It has been a while since I explored a handful of singles, but 2026 is providing early this year!
Highly Suspect
“Yellow Roses” – New Highly Suspect! I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I heard a new song from them. It seems like they are constantly just about to release something new, and then Johnny hates it, they scrap it, and start all over. I do like how each iteration he claims “this is it, the best we’ve ever done ever,” and it is really good, but that claim is totally subjective. I think this time around he’s claiming this is the most authentic they’ve felt, and I’ll give it to them. With an acoustic intro, I was nervous. I’m not usually a fan, but this had a nice sound. The lyrics, as usual, are pretty relateable, but I also like vocally that he kind of cracks out a time or two. It gives in a more live and gritty quality. Unfortnately, the chorus sounds a bit generic, but overall this fits into the Highly Suspect lexicon, while managing to give us a totally different sound than we’ve heard before.
Motionless in White
“Afraid of the Dark” – A VERY techno start, but then it makes way for some of the most intense screams I may have ever heard from these guys. It’s not totally my style, but I know a lot of fans, including my sister, will be pumped with how hardcore this is compared to their last few albums. In fact, it’s been almost four years since we got a new album from them – crazy! Someone in the Youtube comments describd this song as “aggressively positive,” which is completely true! I think that may be a mindset switch from their early days. But it’s cool to see how a good message can be conveyed through any genre. It seems like Chris might be speaking specifically to his battle with mental health, but I think fans can mold this however they need it to fit in their lives. I do hope I get the chance to see these guys again sometime this year. It’s been a long time!
Cortis
“Mention Me” – It wouldn’t be a new music review if I didn’t include K-Pop these days, right? Now, as much as I love Cortis, I do not love this song. Like at all. I can totally see where this fits into the Goat movie they made it for, but it is rough. The whole thing has so much distortion and vocal effects that almost nothing is clear on it at all. It’s difficult to pick out who is even singing at any given time. I hope they had fun making this, but I sincerely hope their new album slated for early April sounds absolutly nothing like this.
Hearts2Hearts
“Rude!” – This continues to be the only girl group I have let sneak its way into my K-Pop roster, and they deserve it! This is just a single, so no idea when a comeback is in store for them, but this song happens to be the perfect mix of styles they’ve already explored. Think if “Focus” and “Style” had a baby – it would sound like “Rude!” There is a runway quality to it similar to “Focus,” but it’s so bright a fun that you’re brain is totally going to latch onto the chorus and have you humming it for days to come. The video to go along with the song is also super fun. It looks like an early 2000s video game, but also maybe a little bit like the Sims? Hard to say. But the bridge in this song also took a fun and creative risk that totally paid off. I can’t wait to see what they do next, but I do know it will probably sound amazing!