September 9, 2025 — Weekly Bullet Reviews
Things are starting to get chilly around here. Brace yourself for the fall season!
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.
Li-Wei: Starfall makes soft RnB-pop that reminds me a lot of Keshi’s output; it makes a lot of sense that the two were on tour together recently. “Ink and Feather” is a fairly minimalist song with a lovely piano and Starfall’s made-for-crooning voice, and it’s pleasant. It’s a bit too soft around the edges for me, but this music will no doubt find an audience.
Mya: Midnight cafe vibes. I like the turmoil of the guitar as the song unravels. I did initially hear the final line of the song as, “I cut myself thinking about you.” It is not that. It’s “I caught myself” but it did scare me for a second there. That would be a very different song.
Peterparker69, Rosier, HUNA – “Monkey See”
Li-Wei: Gonna use this chance to hype up Peterparker69’s debut, yo, which came out at the tail end of July. “Monkey See” isn’t the most striking song on the Japanese hip-hop duo’s album, but it features a lot of aspects that I love about the group. Glitchy pitch shift effects turn “Monkey See” into a cruising self-love song that showcases anthemic hype energy as well as an almost Internet too-cool-for-you hyperpop aesthetic. Conflicting feelings, yes, but even with Rosier and HUNA contributing to the track, they somehow make this all come together.
Mya: I love the scratchy, tired “monkey see, monkey do” and the rushed, almost garbled “もうない まうない”. It feels like the sort of mantra you hold onto when everything is too much.
Li-Wei: This is one of those tracks where I have no idea what’s going on in the music video but it just adds so much! “Hungama” has a wildly infectious energy that finds Shreea Kaul channeling Doja Cat to bring some fun into her brand of pop. Shout-out to those 80s special effects in the video. I love me some campiness.
Mya: There’s no way I wouldn’t love the chorus and the textured refrain of “hungama, hungama!” This is a fun song. I like the overarching structure. But…I want more from the verses. A lot more.
Li-Wei: I’ve been listening to a lot of After lately due to their recent tour with Sea Lemon, and the second that title card came up on Unflirt’s “Sea Song,” I knew I was going to be in for a good time. This one’s a good 00s-inspired indie pop tune that is in turn reminding me of beabadoobee’s recent output. The fact that the highest resolution for the video is 480p really just adds to the nostalgia of it all.
Mya: I love the collaged, sea glass sound of the backing audio, and the dry, warbling vocals. “Sea Song” feels like a strong ocean breeze. Tangling my hair, whistling in my ear, touching all it passes. It’s refreshing.
Li-Wei: Even without the PinkPantheress feature, this one definitely also feels like it’s a 2000s R&B pop song. Reminds me a lot of NewJeans’ output before they were basically forced into early hiatus. Surprisingly, the Rebecca Black sample really works on this one, even though it’s fairly recent. Clean and slippery, just like soap.
Mya: So, I did listen to this right when it came out last month. It’s good. I love those tinny, bouncy bathtub beats. I especially like the soapy, addictive line, “hit, hit, pop it, ride, sugar water, cyanide!”
Li-Wei: This is what I want my summertime to sound like – poolside drinks, soft vibes, light chatter, and a Latin-groove beat to move to. What a great way to close out the afternoon as the sun sets.
Mya: “Side Pocket” feels like subway surfing, or boat rocking, or water sloshing (in a bottle). You know that uneven push and pull? It’s a very pleasant sensation (provided you don’t get seasick).
Li-Wei: If Aguava’s “Side Pocket” is the sound of winding down, “NINE OH NINE” is almost the direct opposite of that. JIALING turns up the heat in the club and prepares you to move your limbs with reckless abandon by building up the BPM to a cathartic conclusion. I can only imagine that the breaks here would go hard in the club when everyone’s a few drinks in.
Mya: Kind of feel like I’m in a room full of bats.
Water From Your Eyes – “Spaceship”
Li-Wei: Water From Your Eyes makes some of the weirdest songs that feel so much like they shouldn’t work, but they end up getting stuck in your head for ages. “Spaceship” from their latest album It’s a Beautiful Place follows suit, turning queasy guitars and floating strings into something entirely new. Rachel Brown’s talk-singing style is also off-kilter, unhinged, and adds to the swirling mix of slow-building chaos. Take yourself to space with just one listen!
Mya: I want to hear “Spaceship” live. I bet the bass would feel really good. …This song does make me feel physically nauseous though. No clue why. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s definitely a first.
Li-Wei: Seems like a lot of indie pop singers are taking a more folk-oriented instrumental approach to their music, and Sophia Center does a good job with those tools on the wide-eyed “Somewhere.” I really enjoyed their other song “Ruins,” and “Somewhere” continues to charm. Stream Sophia Center’s work, y’all.
Mya: That twang with the warm, sugar cookie voice…mmm. It’s like sourdough shortbread. Yum.
Header photo taken from Shreea Kaul – “Hungama.”
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