These LITM Pop Picks are reflective, powerful, and hypnotic – featuring artists like Liz Lavly, Eshan Agarwal, Mary Jennings, and more!
1. Liz Lavly – I turn to stars
Liz Lavly’s latest single, I turn to stars is contemplative, slow, and liberating. On the track, Lavly brings together elements of pop, indie-rock, and jazz, creating an arrangement that’s spacious and expansive, leaving room for her rich, powerful, confident vocals to soar the way they do, sounding so natural and effortless – contributing to the themes of introspection and self-reflection that the song revolves around. It has an almost ethereal quality with its minimal backing instrumentals, giving the song a sense of intimacy: it sounds like Lavly is speaking directly to you, and you can’t help but listen. Check I turn to stars out here!
2. Eshan Agarwal – The Siren
New York-based Eshan Agarwal’s latest single, The Siren, explores the feeling of being drawn to someone who you know may wreck you, when all you want to do is be closer to them. Laying lyrics like “When I tried to leave, oh, then the storm began / You keep me on a leash, your puppet to command / Would you ever put me first, or was I the backup plan?” on a bed of haunting siren calls and groovy percussion, Agarwal creates an atmosphere that’s at once sinister and alluring. The song takes you through an established narrative arc with calm ease, painting a vivid picture in your mind that you can’t look away from – listen here!
3. Mary Jennings – Phoenix on Fire
Humming with reverberation and haze, Phoenix on Fire is a track that’s dream-like and hypnotic: the kind of song that’d play in the background as you lie on the floor, watching your ceiling fan go round and round and round. It echoes with mystery, swirling around you like smoke – the more you try to grab it, decode it, the faster it moves away from your grasp. Mary Jennings doesn’t hand meaning to you on a platter – she invites you to make your own interpretations. It’s powerful, intense, and resonates with resilience and strength. Give Phoenix on Fire a listen here!
4. Matthew Spreen – Narcistasia
Narcistasia is slow and steady, like a half-asleep confession from Mathew Spreen. It’s never in a rush to make its point, nor is it stumbling over itself to keep your attention: it flows along at its own pace, taking its time to bloom open, settling comfortably in your body as it does so. It sounds less like a studio recording and more like what you’d hear from the next room if you were to strain and listen; this gives the song an ambience, an authenticity that’s hard to duplicate. As Narcistasia washes over you, it leaves you with a sense of calm brought on by the minimal backing and Spreen’s conversation voice – listen here!
5. William Kalmer, Audrey Karrasch – Graceland
“Take me to Graceland, whatever that means / Could be a lie, could be a dream…”
Graceland opens with a cinematic piano, shimmering strings, and rich yet airy vocals. It’s dreamy, delicate, relaxing, and stunningly clear in its minimalism: when there’s nothing to hide behind, you have to do a perfect job, and that’s what Willian Kalmer and Audrey Karrasch have accomplished on this track. It carries a bittersweet sound throughout, like recalling a distant memory of the happiest you’ve felt, while knowing you can never go back to who you were in that moment – still, you’re grateful for getting to experience it at all. Give Graceland a listen here!
Follow the playlist for all new artist updates!
If you would like to submit your music for playlist or review consideration, please submit here.