PANIA conquers the rare achievement of a club-ready sing-a-long with ‘PLAYLIST’. The bouncy drums are bound to get you moving, and her smooth melodies are bound to get stuck in your head. It’s a showcase of her many talents, which you can experience yourself in the form of her newly-released EP WE STILL YOUNG.

‘All Night’ is Bakar at his best. The guitars are vibrant and jangly, giving the track a sun-soaked feel. The drums drive the track into a fast-paced tempo, making the rhythm danceable and undeniably fun. Bakar’s voice stands out here, with every melodic passage having the potential to get stuck in your head. This track is an instant highlight off Bakar’s new album Halo, which you can stream now.

Jaal is becoming a master of atmosphere. His voice sounds like it’s lurking atop the moody keys on the hook with an almost whisper-like delivery. This contrasts his presence on the verse, which finds him blasting off with bars in flurries. Mali Jo$e makes an appearance here as well, continuing his 2023 hot streak with some emphatic lyricism. It appears on Jaal’s new project YOU ONLY DIE ONCE, which you can stream now.

‘WY@’ is some classic Brent in the best way. It sounds as if he’s growing tired from the push-and-pull aspects of romance he finds himself facing, but is propelled by his passion for the good moments, which manifests in soulful warbles throughout the song. The instrumental is subtle, but pushes Brent’s voice to the forefront, making this more of a satisfying jam.

‘Online’ is an onslaught of bars. Miko Mal sounds effortless here, cycling through crushing bars with a relaxed cadence and bouncy flows. The beat possesses the moshpit-ready energy of drill but is garnished with some ear-catching surges of sax. The ‘babyface’ may be gone, but the bangers Mal delivers are still of gargantuan proportions.

‘COME THRU’ is one of the slicker serenades you’ll hear this month. SAHXL enriches his melodies with a sense of swag, as he tells tales of lust and romance. The production is spacey, making this the ideal R&B anthem for the nighttime. It’s a highlight off his EP of the same name, which you can stream now.

Straight out the gate, ‘Pacer’ is a chaotic track. Doechii fires up in the form of some growling chants on the hook, which sound like a mixture of some old Three 6 Mafia and a metal band. Horror movie-like synths creep in the background, with every barrage of bass hitting like a jump scare. But the villain here doesn’t stand a chance, as Doechii dominates on verses with stern bars ready to slice through any antagonists.

The song may be called ‘NO SNZS’, but it encompasses all of them at the same time. The sombre acoustic guitars emulate the melancholic fog of Winter. Jean Dawson starts off on his lonesome, falling into croons like the leaves of Autumn. The song builds into a duet with SZA, as their in-sync vocals soar like the blossoming of Spring. Summer comes into the mix, because well, this track is some heat.

‘You’ possesses the bounce of your favourite 90s hip-hop/R&B crossover. Lola Brooke approaches the track with the grit of her Brooklyn hometown, contrasting the glossy stylings of the production. Bryson Tiller appears throughout, enhancing the song with every fervent frenzy of croons he delivers. It’s fun, ear-catching, and an essential addition to your playlist this weekend.

Mog.Y has a cadence unlike any other rapper. On ‘B THERE (NO TWO$)’, the griminess of his voice shines in every bar he spits, and the strain adds an extra sense of passion when he gets in his singing bag. This standout versatility feels seamless atop Benny Zenn’s production, which pairs boom-bap drums with soulful flourishes of keys.