Singles In Your Area: w/c May 5
Kiwi acts Revus, The Beths, Voom, Ringlets and Son & Water deliver this week, alongside newbies from Turnstile, Nia Archives, Benson Boone, and more
We’re back for a new week of new music and there are some great tracks out this week - and as has become my new normal, I’ve popped them all in a Spotify playlist so you can play the entire newsletter from start to finish.
Anyway, here are a few tracks I was listening to while wondering if we can sue The Beths for false advertising since they released a song called “Metal” which isn’t metal …
ASHY - "Gucci & Louis" (NZ)
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles: #07
A solid new pop single from Otautahi (Christchurch) up and comer ASHY; there are good bones in this song, and the composition is clever - the vocal working with a minor chord swing in the chorus.
BAMBII - "Mirror (ft Jessy Lanza, Yaeji)"
Jamaican/Canadian DJ and producer BAMBII teams up with fellow Canadian singer Jessy Lanza and American producer Yaeji for a triple-threat of electronic music, the dance beat matching with really nice production throughout.
BENSON BOONE - "Mystical Magical"
Hot 40 Singles: #02
Official Top 40 Singles: #33
If you saw his set at Coachella last month, you’ll have heard this new track from the pop superstar singer - honestly, I thought it was one of the weaker tracks in his set, which was good overall. Fortunately it works better here than it did live.
BODY OCEAN - "What Would It Profit?" (NZ)
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles: #06
More Kiwi drum & bass - well, hailing from both New Zealand and the Netherlands, as Body Ocean is a collab between two different performers.
CHEETAH & NIA ARCHIVES - "Get Loose"
Nia Archives is one of the biggest new names out of the UK dance scene, and she teams here with fellow UK producer Cheetah on a jungle track that is undeniably catchy and fun.
The second single from forthcoming album Raspberry Moon is a typically shoegazey rock track from Will Anderson, the singer and songwriter who performs as Hotline TNT with a rotating cast of musicians.
INDIGO DE SOUZA - "Heartthrob"
Brazilian/American rocker Indigo De Souza is like a ray of sunshine in the usually gloomy indie rock scene - “Heartthrob” is no exception, a ball of fun from start to finish, and the best use of a bouncy castle in a music video maybe ever.
LINKIN PARK - "Unshatter"
Hot 40 Singles: #09
Another off-cut featured on the deluxe version of 2024’s From Zero. Its very cookie-cutter Linkin Park for the most part, but it is a bit of a showpiece for new singer Emily Armstrong who sounds great here.
LOATHE - "Gifted Every Strength"
I’ve been waiting for three years for this - a new single from Liverpool post-metal group Loathe, who’ve taken their sweet time getting a new album together; no date yet, but it is coming. This first single is a symphonic post-hardcore track with bits of electronic and shoegaze mixed in. Epic.
NEIL YOUNG AND THE CHROME HEARTS - "Lets Roll Again"
Not to be outdone by a bunch of ankle-biters on a tribute album, Young has joined up with his most recent backing band the Chrome Hearts, calling out every major American car brand for their lack of care for the planet.
NIKAU GRACE & TE KAPA HAKA O NGĀTI WHAKAUE - "He Aha Te Aha" (NZ)
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles: #04
A beautiful track marking the passing of the last surviving member of the 28th Māori Battalion, Sir Bom Gillies.
Yanya is one of those artists where I like everything I’ve heard - including this track, a hyper-pop with an industrial edge - but haven’t investigated too deeply. If “Cold Heart” is the start of an album cycle, maybe this is the year.
If you ever wanted to see Gandalf The Grey dancing around to a slice of indie rock goodness then jumping into a limo, then do I have the music video for YOU.
REVUS & OUTSIDEBOYS - "WAE BACC" (NZ)
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles: #05
There is a ton of great NZ hip-hop coming out at present - and the production (and composition, for the most part) quality is better than ever. Revus is one of the names that is rising to the top, and this is another great track.
RINGLETS - "Street Massage" (NZ)
Auckland indie band Ringlets are signed to Flying Nun and, based on what we’ve heard, their upcoming record seems like a throwback to the labels heady peak of decades past. “Street Massage” is a genre defying track straddling rock, pop, alternative and even a little screamo for good measure. Great song.
SHABOOZEY & JELLY ROLL - "Amen"
Hot 40 Singles: #06
The problem with having a ubiquitous mega-hit like “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is that every subsequent song isn’t “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. I can confirm that “Amen” is not “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” as it’s less interesting, less catchy, less fun.
SON & WATER - "Just An Illusion" (NZ)
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles: #02
Hot 40 Singles: #16
Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles: #20
A fairly by-the-numbers reggae-soul track - but the set of pipes on Son & Water’s lead singer is impressive, a fantastic vocal that elevates the track.
SUKI WATERHOUSE - "On This Love"
English-American singer Suki Waterhouse has a Lana Del Rey voice and a supermodel look - she modelled for brands like Burberry, Hilfiger and Hugo Boss as a teenager. “On This Love” is a solid track, though it does play like the Kmart version of Del Rey or Winehouse.
THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS - "Sandbox"
If you fondly remember “Dirty Little Secret” or “Move Along”, then you might be interested to know that the Rejects have a new album coming, their first since 2012. “Sandbox” is an interesting track, sort of lethargic but occasionally rising to the energy of those hit singles. And the puppets-gone-wild video is great.
THE BETHS - "Metal" (NZ)
Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles: #11
A new Beths track is always a welcome addition to any week. Elizabeth Stokes sounds better than ever on this acoustic forward track - though decidedly not metal in any way, shape or form. Welcome back, fam.
TURNSTILE - "SEEIN’ STARS / BIRDS"
Turnstile continue their new album cycle with a double video, starting with the 80s new wave inspired “Seein’ Stars” - which won’t please anyone who thought previous single “Never Enough” wasn’t heavy enough - and leading into “Birds” - a blast of their usual post-punk energy which will please those people. Clearly Turnstile are trying some new things for the follow-up to Glow On. I’m intrigued.
Originally formed in 1993, Auckland indie rockers are back with a new album out May 16 titled Something Good Is Happening - this track is an absolute delight, layered vocals raising up its bass forward rhythm. Love it!
Also new this week:
BLONDSHELL - "Event of a Fire"
Check back Friday for a review of her new album!CAR SEAT HEADREST - "The Catastrophe (Good Luck With That, Man)"
Check back Friday for a review of their new album!FLUME & JPEGMAFIA - "Track 1"
Check back Friday for a review of their new EP!JENNY HVAL - "Lay down"
Check back Friday for a review of her new album!PUP - "Olive Garden"
Check back Friday for a review of their new album!
Oh, one more thing:
Not only did Benson Boone premiere his new song “Mystical Magical” at Coachella Festival 2025, he also brought out Queen’s Brian May to help out on a cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
SOURCES:
| Official Top 40 Singles | Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles |
| Hot 40 Singles | Hot 20 Aotearoa Singles | Radioscope 100 |
| R/Indieheads | TheNeedleDrop | Pitchfork |
Thanks for reading, e hoa!
See you later in the week.
Chris xo
Suki Waterhouse is so blatant eh? Makes me laugh. But that Voom song! It’s been stuck in my head for days. I’m hopefully meeting Buzz soon, the mystical Aotearoa musical wonder he is…