introvertla rengaine – franck
The verdict
“franck crafts a beautifully tender french chanson that stays with you like an old photograph you can't put away”
'la rengaine' is built on the barest bones: acoustic guitar, strings, and franck's distinctive spoken-sung delivery. it's a song about the traces people leave behind, the way time softens and sharpens memory in equal measure. the arrangement stays deliberately stripped back, giving the lyrics room to do their work. there's a cinematic quality to the production that feels rooted in classic french chanson while sitting comfortably in the present. the melody circles and returns, living up to its title's suggestion of repetition, of things that won't quite let go. it's an intimate, melancholic piece with real emotional clarity.
franck is a singer-songwriter and composer from istres, france, whose work draws deeply from the french chanson tradition. earlier in his career he was awarded second prize in a marseille songwriting competition chaired by jacques veneruso. after stepping away from music for a number of years, he's returned with a more personal and mature artistic vision. 'la rengaine' marks that new chapter, placing storytelling and understated arrangements at the centre of everything. a comeback that sounds like it was worth the wait.
thank u for making this franck 🕯️
none of your business – gaea lee
The verdict
“gaea lee turns family pressure into a playful, unapologetic pop anthem that hits harder than it lets on”
'none of your business' opens with a lovely rhodes vibe, and a directness that feels almost confrontational, then softens into something danceable and warm. the track takes a deeply familiar experience, the weight of expectations from family and society, and flips it into a declaration of independence. gaea's vocal delivery sits right in the sweet spot between defiance and charm, never bitter, always in control. the production leans contemporary pop but keeps a distinctive edge, something that sets it apart from the glossier end of the spectrum. there's a lightness to how the song moves, even as the subject matter carries real weight. lyrically it's bold, emotionally it's freeing, and sonically it knows exactly what it wants to be. a confident, playful single.
gaea lee is a taiwanese artist and songwriter based in taipei, blending indie pop, spiritual folk and alternative r&b into something centred on identity, freedom and authentic self-expression. her music draws directly from her experience growing up in asia, and 'none of your business' channels that perspective into something universal. the mandarin title, 關你屁事, translates with the same bluntness the song delivers, and that directness runs through everything here. it's great to have taiwanese artists on the blog, especially when they sound this good.
thank u for making this gaea lee 🎋
exquisite – aurealis
The verdict
“aurealis builds a glossy synth-pop stunner around the tension of wanting what you know you cannot have”
'exquisite' opens on euphoric synths and that trademark aurealis vocals, then holds you right there in the ache. the repeated 'mind, mind, mind' hook pulls the song tighter with each pass, building toward that refrain, 'you're absolutely exquisite', like a confession you kinda keep swallowing back down. the production has a great cinematic and polished vibe, all shimmer and pulse, and the accompanying visual world of mirrors, reflections and circling figures matches the push and pull perfectly. a sharp, evocative piece of pop writing.
aurealis is a solo independent artist from the southeastern united states, working behind the mask to make cinematic synth-pop and electronic-pop rooted in storytelling. this is studio-based work built around original songwriting, atmospheric synths and layered vocals, with each release arriving alongside a distinctive visual world that extends the song's emotional reach. the music moves between dancefloor energy and something more introspective, exploring love, longing, loss and the quiet moments where everything shifts. 'exquisite' released on september 25, and there's only word for it - 'exquisite'.
thank u for making this aurealis 🪞
runaway - shara vallee x willo – crispin brooks
The verdict
“crispin brooks flips the wedding-crasher script into an irresistible sun-soaked dance-pop escape with real narrative ambition”
'runaway' opens on a four-on-the-floor bounce with an island-pop lift underneath, a groove that moves before you've decided to let it. shara vallee delivers the vocal at the centre with warmth and presence. brooks wrote the hook first, then kept seeing a wedding scene, a story he eventually flipped: instead of someone crashing in to claim the bride, it's the groom who's still pulled toward an ex, and the interruption turns him into the runaway. best of all, it's bright, bouncy dance-pop that's genuinely uplifting.
crispin brooks is a connecticut-based artist, writer and creative director whose path ran through journalism, graphic design and film before circling back to music. raised around reggae, dancehall, soca, calypso, zouk, bouyon and kompas, he absorbed those rhythms alongside '90s pop, r&b, house and rock, and you can hear that ear across everything he makes. 'runaway' launches the dream jungle, his new media entity, with both willo and vallee as longtime collaborators. he's already got several more singles mapped out from concept to treatment, each built for dance floors and screens alike. loads of fun this one, keep your eye on this guy.
thank u for making this crispin brooks 🏝️
rubberneck – robyn maddox
The verdict
“robyn maddox delivers a stunning noir-pop strut with 'rubberneck', all swagger, sharp hooks and silver-screen cool”
'rubberneck' opens with a strut, all groove and attitude, before maddox's gymnastic vocals take hold and don't let go. produced and co-written by darragh tibbs the track marks an evolution from her 2025 single 'margot', which ranked #10 in chordblossom's northern irish songs of the year. there's a lush, silver-screen sensibility and grace running through the whole thing, mobster-movie tension meeting indie-rock swagger, and the hook lands exactly where it should. it's sharp, cinematic and dripping with self-aware cool.
robyn maddox is a belfast-based songwriter drawing from old hollywood glamour and film noir shadows, building songs that feel dramatic and deeply self-deprecating in equal measure. she's picked up support from mcd productions, bbc introducing ni and goldenplec, and was recently awarded a place in youth music's nextgen programme. that funding helped create her sophomore ep 'heist', a five-track project reframing mental health struggles through noir imagery, set for late autumn 2026. with influences spanning julian casablancas, daft punk and gorillaz, she's carving out something confidently her own, and we're definitely along for the ride.
thank u for making this robyn maddox 🎬