Future Picks #010
5 Tracks From 5 Artists Under 50,000 Monthly Listeners
by Zach Collier
Hello from tmrw.
You're in luck: we’re all about bringing you tmrw’s hits today. Check out five standout tracks that showcase a mix of genres, all from talented artists from around the world with less than 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Dive in and discover your new favorite.
Emmy Adelle – "You Make Me Feel Alive"
Electronica
Emmy Adelle is a budding artist and model from the Chicago suburbs. Now based in Miami, she's crafting a unique sound that blends emotional storytelling with dance-ready, festival-level production.
"You Make Me Feel Alive" is 100% the vibe we're going for lately. That kick cuts so hard, and Emmy's vocal effects are incredibly dreamy. This is energetic without losing the underlying chill. It feels effortless, but is anything but. We're huge fans!
Monotronic – "Looking Away"
Rock
Monotronic hails from Los Angeles, California. These guys are fearlessly their own, tastefully diving into a brand of indie rock that's at once dancy and earthy. This song in particular features warbly, anthemic vocals, straight ahead drums, arpegiattors, and banging guitars.
The music video, the production, the vocal style, everything – it's really, really cool. It oozes what can only be described as pre-nostalgia. It'll make you look back at tomorrow with fondness.
The Town Council – "Lay It Down"
Alternative/Folk
Not sure what's in the water surrounding Vancouver Island, but it's working. The Town Council represents the emotional and intellectual efforts of singer/songwriter Steve Paziuk, and is a patchwork of thoughtful lyrics, tasteful production, and mood.
"Lay It Down" is reminiscent of 90s acoustic-driven alt/soft rock but is a touch less ethereal and more brooding. It sits somewhere in between Duncan Sheik and Elliot Smith. The song floats by with a tight groove so good that the track doesn't at all feel 4 minutes long, even though it's on the chiller side.
Someone get this man on a streaming soundtrack during a pivotal moment.
Henry Charles – "Plastic Stars"
Singer/Songwriter
"Plastic Stars" is a subtle killer. Largely carried by the impassioned vocal performance of South London singer/songwriter Henry Charles, this piano-driven ballad evolves with every passing second. Like the world's most musical boat on the world's most musical river, it floats along until you suddenly realize it's swept you out to sea. Charles has added so many layers by the end that the once-central piano is now just one part of a much bigger whole.
The drop at 2:15 is brilliantly executed. Its guitar tone is strikingly unique and the guitar solo is tastefully composed, playing intelligently in the gaps of the vocal lines. With arrangements this smart, it's no wonder this guy is steadily gaining an underground following.
Naomi Jane – "TACOBELL"
Pop
Sonically, this Top 40-hit-in-the-making is going to please fans of Rachel Platten, Olivia Rodrigo, and fun. in equal measure.
Lyrically, though, it's a suckerpunch to the gut that sent me into an existential spiral and made me commit to step up my game so I don't fill my significant other with this kind of sadness. As a man who may or may not be guilty of wiping the remnants of a Beefy 5-layer Burrito on my sleeve just like the guy in this song, I feel personally attacked.
Naomi Jane uses the image of "date night Taco Bell" to mourn the death of all of her romcom hopes and dreams. Writing in second person to talk directly to the girls out there who deserve to date someone better than me, she concludes the bridge with a line that's as comically blunt as it is emotionally impactful:
"You deserve better than wearing a sweater of someone who sucks."
Even though I'm 100% the guy in this song, I still think it slaps. It's that good.