19-year-old, Philly-based Christinna O just released her debut album, Girl in Passing, and its stand-out track, “Don’t That Make You Mad,” calls out anyone who delights in watching others fail. The track is a smooth, grooving melody that shows off the young artist’s skills in R&B and poetry. A funky, jaded guitar riff and chilled-out tambourine taps introduce the song before Christinna O dives right into her title line—“I still find the beauty in it, don’t that make you mad?” Her message is clear from the beginning: success is the greatest revenge against someone who wants to see you fall. The compelling and catchy track reminds us not to waste our time worrying about what other people are doing. In the song, she wonders aloud, “what about your happiness?” before driving her point home with the line, “don’t you miss your own dream tripping over me.” Christinna O’s prowess as a spoken-word poet is evident in her lyricism (lines like “And I can be sweet with my tongue but I can draw blood if I want”) as well as her cadence, which builds and drops like a rollercoaster ride. In the end, she laughs off her critics with a repeated, “oh you mad, huh?” and lets us know that she’s not worried about anyone that’s worried about her.

Indie favorites JR JR, formerly known as Dale Earnhardt JR JR, have returned to the scene with new music after their self-titled LP back in 2015. The new single, “Clean Up” offers a look at the mind of someone coming to terms with their addictions and indulgences. The duo uses a throbbing bass line, simple plucked guitar and harmonies to illustrate the conflict that happens when one willfully chooses something that is bad for them. “Clean Up” brings JR JR to a more provocative realm, and one that we are excited to see more of in the upcoming album.

Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.

Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.