New Music Monday: Syd Returns With Beard, Nia Archives Drops Emotional Junglist & B2K Reunites for 'Mileage'
Read Azarian Magazine’s review of Syd’s new album Beard, Nia Archives' Emotional Junglist, and Masego's Fix Your Face, plus B2K’s historic reunion single.
Welcome back to The Archive, your premier weekly breakdown of the most vital sonics shifting the landscape. This week, we are diving into a massive bin of definitive project drops, historic R&B reunions, and underground treasures that refuse to be ignored. From highly anticipated full-lengths to bedroom indie anthems, grab your headphones.
Here is what we are living with this week.
7 New Works to Listen to Right Now
The Feature Albums
Syd, Beard
Two decades after setting the internet ablaze out of her childhood bedroom with Odd Future, Syd Bennett returns with Beard—her third solo studio album and arguably her most revelatory distillation of sound yet. Music journalists are already calling it a milestone of self-actualization; where her previous effort, Broken Hearts Club, wallowed in the sharp sting of romantic melancholy, Beard captures an artist who is completely healed, open-hearted, and ready to seduce.
Syd handles production on ten of the twelve tracks herself, balancing her signature, spacey R&B with brilliant assists from legendary figures like Rodney Jerkins and Raphael Saadiq. Critical standouts like the bossa nova-drenched “My Love” and the subtly trippy “Do Better” showcase a producer-vocalist operating at the absolute peak of her powers.
Nia Archives, Emotional Junglist
Nia Archives has officially unveiled her highly anticipated second studio album, Emotional Junglist, via Island Records. The project serves as her largest sonic leap to date, perfectly honing her trademark alt-jungle aesthetic into a brilliant manifesto on young womanhood. Critics have lauded the project’s emotional depth, highlighting how she seamlessly translates the frantic speed of jungle breakbeats into a vehicle for deep heartbreak and personal growth.
As Nia beautifully put it to journalists upon release: “To be an Emotional Junglist is to feel everything and nothing all at once. It’s to be calm yet chaotic.” Featuring incredible guest turns from Sampha and a sleek collaboration with Jorja Smith on “Get Me Down,” the record is an absolute masterclass in genre-bending.
Masego, Fix Your Face
Multi-instrumentalist virtuoso Masego returns with Fix Your Face, a rich, 16-song journey that completely blurs the lines between contemporary R&B, classic soul, and improvisational jazz. Built on smooth arrangements and intricate vocal layering, the record immediately hooks you with tracks like “Sounds Like...” and “Limerence.” Early press notes praise Masego’s effortless ability to keep the record feeling loose and jam-session-adjacent while maintaining immaculate pop sensibilities, notably found on collaborations like “Overthinking” alongside Musiq Soulchild.
Davion Farris, Alchemy
Davion Farris delivers pure independent R&B gold with his new body of work, Alchemy. True to its title, Farris spends the record transforming raw emotion and relationship friction into smooth, timeless grooves. Tracks like “Fire” ground the project in traditional soul vocal power, while features like Jai’Len Josey on “Feel” and Iman Omari on “All My Love” elevate the album into a masterfully curated sonic landscape that demands a front-to-back listen.
Stuck on Repeat: The Singles
B2K, “Mileage”
Following one of the most successful and highly anticipated reunion runs in recent history, multi-platinum early 2000s icons B2K are officially back in the studio. Fresh off their massive, sold-out Boys 4 Life Tour, the quartet has dropped “Mileage,” marking their first official piece of new music in over two decades. Journalists are praising the track for successfully bridging the gap between the group’s classic, chart-topping vocal harmonies and a polished, contemporary modern R&B production bounce. It serves as the perfect teaser for their upcoming full-length album slated for this fall.
Yazmin Lacey, “Summer Haze”
British singer-songwriter Yazmin Lacey captures absolute lightning in a bottle with her vibrant promotional single “Summer Haze.” Co-written alongside Jonny Lattimer and master-producer Fraser T. Smith, the track is a gorgeous, soulful celebration of community, romance, and the unmistakable collective joy of a London summer heatwave. It is a warm, step-to-my-table groove built around Lacey’s stunning, laid-back vocal pocket.
LÉA THE LEOX, “LEMONS”
Brockton-raised, LA-based independent force LÉA THE LEOX returns with her vulnerable new single “LEMONS.” Navigating the exhaustion of handling things beyond her control, the track acts as a gorgeous R&B therapeutic release. Over a lush, atmospheric backdrop, she brilliantly details the art of turning pain into resilience: “Life gave me lemons, so I’ve been pretending that I like to drink lemonade... pressure makes diamonds, they say.”
In Rotation on Our MP3
“Tender” by Nia Archives, Sampha
“I Wanna Be Bad Willa’s Version” by Willa Ford
“I Need You” by Meg Stalter
“After All” by Carly Rae Jepsen
“Now or Never” by Peach Tree Rascals
“Quitter” by Don Louis
“Good Reason” by Gracie Abrams
“on the floor” by X&ND
“Motion” by AMAKA
“Say That You Don’t” by Rachel Bochner
“Sauna” by Jessie Ware
“lovesexdrugbomb” by Steve Lacy feat. Cecile Believe
“Do Better” by Syd
“I Always Say I’m Leaving” by Olivia O’Brien
“Make My Move” by Quail P
“Crash Out” by Tinashe
“Always Be Mine (feat. Jordan Ward)” by Syd, Jordan Ward
“nice shoes / in your world” by Steve Lacy
“Proud” by Jaymin
“Wait For Me” by JAAS
“Overthinking” by Masego, Musiq Soulchild
“Moment Of Silence” by Luna Elle
“One & The Same (from The Chi: Showtime Original Series)” by b.kae
“The Fence” by Sól
“Same House, New Color” by Junetober
“City Lights” by Rick Ross, THE-DREAM
“Lemme Luh U BB” by Jhyve
“GMFU (feat. Big Sean)” by Syd, Big Sean
“Wonderwoman” by Masego
“running late” by Tommy Saint
The Sound Bowl
Spotlighting the essential independent and regional voices you need to know.
Featured Artist: “20teens” by Blessing Jolie
Hailing out of Houston, Texas, Nigerian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist Blessing Jolie completely kicks down the door this week with her defiant new single “20teens” via Thirty Tigers. Moving away from her traditional slow-burn folk-R&B blends, Jolie delivers a raucous, pop-punk-tinged slice of alt-rock that cuts straight to the bone.
Produced by Julian Cruz and Gavin Hadley, the track is an anthemic, tongue-in-cheek declaration of newfound independence and shedding toxic baggage. Music critics have highlighted her singular vocal delivery, equal parts biting, nonchalant, and velvety, comparing her raw honesty to early Alanis Morissette and modern rock-benders like WILLOW.
Keep the sonic conversation going with us across our socials and let us know what you have in heavy rotation this week! If you are looking to dive even deeper into the landscape, head over to Audiomack to stream our curated playlists: Prism, Liquid Vibes, The A-List, and The Check In and discover your next favorite independent artists and fresh finds. We are always searching for the next definitive sound, so be sure to drop a comment below with any artists you feel absolutely need to be on our radar.