Listicle – Hot singles near you! 

By Noah Temple

You’re scrolling through Spotify; music’s been dry and nothing has been hitting recently – I get it, but wait! Your favorite artist released something new! A 2-minute long single … Whether it’s for money, trying out a new sound, or previewing an album that will drop four months following it, singles are inevitable in music, so I wanted to try compiling some of my favorites and seeing how they stack.

F5ve is a 2023 J-pop group under GAMMA. The group was based on Sailor Moon (LDH Girls fandom, 2024). In July, they released “Underground,” a catchy single with its fast pace and breathy vocals in the chorus. It’s an engaging listen with an interesting blend of sounds and production. F5ve has not done much to separate itself from other groups with its music and seemingly relies on their social media presence to garner fans and give the group an image. The song is good because it’s fun to listen to, but the song is not good because it’s not exceedingly unique.

Thanapat Bunleang, or Thaiboy Digital, is a 29-year-old rapper based out of Bangkok. Thaiboy moved to Sweden at age 8 but moved back as an adult. Thaiboy is part of Drain Gang and brings an energy that other vocalists don’t share – maybe he didn’t grow up with the Eastern European sadness the other two did. “I’m Fresh” is a 2022 track produced by Drain Gang’s Whitearmor. The song is high energy and fun, consisting mostly of the lyrics “I’m Fresh” for about a minute and a half. I really love this song because of its production and the energy Thaiboy brings to it. The song is good because the sound is fun and high energy. The song is not good because it’s short and can be seen as repetitive.

Kim Jimin, or Meaningful Stone, is a 28-year-old artist based out of Korea. Meaningful Stone has one album and recently released her single “Supernova” in July 2024. Jimin found success in the K-indie scene in festivals and won Rookie of the Year at the 2021 Korean Music Awards and recently had a minor role in the K-drama “Because I Hate Korea.” “Supernova” is full of gentle guitar strumming and soft vocals that feel like something you’d listen to on a warm day with a light breeze blowing in your face. The song is good because of its gentle sound and positive vibes. The song is not good because it can be easy to forget you’re listening to it.

To conclude, singles are often a treat dropped by an artist for their starving fans, and even if I wrote what “wasn’t good” about singles, these are all tracks I find myself consistently coming back to listen to. To me, these are the hottest singles in the area, and they want YOU to listen.