Featuring tracks by COBRAH, Capoxxo, Nader Khalil, Louie Dufflebags, Slatt Zy, and more essential artists
Follow our Unleashed playlist on Spotify to stay up to date with each and every week’s must-hear tracks:
COBRAH – “DEBUT”
From her latest self-titled EP, COBRAH presents “DEBUT,” a hyper-femme track so laden in queer innuendo that you almost miss the lyrical message. While “DEBUT”‘s beat pulses like the steady strobes of a hazy Swedish night club; resident dominatrix, COBRAH, uplifts her sweaty, grinding audience members with words of encouragement. “You want someone / That can give you / What you want to / I know just the / Thing we can do / You just let me / Show you how to.” Her disciplined cadence is almost hypnotic as she draws the gaze of those looking for a little latex-clad direction on life’s dancefloor. – Katie Manners
d1v – “stop me”
Swedish vocalist d1v croons over nursery-rhyme synths that twinkle with a childlike sheen, but “stop me” is underpinned by deceptively morose lyrics as he opines, “I do so much, don’t do enough / They hate my guts / I hate to trust.” – Mike Giegerich
wido – “Scary”
Like a haunted carnival ride headed off the rails, wido‘s “Scary” launches the listener into a realm commanded by echoing vocals and discordant synth. Here, wido’s monotone floats above the steadfast beat and presents the listener with bittersweet poeticisms. “It’s like you reek of the flu / But I’d die for a kiss,” wido laments, his voice drained like the riverbed of a long-abandoned Tunnel of Love. – Katie Manners
Lil Poppa – “Up It”
Over the past few years, Jacksonville native Lil Poppa has amassed a sizable audience while staying true to his writerly instincts. He prefers album-length reflections to chart-chasing singles, and his latest LP Blessed, I Guess captures the strength in his subtlety. On “Up It”, the 21-year-old zeroes in on the intractability of his problems. “She say I gotta throw away the drugs / I told her you better kill the plug.” – Jack Ellis
Wakai, wavworld – “dumditty”
Wakai’s ability to calmly unveil his heavy consciousness is refreshing for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a city predominantly known for its war-torn crooners. On the standout cut from his recent tape, Away Game, Vol.2, Wakai exhibits his remarkable breath control over wavworld’s mesmerizing sample-based production. – Millan Verma
Slatt Zy – “3Ks”
Slatt Zy has a voice that bleeds emotion. Since his emergence in 2019, the Chattanooga teenager has crafted exuberant anthems and blues-stricken ballads with striking confidence. He’s in peak form on “3Ks,” dipping into double-time flows and embellishing his notes with raspy vibrato. – Jack Ellis
26AR – “My Set, Pt. II”
Toward the end of 2019, 26AR made an auspicious debut in the crowded Brooklyn drill scene, with some of his earliest singles (“Aaron Rodgers”, “26 Never Left”) blossoming into local hits. Since then, the 21-year-old has surged to the forefront of NYC rap’s new generation, offering a colorful and self-assured spin on his borough’s dominant subgenre. On “My Set, Pt. II,” 26AR approaches heavy bass with light-footed finesse, knowing exactly when to let the beat breathe. – Jack Ellis
Louie Dufflebags, Boothlord – “Fantastic”
Louie Dufflebag’s latest release, Hymns, is a 22-track compilation of demos that shows the multifaceted songwriter in his most candid form yet. On “Fantastic” he collaborates with fellow Danger Incorporated member Boothlord to prove that the enigmatic duo are just as captivating over Nick Drake-inspired acoustic guitar licks as they are over maximalist synth-trap production. – Millan Verma
Nader Khalil – “Bassiani”
Anxiety-riddled lyrics and hard-synth basslines set out to define Nader Khalil‘s latest release, “Bassiani,” but it is the track’s tendency to find quiet moments of clarity that makes each drop all the more impactful. As Khalil navigates the ebb and flow of “Bassiani”‘s production, an uneasiness grows until it explodes into a panting mid-song groove. Like the aftermath of so many anxiety attacks, the bridge is a breath of fresh air, with subdued chords coddling the listener until betraying them at the very last moment with one more major drop. – Katie Manners
capoxxo – “doing better”
capoxxo’s sleek vocals are backed by emotive guitars and snappy percussion as he delves into the dark side of relationships on “doing better.” After wading through the murkiness of debilitating self-doubt, he eventually finds closure on the chorus: “And the times I thought that we could last forever / I was wrong, so what / But I’ve been doing better on my own.” – Mike Giegerich