LITM Pop picks tunes that will redefine your week taking out all your Monday blues brought to you by Jus Min, Dawning, Frank Joshua, JULIENT and Francesca Pichierri.
Jus Min - High Speed
High Speed is an electrifying ride through an exciting soundscape of synths, beats, and high-energy adrenaline by Jus Min. The song boils with energetic powerplay, hanging a notch between electronic and pop influences, which makes it a perfect catch for urgency about chasing dreams at full speed.
The opening track, "High Speed," gets started with dancing synth lines accompanied by pulsating beats, shooting you off to another speed in no time. Instrumentally crafted vocals cruise over the backdrop of the musicians, drawing lyrics of ambition and determination.
This includes lines to celebrate the relentlessness and attention-a hallmark of the entire work. Very slick atmospheric and driving interactions keep consumers completely absorbed what's not called for in some upbeat party comp is totally left out of an album like that.
High speed is the name of it - High Speed, another praise for high-octane life from Min. It makes the ride action-packed at the right moments.
2. Dawning - Want That
Want That by Dawning is a rich, sultry R&B soundtrack that weaves longing, desire, and vulnerability into one. Rich production and emotive delivery make it sound great for those late-night moments.
The opening is minimalist with lush keys and soft percussion in a mood to what is later dominated by the voice. Dawning's voice never sounds anything less than masterful in its ability to pinpoint the push and pull of yearning.
It captures the ache of longing for a person who's out of one's reach. The lines are poignant enough to have created a bitter-sweet tension. Warm harmonies and complex melodies give this richness to the telling.
It is so intimate in its reflective nature, this is one song about emotion as well as soundscapes. Vulnerabilities are strength in Dawning's world; every note lingered after the fading of the song.
3. Frank Joshua - Walls
Walls is a touching journey into walls we set up and the strength that it takes to break those walls. The folk melodies of this track have, in conjunction with poignant lyrics, given an intimate setting for listeners to reflect and connect.
It's heavily dominated by acoustic guitar and very softly nudges the whole arrangement to centre to the emotive voice of Frank. He speaks raw, he speaks honestly. And weight gets added to the lines.
This builds beautifully into subtle strings and harmonies that just beg for catharsis, a testament to the power of simplicity in storytelling where every element seems purposefully and personally crafted.
Walls is an anthem for a soul who is built around self-imposed limitations, translated through art making the track relate-able and deeply moving to one's core by Frank Joshua.
4. JULIENT - Break-free
JULIENT's Break-free is anthemic in nature, an alternative rock number, but it contains soaring pop sensibilities. Full of driving energy and empowering lyrics, this one is for all those personal triumph moments.
Breaking off with a catchy guitar riff, Break-free immediately sets the tone to be defiant and determined. JULIENT sings with tenacity and conviction commanding into your ears with the lines. Clean yet dirty production balances the anthem choruses to be put side by side with the reflective verses, and this adds layer upon layer of instrumentation to a climatic finale that leaves one invigorated and turned on.
Break-free captures the spirit of the song - about breaking free from all the chains, be it internal or external. JULIENT has somehow managed to come up with a track that is as cathartic as it is very elevating and should be heard to the bone of all those loving empowering rock anthems.
5. Francesca Pichierri - Sperarci Due Eroi
Sperarci Due Eroi by Francesca Pichierri is actually a great ballad of cinematic orchestration combined with Italian heartfelt lyrics to create a great and evocative listening experience.
It begins with very subtle piano lines that evolve to become an anthemic sweep as Francesca brings the centre with her emotional, crystalline voice. Tender, commanding delivery keeps you glued to the tale of love, hope, and heroism.
It's beautifully written in Italian; it's the song that portrays the theme of finding strength within each other. Phrases such as "Sperarci due eroi" (Hoping we're two heroes) depict shared resilience and an untainted connection.
Orchestral elements bring dramatic and deep moments into the song's narrative, so each moment of crescendo is a victory and each silent moment allows the heart to introspect.
Sperarci Due Eroi will be a really good masterclass in emotional storytelling from Francesca, who can create sounds that transcend the boundaries of language and culture. A song that clings to the heart long after the last beat.
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