August 22, 2025 — Weekly Bullet Reviews
Our column is a bit late this week, but that doesn’t mean that the hits aren’t coming!
As always, some ground rules:
- These songs are listed in no particular order.
- Basically these blurbs are our rough first impressions of these tracks, so our reviews will be a lot more relaxed!
- Anything released from the past 3 weeks/month is eligible for a bullet review.
- Songs with new, recent music video releases will also be considered for a weekly bullet review.
C: Softly and eerily, “Forever High” has the vibe that getting high isn’t just an option, it’s an inevitability. The hook rambles before resting on the solution, “Why do I waste all my time hating myself / All I really ever do is get high / The forever kind” so drenched in reverb it sounds cavernous. Wang’s sound blends elements of rock with softer aspects of alt-pop and electropop but it’s also serious and theatrical in a way that reminds me of WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? For me, “Forever High” relates not just a chronic high but instead the feeling of being so high that a moment smears into the next neverendingly.
Justin: Sticky summer goodbye flavors. Love how crushed the sound gets toward the end. Coping and depressed anthem that speaks to you late at night.
Mya: This would go great in a playlist with Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful”.
Li-Wei: The first thing I thought when I heard Wendy Wang’s “Forever High” is just how good her voice would be if it were on an EDM track (DJs and producers take note!). She has that almost ethereal vocal quality that allows you to just sink into the song with her. “Forever High,” though, is one ride that you probably don’t want to stay too long on. With lyrics like, “Don’t wanna see my therapist / I’m gonna blackout / And kiss my dark angels / I wanna end it all,” it edges a bit more towards Euphoria rather than euphoria. Great instrumentation, though… I love how the guitar solo comes screeching in towards the end.
C: Despite my mom’s love for him, I’ve never taken much of an interest in Will Pan. “Yes I Do” rolls along slickly as a modern R&B love ballad. The production is clean and polished and the melody is catchy enough. While I can’t find any fault in the song itself, the direction of the music video is somewhat off-putting. The aesthetic blends the pastels and simple shapes that remind me of Paramore’s After Laughter with a touch of surrealism. The actual shots of the “Yes I Do” MV are strangely sensual though, licking lips and a lot of slow motion food eating, a contrast to 45 year old Will Pan. Not to say people in middle age can’t be sexy, but Will Pan seems to be playing at a young man’s game.
Justin: Succulently lovelorn. Charming. Also made me look up the cultural powerhouse that is Will Pan. Even though this is a familiar sound, I think there’s something interesting here I can’t quite place. Blisteringly commercial.
Mya: I’d like to see the choreo a college dance group would set to this.
Li-Wei: I’m using Will Pan’s new song as an opportunity to lament how we haven’t covered enough Mandopop on FTI. Having grown up on albums like Will Pan’s The Expert (ahem, “不得不愛”), Pan is one of the icons who shaped the early 00’s soft Mandopop sound. “Yes I Do,” however, kind of feels a bit more trend-chasing than setting. I can easily imagine any other rising Mandopop artist being given this cookie-cutter pop song, and Pan kind of mumbles his way through this one. The chorus seems a bit half-baked (“Baby I looooOoOoOoove you”) and honestly, I really don’t know what’s with all the burger references in the video. Not the comeback I was hoping for, but at least the video’s funny!
C: Keshi lifts a laundry bin off his head and climbs out of a plastic Brute can as he sings about post-breakup yearning. “WANTCHU” is a nostalgic karaoke head bobber with soft synths and a low-key beat. Fellow artist Porter Robinson appears on the credits as a writer-producer, perhaps due to his influence hints of maximalism seep through with indulgent uses of twinkling percussion or chops and loops in the outro. Keshi’s high pitched vocals glide across the track soaked with heartache in lines like “And even if you never take me / You know I’ll always be your baby”. “WANTCHU” is an absolute standout amongst Keshi’s discography and a killer single — Keshi, what the fuck is that visualizer though.
Justin: Those Christmas bells though. I’m really happy to hear Keshi becoming a household name with tracks that are so undeniably well conceived. The R&B and rock elements are so well blended. Keshi is not out of ideas. This is absolutely a winter track a couple seasons early.
Mya: I started the song, saw the cover art, and thought, “Wait is Keshi a lesbian??” …The guitar is good.
Li-Wei: Keshi fans are not beating the allegations! I definitely agree that more straight-up sexy R&B-influenced songs is never a bad thing, and Keshi honestly still does them the best at the moment. “WANTCHU” is a swoon-worthy one that the Kevin Nguyens of the world will definitely add to their Hinge profile for the next year or so.
C: There’s something in essence to Ley Soul’s “Love, Bomb” between a lullaby, poetry, and meditation. Ley Soul darts around pitches with shocking vocal dexterity, sparsely accompanied with a guitar and piano synth her reverb and sustain laced singing supports the majority of the arrangement. What an ethereal track!
Justin: Spatial thrumming harmonies drifting off to distant planets. “Love, Bomb” is like a siren song echoing into lonely corners of the universe. Loungey, spotlit, freaky. Gives David Lynch. Scintillating musicality from Ley Soul.
Mya: I adore the riff on “How cold” and “How bold”. A delicious listening experience. I imagine this is what stories mean when they describe cold, sweet well water.
Li-Wei: Does anyone else remember Ley Soul bursting onto the scene with “Intergalactic Janet”? That was wild to see happen in real time a few years ago. On her debut EP, Panda, Ley Soul continues that work with neo-soul songs like “Love, Bomb” that really show off her vocal range outside of those one-off singles. I could honestly listen to Ley Soul’s vocal musings for ages – here it takes center stage above some sparse echoey acoustics, amplified with some vibrant vocal effects. This is just what I needed on a hot, lazy summer day.
Justin: I have been making constant references to Lights as the scene, techno sound returns, but this is the one that is the most most most apt. “Need Ya” is a hyped up, flashing ode to the base instincts of Y2K+ love bops. This is a great track. The synth breakdown is amazinggggg. My track of the week. Also–this is cursed– but anyone remember “My Jeans”?
Mya: “Need Ya” feels particularly attuned to my sonic tastes. That synth bridge is mmm. I would like a little more lyricism though!
Li-Wei: This one’s giving me DDR vibes! More people need to bring that nostalgic eurodance vibe back, and its marriage with modern EDM and hyperpop pitched vocals is a great combo, so “Need Ya” is kind of checking off all those boxes for me. Also, wisp and CAM GIRL angel-themed crossover soon? I’d like to see that happen just for the potential for some sick visuals.
Royce Fisherman – “HUH! (feel good)”
Justin: Upbeat, riding, and remarkably referential to Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” in tone, tempo, and theme. Perfect for driving into the city. Solid track that I crave just a little bit more sauce from.
Mya: We’ve got another catchy, breezy tune from Royce Fisherman. The opening is goooooood. I’m fond of the trademark rubbery, pitched-down voice he employs in his songs. I’m not always a fan when he strays from it.
Li-Wei: How can you listen to this and not feel good within the first few seconds? Royce Fisherman is onto something with his infectious cool-boy positivity that makes me want to believe in optimism again. This feels good!
Justin: Instantly intimate. Catchy, dramatic, and danceable as hell. Ali Sethi has the aura 100%.
Mya: “Hanera” gets me hot under the collar. “He plays me nice and slow / He joins his thread with mine / I feel so good and fine”. Whew! Erotic…
Li-Wei: Behind the scenes in the From the Intercom virtual offices, we’ve been talking about Ali Sethi’s music for months now, and I’m ashamed to admit that this is the first time that I’ve finally sat down and gave his stuff a serious listen. I’ve been missing out! “Hanera” features a heavy South Asian flair that feels like it’s meeting Western pop enthusiasts where they’re at. Yes, I have the chorus stuck in my head now.
Justin: The body on the piano is so full and makes a soulful impression. The way the rest of the instruments and vocals fall into the song feels so good on the ears. The lyrics and line delivery I am mixed on, but open to. It definitely takes getting used to. This “song about grief” is enrapturing.
Mya: The opening of “dont go yet” wouldn’t be out of place during a very earnest open mic performance. I say that, but then the chorus of voices arrives and the stage opens up, expands, and just as quickly fades away. OK KAI’s singing feels ‘alive’ which both endears and repels me. It’s how I feel about musicals, too. Vulnerability is hard to listen to.
Li-Wei: Poetic and gentle. What is this wave of calm that has just come over me? OK KAI’s “dont go yet” feels at times a bit thin when he’s singing over his piano, but the roaring choir that arrives in the latter half brings the dynamism that I’m listening for. The track is a touch bit too slam poetry-ish for my liking, but peaceful nonetheless.
Justin: ÊMIA completely takes over on “Gut Feeling”. Such an excellent grasp on tone, delivery, and intensity on a poppy, high impact signal from the gut. Also shout out to the music video taking place at the TWA hotel, it’s gorgeous! What a spot!
Mya: ÊMIA punches the air out of me. I love the feeling of impact. “Nothing hits harder than a gut feeling”.
Li-Wei: I love a no-holds barred big feelings pop song, and ÊMIA delivers on “Gut Feeling”! Next time I’m jet setting off somewhere, I’ll play this one when we take off.
Sunset Rollercoaster – “Wind of Tomorrow”
Mya: Even if you stripped this song down to just vocals, I’d like “Wind of Tomorrow” a lot. It has a kind of malaise that’s very refreshing. Reminds me of bands I grew up with, like Eggstone and The Wannadies.
Justin: Contemplative bliss like going on a walk to the park after the rain. “Wind of Tomorrow” is full of wonder. The faint strings and audio reverses countering the main melody rattles my senses (headphones recommended). Sunset Rollercoaster is so talented man.
Li-Wei: At this point, Sunset Rollercoaster are just flexing on how years later, they can still dominate the indie pop conversation with a surprise drop like their sudden album release of QUIT QUIETLY. “Wind of Tomorrow” is pleasantly sweet and romantic, and I love how their instrumentation kicks the song up a notch into movie soundtrack territory. This one in particular reminds me so much of “Let There Be Light Again”, a personal Sunset Rollercoaster fave of mine, so I’m all for it.
Header photo taken from Royce Fisherman – “HUH! (feel good)”.
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