The majority of new music that has been released during quarantine has felt urgent and introspective—often forcing us to face uncomfortable sides of ourselves. However, California artist Lillian Frances has us looking outwards. Her debut album, Moonrise Queendom, is a joy to listen to and puts her among a group of exciting new artists to follow.

On "Pídelo," Frances invites us to look at the moon. She describes a bright summer night, which she’s in awe of—enticing us to join her skywatching. As her lyrics discretely shift to Spanish, she asks us to listen to gossiping stars, "Las estrellas son cotillas, escucha!" Her reverence for the moon and stars is contagious and vibrant with childlike wonder. And yet for a song that wanders through the night sky, "Pídelo" seems to have plenty of sunshine. A self-described "sonic collage," Frances weaves together electronic textures and rhythms with a warped playfulness that brings to mind recent Dirty Projectors.

Lillian Frances brings the same kind of fun, colorful energy to electro-pop that Sylvan Esso did in 2014. It is no surprise that six years ago, while attending a Sylvan Esso concert in L.A, she described what she was thinking on her Facebook page, “that is what I am going to do.” And so she did, and even more impressively, she managed to make her own sound along the way.

Irish-Iranian songwriter and producer Glassio’s newest single “Are You Having Fun Without Me?” is a melancholic dream-pop rumination on the slow evanesce of an old friendship. The Queens-based artist combines storytelling with synths in a believably nostalgic way as he asks questions he will likely never know the answer to: “are you having fun without my love? / are the problems gone without me? / or have they just begun?” His voice sitting soft and low amongst the dance-pop production adds a level of authenticity. It’s confessional and honest without leaning too far into the melancholy. Though it may be a little too soft to dance to, it is perfect for a late-night drive spent thinking. “Are You Having Fun Without Me?” is Glassio’s first release since his 2019 debut EP Age of Experience. It is also the first single off of upcoming debut album due out this spring.

Every song by Chicago's Ratboys can be traced back to the dormitory friendship of singer Julia Steiner and guitarist Dave Sagan in the first days of school at Notre Dame. Sometimes the lineage is literal, as with their newest single, “I Go Out At Night,” in which they lifted a guitar part from the skeleton of a song they wrote in that era. But more often even than that, a Ratboyssong will faithfully capture the wide-eyed sense of wonder endemic to that period in one’s life, exploring emotional territory usually reserved for late nights on a futon. Multiple guitars bash against the walls of the song’s structure, trying to break free in the abstract way that an adolescent dreams of being free. “What if I never come home?” wonders Steiner, but the band shows immense restraint, never forcing that thought to develop beyond the daydream that it is. Steiner’s biggest strength is in her tactful vocal delivery, whispering where others would shout, allowing her melodies to shine through the noise.

What begins as a chaotic, tense guitar solo glides seamlessly into a slow, sultry rock tune on “Look Back On It,” the second track off of New Brunswick indie-rock outfit Zoochie’s debut album Honey. Lead vocalist Libby Kallins tells the tale of that first date we all know too well: one that you want to be over before it’s even started because the connection just isn’t there. She sings, “Snap, it’s gone in a second / Every minute left with you, I guess it could be depressing / But it’s not, it’s gone in a moment / And I don’t know what I’ve got until it’s left me uneasy.” The song is dynamic, taking us on a sonic journey through strong, powerful interludes and softer, more thoughtful moments. Drawing inspiration from artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, Cage the Elephant, and Frank Zappa, the group clearly showcases their passion for creating music that listeners will want to feel and dance to. After three years in the making, Honey is the compilation of songs composed from stories wild, calm, and heartfelt that the band has personally experienced throughout their time together. With its infectious energy and vibrant colors, “Look Back On It” is the perfect glimpse into what Zoochie has to offer.

Following her popular first record Clean, Soccer Mommy (aka Sophie Allison) continues to release songs with hooks that’ll replay over and over again in your head. Like her two previous singles, her latest track “circle the drain” retains her signature guitar-driven soundscape. She mixes it with emotionally revealing lyrics that are delivered through angelic vocals. Her voice flutters inside your ears, tricking you with its warmth—making it easy to gloss over the depth and dissonance in her words. Wrapped up in her cheerful sounding production she sings, “Hey I’ve been falling apart these days / Split open watching my heart go round and around,” the duality of her artistry floating out in the most beautifully subtle way. Allison’s work is perfect for staring out the train car window during your commute and reminiscing about the times that have already passed you by. Her new album color theory comes out February 28 and you can also catch her on the road when she starts her international tour in March.

Nostalgic and lush, “Big King,” the catchy new single from Brooklyn-based duo Fake Dad, is lo-fi midnight magic. The track defies genres, pulling from indie pop, r&b and rap elements, and emphasizes the opulence and fantasy of influence by juxtaposing cool, dreamy beats with images of grandeur. The instrumentation is delightfully strange: a lovely, reverberating piano and groovy, r&b-inspired percussion coast over the satisfying crackle of a retro synth, while rapper Leke’s verse is a surprising and energizing addition to the arrangement. The track’s cozy, crisp production evokes the indulgence of late-night pillow talk and unfiltered intimacy and is the perfect compliment to vocalist Andrea de Varona’s velvety, ethereal voice. Her lyrics conjure up images of a big king ruling precariously over a glass mountain, lending themselves to larger questions of success and its relationship to truth. “Big King” is pensive and dynamic, and adds an entirely new dimension to Fake Dad’s signature comforting sound.