Balancing emotion and atmospheric storytelling, this edition of LITM Pop Picks features TYYE, Damian T. Klimek, Hanne Leland, and more!
1. TYYE – whole thing
From the first second, TYYE sets the foundation for a tender yet bittersweet track in whole thing. The mellow R&B beat hooks you right away, while the vocals carry a slight reverb, giving the track an almost angelic quality. whole thing is tinged with the ache of being head-over-heels for someone who could never give you the “whole thing” the way you did, and this emotional tension in the lyrics is juxtaposed beautifully with the unadulterated romance the song situates itself in. It feels cinematic, straight out of the soundtrack to a teen romance movie with its pop-heavy melancholia. As the echoed vocals wrap themselves around you, whole thing forces you into confronting emotions we’ve all felt but rarely hear expressed with such clarity.
2. Damian T. Klimek – Into the Storm
Into the Storm is an aptly named track – sweeping and commanding from start to finish. Damian T. Klimek’s vocals anchor the song: rich, powerful, and confident, there’s something almost elemental about them, like waves rising and crashing on a midnight shore. The instrumentals reflect this natural power beautifully, with siren-like tones and powerful swells, lending the track an orchestral, cinematic feel – it’s undeniable that this is the kind of music that belongs in a soaring soundtrack. The song possesses a mythical quality, and every crest and fall of sound and energy feels deliberate. It blurs the lines between sound and score, engulfing you in its eponymous storm.
3. Hanne Leland – Nothing At All
Norwegian artist Hanne Leland is known for her melodic, pop-forward songs and her delicate, shimmering vocals, and these are in full display in her track, Nothing At All. Offering up a glimpse into the everyday intimacies of a happy, settled relationship, Nothing At All focuses on simplicity both thematically and through its light production. Leland pairs heartfelt lyrics (“Don’t need no band that’s playing / Just you and I, we’re swaying… Know there’s nothing I want more / than to do nothing at all with you”) with a minimally produced soundscape that allows the vocals and lyrics to shine. Nothing At All promises to be a contemplative addition to Hanne Leland’s growing repertoire, delivering equal parts emotional weight and polished clarity.
4. Jordan Olympus – Outlander
At its core, Outlander is about identity, and the power it holds. With its groovy afropop-inspired beat, Jordan Olympus’ vocals lend a swagger to the track: he feels untouchable, magnetic, and irresistible, offering “thrills a day” while simultaneously keeping control (“No rush, I do it my own way”). The repetition of chants through the track gives it a club-ready, hypnotic energy; it’s designed to be performed live with call-and-response. Outlander is layered to perfection: background vocals flowing seamlessly into his melodic next line, instruments meshing together like they were made to be placed into the track, producing a gleaming, golden sound. Olympus is rewriting the space around him, and he’s sure to deliver every time.
5. Lazyboysadgirl – Floating
Floating is the perfect example of lo-fi dream pop, London-based duo Lazyboysadgirl’s speciality. It carries the perfect mix of high energy and lo-fi, leaving you in an almost hypnotic state. Add to that the slight reverb, the fuzziness, the glow the vocals carry, and you’ve got yourself a track that sounds surreal, like it exists on another plane. It’s a song that takes you through twists and turns, ensuring that just because it’s hypnotic, it doesn’t mean you stop paying attention to it. The mix ensures that all levels bleed into each other just enough to leave you with a cohesive experience; it lingers long after it ends, like a half-remembered dream.
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