9 New Albums & Underground Artists You Need to Hear Now

From major label debuts like Love Spell to independent gems like NateTaylorr, grab your headphones for this premium breakdown of global music evolution.

Welcome back to The Archive, your premium weekly breakdown of the most vital sonics shifting the global music landscape. This week is an absolute powerhouse of creative evolution. We are witnessing defining global pop declarations, high-concept R&B deep dives, and raw underground UK soul projects that demand your full attention. Grab your headphones; here is what we are living with this week.

The Feature Albums

Tyla, APop*

The global pop landscape has a new north star, and she is rewriting the rulebook from the African continent out. Following her massive breakout success, South African star Tyla drops her highly anticipated sophomore studio album, APop*, via FAX and Epic Records. Critics are already hailing the project as a triumphant reclamation of mainstream spaces. Tyla boldly shared ahead of the release: “I’ve always wanted to be this pop star, but I hated feeling like I had to tailor myself to pop. I wanted to tailor pop to me instead. I bring the ‘A’ to pop—it’s African pop. African music is pop music.”

Across the record, she effortlessly weaves elements of amapiano, crisp contemporary R&B, and upbeat electropop. Backed by brilliant guest appearances from Zara Larsson, Babalwa M, and MaWhoo, the record leans into rich, percussive global rhythms without losing an ounce of her signature velvet vocal charm.

WILLOW, The Thread

Never one to rest in a singular sonic lane, WILLOW returns with her stunning ninth studio album, The Thread. This might be her most conceptually daring record yet. Deeply inspired by The Telepathy Tapes podcast created by filmmaker Ky Dickens and consciousness researcher Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, the album serves as an ethereal exploration of intuition, hidden human connections, and nontraditional communication.

Musically, it sits beautifully in an experimental singer-songwriter pocket, trading jarring rock distortions for intricate string arrangements, folk-tinged alternative movements, and hauntingly beautiful vocal stacks that explore the unseen ties binding us all together.

Kenyon Dixon, Ego Ruins Everything

Five-time Grammy-nominated R&B purist Kenyon Dixon has delivered a masterclass in modern soul vulnerability. Ego Ruins Everything is a massive, 21-track featureless concept album that plays out like a raw, unfiltered conversation Dixon is finally ready to have with himself in the mirror.

The record tackles pride, emotional armor, and the self-destructive nature of toxic masculinity through an incredibly polished, traditional R&B lens. By stripping away external features and placing the full weight on his pristine vocal execution and pen, Dixon creates a cinematic gym for tough-guy feelings that stands as one of the most honest R&B records of the year.

Love Spell, Love Is The Law

The moniker of 18-year-old Houston-born singer Sir Taegen Harris makes its magnificent major-label debut via RCA Records with Love Is The Law. Harris’ path to this point reads like a film script—battling years of youth homelessness before moving to California, grinding in studios, and catching a career-altering call from Kevin Abstract to collaborate on his 2025 project.

Featuring co-production and creative nods alongside frequent collaborators like Dominic Fike and Deb Never, the 12-track project outlines an essential thesis: love is inescapable, painful, and the ultimate law of human existence. Sonically, it balances bedroom-indie soul with glossy alternative-pop hooks that completely out-measure his young age.

DAMEDAME*, Dreams On The Passenger Seat

British songwriting and production powerhouse duo DAMEDAME* (consisting of Walsall, West Midlands natives Barbara Boko and Edith Nelson) have stepped out from behind the soundboards to deliver their brilliant debut project, Dreams On The Passenger Seat. Released via Robots & Humans, the project is earned a glowing stamp of approval from Jorja Smith, who noted: “It was the album that brought me home.”

Rather than delivering a predictable, shiny pop-R&B record, the duo weaponizes domestic detail to build an intimate, raw portrait of relationship compromises, identity, and survival over dark, atmospheric UK soul beats.

TheHonestGuy, “Don’t Disturb The Groove: Afrosoul”

Toronto mainstay TheHonestGuy is officially back to claim his stakes in the alternative soul scene with his brand-new EP, led by the irresistible titular groove “Don’t Disturb The Groove: Afrosoul”. Known for his signature blend of silky funk, jazzy chords, and traditional R&B arrangement, the track delivers a breezy, late-night bounce that bridges the gap between classic smooth-soul records and modern afrobeats-inspired syncopation.

Felix Ames, “Did The Rain Stop?”

Felix Ames continues his stellar streak of classic soul revivalism with the stunning new piece “Did The Rain Stop?”. Built on warm analog textures, live horns, and an incredibly grounded, retrospection-heavy vocal delivery, Ames questions emotional stagnation and clarity after a personal storm. It’s a gorgeous slice of timeless songwriting that hits like a classic Stax or Motown record dropped straight into the modern era.

The Sound Bowl

Spotlighting the essential independent, regional, and underground voices you need on your radar immediately.

Featured Artist: NateTaylorr, “mutuals”

Hailing out of the rising underground landscape, independent R&B force NateTaylorr drops off a brilliant, slow-burning gem with his latest single “mutuals” via 1012 Entertainment. Produced alongside David Cano, the track is a masterfully executed, moody slice of contemporary alternative R&B that tackles the digital-age anxiety of watching modern relationships fall apart through social media boundaries and shared spaces.

Built around a skeletal, bass-heavy atmospheric backdrop, NateTaylorr’s vocal sits deep in a rich, late-night pocket that feels instantly intoxicating and highly relatable. It’s an effortless addition to the late-night rotation that proves why his digital streaming numbers are quietly skyrocketing.

In Rotation on Our MP3

• “MR. NONCHALANT” by Tyla

• “That Can’t Be Normal” by chlothegod

• “HIM OR ME?” by Blaxian

• “Animal” by KATSEYE

• “I Kinda Like That” by The Paradox

• “Kind” by Joy Oladokun

• “Head First” by Will Linley

• “TIME TRAVELLIN’ LOVER” by MOONGA K.

• “Privacy” by Pitbull & Jason Derulo

• “Magic Metal Montana” by Charli xcx

• “Rockstars” by Shania Twain

• “Nothin’ Better To Do” by Carter Faith, Wyatt Flores

• “Sunday Scaries” by Honey Revenge

• “Crush On Eternity” by WILLOW, Mei Semones

• “Why I Called You” by Jaïr Faria

• “Burn It Down (feat. Leon Bridges)” by Shaboozey

• “Remedied” by FLO

• “Heart For Eyes” by Love Spells

• “INFLATION” by BLESSED

• “loving you is” by GAYLE

• “Million X Over” by Adanna Duru

• “Kiss N Make Up” by Rico Nasty

• “Reach Out” by Victoria Monét

• “WHITE GIRL” by Adanna Duru

• “Alaska” by Maurice Moore

• “stay with me” by Phil.

• “Reach Out” by Victoria Monét

• “The Present Moment” by WILLOW

• “Can’t Wait” by Genia

• “never do that” by Ye Ali, DCMBR

• “mutuals” by NateTaylorr

• “TOUCHIN ON YOU” by Kenyon Dixon

• “Show U Off” by cecilian

• “no way!” by Isaia Huron

• “TREAT ME RIGHT” by Denise Julia

• “i wish you were here” by Q

• “BBY BLUE” by JHart

• “Bullseye (Nice Shot)” by Sy’Rai

• “JUNGLE FEVER” by THEHONESTGUY

• “I Was Just A Child” by Felix Ames

• “Trouble (Bonus Track)” by Leah Writes feat. Pluggworld

• “His Favorite” by Koryn Hawthorne

• “ALL OF MY LIFE” by DAMEDAME*

• “Wasted Time” by Dylan Wild

• “Red People” by The Game & YG & Swizz Beatz & Timbaland

• “TOP TIER” by OVI WOOD

• “Girls Girl” by Jazlyn Martin and Jean Deaux

• “NIGHTS LIKE THESE (COME THROUGH)” by Kenyon Dixon

• “HOT AS A BIC” by Flo Milli

• “Conversations (feat. Dylan Reese)” by Leah Writes & Dylan Reese

• “1942” by Abby Jasmine

• “2 sweet (feat. TiaCorine)” by Adanna Duru, TiaCorine

• “Nobody (feat. Monaleo & G Herbo) (Remix)” by Trim & Monaleo, G Herbo

• “Blow Your Nose” by Rico Nasty

• “FIRE BURNIN’ THRU THE RAIN” by DAMEDAME*

Whether you are locked into the healed, sultry frequencies of Syd, riding the chaotic brilliance of Nia Archives, or cranking up the alt-rock grit of Blessing Jolie, we want to know: what is dominating your speakers? Let’s keep the dialogue going over on our socials. For an even deeper immersion into the underground soundscape, lock into our curated worlds on Audiomack—from the hypnotic grooves of Prism and the smooth waves of Liquid Vibes to the essential cuts on The A-List and The Check In. We are perpetually chasing the next definitive sound, so drop a comment below and tell us who we need to plug into next.