In “Who Do I Turn To?,” Joy Oladokun takes deep-rooted pain and pushes it to the surface, creating a poignant tune with only her voice alongside a piano. However, it’s not a simple song at all—hearing her meditate on repeated, unanswered questions is like hearing an echo in an empty home, only finding security in the fact that you are present, yet completely alone. 

“I’m tired of turning on the news / And wondering why it happened again,” she sings, expressing her exhaustion. In a society where systemic racism is only now becoming prevalent for the comfortable majority, Oladokun asks her listeners: “Tell me who’s gonna make it right / When the good ones are to blame.” Her words are not masked by any intense instrumentation, but rather come fully exposed: “If I can’t turn to God / And I can’t turn to you / Who do I turn to?” A portion of her publishing royalties will be going to Launchpad Nashville, a shelter that LGBTQ youth can turn to in times of need.

Oslo-based artist girl in red’s (aka Marie Ulven) newest track "i’ll die anyway." is a three minute and twelve-second glimpse into an existential crisis. The 20-year-old bedroom pop artist plays down the melodrama with new wave-inspired guitars and her edging on monotone vocals. The story of self-doubt, omnipresent anxiety over the future and creeping despair is achingly familiar as Ulven launches into the chorus, “I reach for me, but I’m not there / I always wonder why I’m here / it’s fine it’s ok / I’ll die anyway.” If you didn’t listen to the words, you could think it was an upbeat song as it builds from verse to chorus with gradual precision. Each instrument fills in to create a track worthy of tapping your foot along to as you overthink your place in the world. "i’ll die anyway." is the first track off of girl in red’s forthcoming sophomore EP Chapter 2, which follows last year’s successful debut Chapter 1.

Singer-songwriter Adam Melchor turns heartbreak into a celebration with his newest single "Joyride." The poetically joyful meditation on moving on opens with a trumpet fanfare before paring down to Melchor’s clear vocals and simple acoustic strumming pattern that highlight the narrative quality of his lyrics. He analogizes the process of moving on to the loss of an old family car. Maybe it didn’t run as well as you wanted, but the memories related to it make it hard to let go. There is a mature clarity as he sings, “things were going our way / but they kept going until they were gone.” The nostalgic track leans towards remembering the good while embracing the reality of its departure. "Joyride" is the first single since Melchor’s sophomore EP release Plan on You, which came out earlier this year.

19-year-old, Philly-based Christinna O just released her debut album, Girl in Passing, and its stand-out track, “Don’t That Make You Mad,” calls out anyone who delights in watching others fail. The track is a smooth, grooving melody that shows off the young artist’s skills in R&B and poetry. A funky, jaded guitar riff and chilled-out tambourine taps introduce the song before Christinna O dives right into her title line—“I still find the beauty in it, don’t that make you mad?” Her message is clear from the beginning: success is the greatest revenge against someone who wants to see you fall. The compelling and catchy track reminds us not to waste our time worrying about what other people are doing. In the song, she wonders aloud, “what about your happiness?” before driving her point home with the line, “don’t you miss your own dream tripping over me.” Christinna O’s prowess as a spoken-word poet is evident in her lyricism (lines like “And I can be sweet with my tongue but I can draw blood if I want”) as well as her cadence, which builds and drops like a rollercoaster ride. In the end, she laughs off her critics with a repeated, “oh you mad, huh?” and lets us know that she’s not worried about anyone that’s worried about her.

The Wild Honey Pie is proud to premiere “Don’t Say Shit You Don’t Mean,” the newest track from Richmond-based Buzzsession alums and Larabar enthusiasts Camp Howard. Both precise and seemingly effortless, the track grooves with an intensely lazy energy. It’s a sound that should be sloppy, but this young band’s relentless performance schedule has trained them well. Camp Howard has, in many senses, broken out of their hometown—they toured nationally with the legendary Stone Temple Pilots—but they’re still rooted firmly in the Richmond scene, a scene whose support allowed them to forge their sound in the fires of the opportunity to (or perhaps struggle to) play shows every night of the week. Though evident from one song alone, the band’s versatility is truly unmistakable with perspective on their whole catalogue. Nic Perea, one of the bands two singers, occasionally pens lyrics in Spanish—and other band members admit to singing backup on lyrics they don’t pretend to understand—but “Don’t Say Shit You Don’t Mean” is as clear-cut and direct as they come. Weston Parker, the other lead vocalist and writer of the track, draws firm lines after issuing the titular command—“I won’t cook / You won’t clean,” he sings, delineating responsibilities definitively, before waffling a bit, expanding his lines to fit in his more complicated emotions. “After all this wasted time / It’s doubtful that you even care,” he sings hurriedly, but the infections groove puts complex emotions aside to reinforce the chorus: “It’s alright.” Camp Howard’s new album Cañón is out October 11th.

California native Ashe delivers supple, introspective songs, flush with lush imagery. The LA-based songstress has been on a winning streak since she dropped her debut in 2017 via Mom+Pop Music, building momentum with tours alongside The Chainsmokers, Shaun Frank, LAUV, Louis The Child, Hobo Johnson, Quinn XCII and executing notable electronica collaborations with Big Gigantic. Major advertising syncs and glowing press from The New York Times and Teen Vogue have only bolstered her indie cred. Her newest offering, the delicate acoustic affair "Cold in California," is a Dylan-esque ode to the love/hate relationship she's developed with her home state. The somber chord changes elicit the existential angst that accompanies those unwelcoming, overcast LA days. “I love California and I also despise it," Ashe told Ones to Watch earlier this month. "I’m from California and in many ways, this song is more about me than the place itself. Nothing is ever one-sided or perfect or right all the time." Check out the single here and be sure to peep the newest dates on Ashe's first headlining tour.

“FODDER,” the debut single from New York-based electro artist DJ ST THOMAS, is a dynamic, experimental pop song with an infectiously funky beat. The track effortlessly pieces together a mishmash of sounds to create a psychedelic jam with an earworm hook. Lush with bright, groovy synths and tight, island-like percussion, it bops to a pulse that flows easily with DJ ST THOMAS’s laid-back vocal as he sings about love and complacency in the age of social media. The production is crystal clear and razor-sharp, resulting in a sound that’s full and immersive without feeling too loud or overbearing. Abstract and rhythmic, “FODDER” should top all your summer party playlists. Look out for his EP, MATRIMONY, later this year.