EARMILK's Top Tracks: New Music Friday Playlist [College Edition]

Get ready for another episode of top new artist releases in our New Music Friday [College Edition] playlist in partnership with Quadio—the college/post-grad creative network and app fostering an incredible community of young creatives from various colleges and cities around the world. Each week, the editorial team at EARMILK carefully reviews fresh new tracks submitted through the Quadio network and picks out a handful of music from students and young independent artists that are defining the sounds of tomorrow.

We kick things off this week with Zack Cokas as he delivers a menacing vocal performance in his latest single "Y&R." The powerful hip-hop wordsmith shows off his masterful control over the flow of the track as he flips the pace of the track with such valiant ferocity. Daniel Allan's latest single "Benjamin Button" is a lively electro-pop track with sparkling synth sounds and inescapably catchy verses. Jacob Sigman's latest track "When We Were Still Young" is a heartfelt R&B pop single featuring smooth delicate vocals and uplifting production. Anna Mancebo's latest track featuring delicate Spanish guitar plucks on top of a chill R&B production to create a dynamic listening experience that's as sexy as it is intoxicating.

Arcade Fire meets Postal Service as a wave of futuristic sounds washes over us in Max Viner's latest cut "My Dear Friend." Viner's latest track offers an immersive soundscape featuring a multi-layer guitar sound, deep echoing vocals, and a spirited percussion performance that magically engulfs the room. Adam Paddock transitions slowly from a lightly plucked whisper to an eruption of dreamy folk sounds in his latest single "Lovely Stranger." 

That's it for today's roundup but please make sure to check out the Spotify link for even more incredible new music released by other talented artists this week. Check out my editor's pick from this week's playlist below: 

Editor's top pick of the week:

Susanna Joffe - "Backseat" 

The graceful way Joffe conveys these impassioned pop lyrics by cautiously showcasing the full range of her vocal capabilities is why "Backseat" is my editor's pick of the week. Found in much of today's TikTok pop music, you can find a sea of female vocalists flaunting that soulless breathy conversational vocal style that tends to stay pretty flat from start to finish. But Joffe masterfully adds in subtle moments where you get a small glimpse of her powerful singing ability, while still not taking away the pleasantness of this mesmerizing ballad with unnecessary Christina Aguilera belts either. The singing performance is meticulous in its emotional expression and it's a natural skill that many seasoned singer-songwriters work years on trying to perfect. Somehow, Joffe has already managed to pull it off seamlessly and is an artist we should all keep on our radars.   

Are you a college student or young independent artist looking to be featured in our New Music Friday playlist? Join the Quadio college network HERE or follow them online via: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram