I grew up in Arizona, where the sun blazed nearly every day and the idea of “seasons” was more of a passing thought than a reality. When I first started the job of KHOL’s morning show host, the sun was up by the time I walked into the studio at 6:50 a.m. Now, the fog sits low and the trees are aglow. Behind the windshield on my ride from Wilson, I catch myself thinking about family and friends, about where I came from, and where I think I’m going. I try to find a way to slow down. Hosting this show has been fun, creative and very fulfilling, but it’s also been such a great reminder to myself that life, just like music, is best appreciated when you slow down and listen. Here are some songs that help me do that:
Gorillaz – “The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)” – The Mountain – 2026
After a lengthy hiatus, Damon Albarn’s animated ensemble has returned with a fresh sense of purpose. The new track “The Happy Dictator” marks the end of a long stretch of silence from Gorillaz, whose last studio album “Humanz” dropped in 2017. Since then, fans have been left in a state of anticipation, sporadically fed with the occasional odd single or collaboration.
This long-awaited return feels like a breath of fresh air, full of that signature Gorillaz blend of playful weirdness and pointed commentary. “The Happy Dictator” delivers sharp social observations wrapped in irresistible grooves, drawing from a wide array of influences while still sounding unmistakably like Gorillaz. Brothers Ron and Russel Mael are featured on the track. The “Sparks” duo is insanely underrated, with at least 10 masterpiece albums in their 50-year discography. The new single feels like the beginning of a new chapter for the group. It has the energy of an old friend returning, one that’s been away for a while but is suddenly brimming with new ideas and a trick or two up their sleeve. Thematically, the song’s biting political satire feels like a fitting commentary for these times, suggesting that the group’s upcoming album will take on new layers of complexity in both sound and narrative. Their new album “The Mountain” will drop next year on March 20.
Bakar – “Lonyo!” – BEASTIE – 2025
Bakar, born Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, hailing from the United Kingdom has unleashed his latest album, “BEASTIE.” Since his 2019, single “Hell ‘n Back,” the experimental indie singer has just shared some of his most phenomenal music to date and grown in notoriety to be featured on Justin Bieber’s “DON’T WANNA.” The lead single from his brand-new project “Lonyo!” sets the tone with sun-drenched energy and Bakar’s signature genre-bending touch. Paying homage to the UK’s hit track, “Summer of Love,” this song is the definition of pure feel-good music. Compared to previous works, “Lonyo!” feels much brighter, more playful, and shows just how comfortable he is sitting in his own lane. The music video reflects the vibrant, stylish piece, as colorful as the track. No girls, no luxury cars, no gold chains, just pure energy and fun.
Navy Blue – “Pillars” – Ways of Knowing – 2023
Navy Blue released his album “Ways of Knowing” in 2023 and the 13 song project is still in my rotation today. Born Sage Gabriel Carlose Atreyu Elesser, the American stated that the album’s title refers to the “ways of knowing that I don’t know.”
What I think I know might not be it, and to remain teachable and malleable in the process, there’s always going to be a new experience that informs the way I think about everything,” he told RollingStone.
The track, “Pillars” feels like an intimate conversation with the past, a quiet reflection on the people who shaped us, and the ones we’ve lost along the way. The song is a raw, vulnerable expression of grief and gratitude, rooted in honoring the life of his grandmother and the memory of his grandfather. I experience this song as an invitation to reflect on the quiet strength of those who came before me—the ones whose wisdom, love, and presence left an imprint after they’re gone. There’s something quietly powerful in the way he describes their presence, as if they are both gone and still with him in every moment. The voicemail from his grandmother at the end of the song always brings a tear to my eye.
Olivia Dean – “Man I Need” – The Art of Loving – 2025
Olivia Dean’s track “Man I Need” is a magnetic burst of confidence, sensuality, and soul, all wrapped up in a groovy tune that demands attention. From the first notes, it’s clear that Olivia isn’t just a rising star; she is next up. She delivers her vocals with cheeky flirtation yet an underlying depth that suggests this isn’t just a song about desire.
The English neo-soul singer is clear in her intentions. “Talk to me, be the man that I need,” demands the chorus. Dean’s vocal delivery is full of wit and charm. There is a playfulness to it that makes you want to sing along, which is not unique to just this one track. The other two singles released in her preview to the upcoming album, “Nice to Each Other” and “Lady Lady,” carry the same conviction of emotion while maintaining that lightness that forces you to sway when you listen. If these three songs are any indication of what’s coming, it’s no wonder why ‘The Art of Loving,’ which will be her sophomore album coming out Sept. 26, is so highly anticipated.
Thundercat – “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time” – I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time – 2025
Thundercat, also known as Steven Bruner, is no stranger to bending genres or expectations. The name Thundercat refers to the cartoon he’s loved since childhood, an extension of his wide-eyed, vibrant, often superhuman approach to his craft. On his new single “I Wish I Didn’t Waste Your Time”, he strikes a perfect balance between chaos and clarity. What initially feels like a quirky, funk-drenched jam slowly reveals itself to be something a little more delicate. Beneath all the funk and falsetto, Bruner comes to a realization: we should’ve hung out more. It’s the distinct kind of vulnerability in admitting you’ve taken someone’s time (and love) for granted. The Yo Gabba Gabba hitmaker was so kind to bless us with two singles in one day, also dropping “Children of the Baked Potato” featuring singer Remi Wolf on Sept. 15. Both songs bring a feverish energy that collide beautifully with Thundercat’s signature singing and intricate bass licks. I can only hope for a new project in the near future.
Earl Sweatshirt – “TOURMALINE” – Live, Laugh, Love – 2025
“TOURMALINE” is one of the brightest sparks on Earl Sweatshirt’s newest album “Live, Laugh, Love,” a project that otherwise lives in the shadows of his signature languid sound. Earl Sweatshirt helped launch Odd Future into the hip-hop limelight around the turn of the 2010s. Listeners who have followed him from his teenager years on “Earl” (2010) and “Doris” (2013), to the seriously (and descriptively) tilted “I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside” (2015), and later the fragmented brilliance of “Some Rap Songs” (2018), know Earl has always leaned into introspection and density. However, there’s a noticeable energy shift from this on his later release. Now a father and husband, it feels as if Earl has confronted his troubled past and is now rapping from a place of peace. “TOURMALINE” is proving to be the most popular song on the album, once again flexing his lyricism while always remaining cool and casual. “Struggle ain’t a team sport, you’re not afforded recourse, of course I had to reroute,” he sings. The music video makes the track even cooler. It’s a reminder that while his catalog is defined by darkness and reflection, he’s more than capable of surprising listeners with flashes of brightness, proving his evolution is still in motion.
