The rollout, teased earlier this year by streamer Kai Cenat, has been supported by a strong digital campaign and limited-edition merch collaborations, including Ed Hardy-branded box sets. With over 3.5 billion streams to his name, More Chaos isn’t a reinvention—it’s a doubling down on Carson’s chaotic vision, delivered with calculated intensity and a sharpened sense of his place in the current rap landscape.
8. Crystal Starr – “Danny”
Crystal Starr’s latest single, “Danny,” is a commanding blend of pop and R&B that confronts emotional ambiguity with unflinching honesty. Produced by Grammy-nominated duo Bizkit & Butta, the track pairs polished production with lyrical directness, as Starr questions the intentions of a partner whose inconsistency has worn thin. Anchored by a declarative chorus and a vocal performance that balances vulnerability with assertion, “Danny” is less about heartbreak and more about the moment you reclaim your dignity. The accompanying Cleopatra-inspired video—self-produced and co-directed with her family—underscores her creative independence, mirroring the song’s central message: don’t wait around to be chosen. This is pop with purpose.
9. Brandon Woody – “Never Gonna Run Away”
Trumpeter and composer Brandon Woody introduces his recording debut with “Never Gonna Run Away,” a spacious, soulful track featuring vocalist Imani-Grace and performed with his ensemble Upendo. Rooted in jazz tradition but consciously reaching beyond it, the track blends spiritual jazz textures with gospel-tinged vocals and a rhythm section that privileges groove over flash. Woody, a Baltimore native, frames the piece as part of a larger emotional and artistic offering—For The Love Of It All—that functions as both a debut and a statement of purpose. Rather than aiming for virtuosity alone, “Never Gonna Run Away” emphasizes emotional clarity and collective expression, positioning Woody less as a soloist stepping out and more as a bandleader drawing listeners into communion.
10. Chalumeau – “Hide”
Providence duo Chalumeau returns with “Hide,” a fierce, blues-laced indictment of betrayal. Written in the aftermath of a pandemic-fueled road trip, the track channels raw emotion into sharp-edged lyrics and searing guitar work. Katherine Bergeron delivers cutting lines like, “Was that the best you could do?” with theatrical precision, while Butch Rovan’s dense, roiling production pushes the sound into heavier terrain without losing its lyrical clarity. For a band that thrives on contrast—between classical finesse and experimental grit—“Hide” feels like a battle cry that lands with intention.
