LITM Pop Picks Featuring Raeja, Coffeeshop, OpusKan, and More!

This edition of LITM Pop Picks brings to you soulful Latin-tinged pop, a breezy summer road-trip anthem, French-language hybrid rock, a Spanish-language pop collaboration, and cinematic folk-pop melancholy. The list features artists Raeja, Coffeeshop, OpusKan, Doble Pista, and Nik&Blu.

Raeja - Alchemy

Released on October 19, 'Alchemy' is the latest single from Raeja, the Melbourne-raised singer-songwriter who has been writing songs in both English and Spanish since she was 15. Following her 2025 self-titled debut EP and a string of 2026 singles, including collaborations with Lucas Mendonca, Obong Priesto, Ms Trace, and Trinity Canini, the track draws on the wide palette of influences she grew up with, from jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald to Motown, Northern Soul, and salsa. Its title speaks to transformation, the idea of turning something ordinary into gold, and her soulful, dynamic vocals carry that theme with warmth and conviction. Sitting at the crossroads of neo-soul, jazz, and Latin pop, it's a polished, heartfelt addition to a steadily growing catalog.

Coffeeshop - Salt Air

'Salt Air' arrives from producer Coffeeshop via the iDreamology label, paired with a colorful animated music video by Eli Lev of Lev Studio. Co-written by Giacomo Alloesio and Robert A. Aster, the song captures the simple joy of a summer road trip with friends: a packed car, sun on your skin, windows rolled down, and a coastline stretching out ahead. The chorus leans into that carefree momentum, celebrating youth, freedom, and the feeling of being exactly where you're meant to be. A bridge about chasing the moon when the night comes too soon adds a touch of wistfulness, hinting that these moments are as fleeting as they are golden. Bright, nostalgic, and easy to sing along to, 'Salt Air' is a sun-soaked escape that feels tailor-made for the open road.

OpusKan - Corps

Hailing from Angers, France, OpusKan is a hybrid rock project born in 2025 that draws on the dynamic contrasts of the Pixies, the towering sonic walls of the Smashing Pumpkins, and the avant-garde daring of Blonde Redhead, reimagining decades of punk, rock, shoegaze, and pop through AI-assisted experimentation. 'Corps', French for "body," is taken from force Majeure, released on October 9. Following rendez-Vous, an anthology of the project's English-language compositions, the new album marks a bold next step: a powerful pop-rock record sung entirely in French. The song opens on the image of a body once intimately known to a lover now beginning to give way, setting up a meditation on intimacy, memory, and what time does to both. Wrapping up in under three minutes, the track reflects the project's vision of rock without borders, rooted in alternative heritage while firmly looking ahead. It's an intriguing listen for anyone who enjoys their pop-rock with a grittier, more experimental edge.

Doble Pista - Memoria en la Piel

Doble Pista is the artistic project of producer, composer, and lyricist Carlos Cuerdo Cobos, who writes every song and shapes the project's conceptual identity alongside its companion name, Doble Frecuencia. Released on October 9, 'Memoria en la Piel' ("memory on the skin") arrives as a bonus track tied to the Doble Frecuencia project and features vocalists Seba Dentis and Agus Bouquet. The title suggests a love that lingers long after it has ended, and bringing two voices into the song gives that idea room for more than one perspective. Cuerdo Cobos' hands-on approach to production, built on detailed editing, restructured arrangements, and careful sound design, gives the track a polished finish. The project has a social heart too, with 10% of the proceeds from his anti-cyberbullying song 'Soy Así' going to Save the Children. 'Memoria en la Piel' is a heartfelt Spanish-language pop offering from a creator with a clear vision.

Nik&Blu - Sad And Lonely

Finnish duo Nik&Blu, now based in Milan, returned on October 23 with 'Sad And Lonely', a folk rock single that took a long, honest look at isolation and the fear that comes with letting someone in. Rather than treating loneliness as something to escape, the song framed it as familiar ground, a place that had started to feel safer than the risk of opening up again. One of its most striking images, ivy slowly creeping over the years through damp and cold, captured the idea of someone who had quietly built a home out of solitude. Throughout the track, curiosity about another person's world pulled against a hesitation to step any closer, and the duo resisted the urge to tie it all up neatly. Instead, they let the hurt, the guardedness, and a hint of pride sit side by side, carried by the warm guitars, delicate strings, and harmonized duet vocals that define their sound. The result was a quietly affecting listen that understood just how comfortable loneliness can become.

Follow the playlist for all new artist updates!

If you would like to submit your music for playlist or review consideration, please submit here.

LITM Pop Picks Featuring Ani On Keys, C.J. Coyne, Radio Drive, and More!

This edition of LITM Pop Picks brings to you Indian-inflected electronica, a fleeting independent single, earnest alt-pop rock, an emotive pop-rock ballad, and cinematic heartbreak. The list features artists Ani On Keys, C.J. Coyne, Radio Drive, APG, and Rose Wade.

Ani On Keys - Kaala Chakram: The Echoes of Time

London-based producer Ani On Keys opens his Liminal Frequencies EP with 'Kaala Chakram: The Echoes of Time', a track that treats time as both its subject and its pulse, fittingly, since its title translates to "the wheel of time." Strings arrive first, joined by a ticking, clock-like rhythm that gives the opening a quietly suspenseful feel. From there, the arrangement keeps adding layers of cinematic strings and twinkling textures, building a melodic first half that feels almost like a video game score. The second half shifts gears with thumping beats and a surge of energy, nodding to the progressive house and breakbeat influences that run through the EP. Blending Indian instrumentation with modern electronic production, it's an absorbing, well-paced opener.

C.J. Coyne - Smoke Drifting

Released on October 9, 'Smoke Drifting' is the newest single from independent artist C.J. Coyne, arriving after the earlier demo release 'Love Of My Life.' Self-released under Coyne's own CoyneMusic banner, the track keeps things brief and to the point, wrapping up in just over two and a half minutes. Its title evokes something fleeting and hard to hold onto, and the short runtime suits that idea, leaving a passing impression rather than overstaying its welcome. Coming this early in Coyne's catalog, it reads as a meaningful step forward from a songwriter still shaping a sound. It's a worthwhile listen for anyone who enjoys discovering artists at the very start of their journey.

Radio Drive - Man Inside

'Man Inside' opens Walk With Me, the latest album from Radio Drive, the alternative pop-rock project led by Kevin Gullickson. His music has previously been featured on networks like NBC, National Geographic, and Discovery Channel, and that polished, radio-ready experience comes through here. Running just over four minutes, the track sets the tone for an album that blends classic rock, indie rock, and pop with an earnest, low-key warmth. Faith and self-improvement run throughout Walk With Me, and 'Man Inside' fittingly turns its gaze inward, with a title that points to the person beneath the surface. Released via 12 Story Records, it's a sincere, steady opener from a seasoned independent artist.

APG - The City Where You're Living

Written, composed, arranged, and produced entirely by APG himself, 'The City Where You're Living' is a heartfelt ballad that sits comfortably between pop and rock. The title alone sets up a sense of distance, the feeling of picturing someone's life in a place you're no longer part of, and the song leans into that emotional pull. Featured on APG's Loud and Clear EP, the track comes paired with an official music video that gives its sentiment a visual home. APG's do-it-yourself approach lends the release a personal touch, with every creative decision flowing from a single vision. Now one of his most-streamed songs, it's an easy recommendation for fans of emotive pop-rock balladry.

Rose Wade - Know You Like I Do

California-based singer Rose Wade makes her debut with 'Know You Like I Do', a cinematic ballad about betrayal, buried secrets, and the side of a person only a partner ever gets to see. Built on luminous piano and sweeping orchestral production, the song keeps Wade's voice front and center, and her background in classical and operatic training shows in her clear, controlled delivery. Written by Dan Voss Jr. and Aaron Zepeda, the track moves from wounded uncertainty to hard-won clarity by the time the bridge arrives. The accompanying performance-focused video lets her expressions carry the story without unnecessary distractions. It's a confident, emotionally direct first step from a promising new voice.

Follow the playlist for all new artist updates!

If you would like to submit your music for playlist or review consideration, please submit here.