New year, new talent: January's Future Vibrations!
- blondevibrations
- Jan 25
- 7 min read
Apologies for the brief pause, we were dealing with a code red. Yes, that code red. Harry Styles has officially re-entered the musical chat. Anyone familiar with the Blonde Vibrations psyche will understand the gravity of this moment, and can safely assume there was both hooting and hollering.
Still, life does continue beyond disco (occasionally). Which brings us, fresh off the press, to our first Future Vibrations installation of the year, and we could not think of a better way to begin this new cycle of life than with this selection of incredible artists!
Karly Bowman - 'One Day'
Karly Bowman is undeniably an artist to watch this year, fully coming into her own with a country-infused pop sound that feels both assured yet intimate. 'One Day' explores heartbreak with an earnestness that never overreaches, quietly revisiting a past built in shared moments and borrowed time. Her lyrics feel unfiltered as she looks toward a future where memories loosen their grip, no longer tied to the person they were made with. Nostalgia, whether tender or forever painful, has a way of pulling you into a spiral of what could have been, or what should have lasted longer. Sonically, the track is easy listening, its softness mirroring the slow, deliberate process of detachment. There is an almost Eternal Sunshine-esque longing for selective forgetting, as Bowman begins the uneasy act of weaning yourself off someone’s lasting hold, a presence that continues to haunt the narrative, even after they no longer belong to this chapter of your life.
Holly Nicholson - 'i forget we're friends'
Holly Nicholson fuses an angsty, contemporary sound with a lived-in, vintage sensibility on her latest release, 'i forget we’re friends'. There is an immediate rawness to the track, infectious yet heavy, carrying the same slow ache as the January blues. Her voice opens with an almost naïve fragility, gentle and unguarded, before the weight of the song begins to surface. As the drums ease in between beneath a woozy guitar line, the torment surfaces to take the track somewhere sharper, more anxious. It feels like watching your emotions drift out of sync with your head, caught in the space between what you want and what you know you cannot reach, despite how much you desire it. It is a cathartic unravelling of every pent-up feeling, a release that finally lets it all out of your system.
Sofia and the Antoinettes - 'Hi My Love'
Ethereal harmonies open 'Hi My Love', creating a space that feels almost sacred. From the first note, the track moves with a hushed intimacy, as if you have stumbled across something you were not meant to overhear, but simply cannot pull away from. Every element of this single is fine-tuned, from the lyricism that reads like whispered poetry, glimmering synths, and Sofia’s lead vocal delivered in a way that is tender yet worn at the edges. There is a gentle rasp in that voice which cuts through the dreaminess, the song still feeling otherworldly yet grounds it simultaneously. The track unfolds like a revelation, and we witness a kaleidoscope of feeling through love, faith, heartbreak, and the slow, transformative process of change as you step through to the other side. With just shy of 100k monthly Spotify listeners, tracks like this position Sofia and the Antoinettes as an act on everyone's mind, and the output is something so unique.
Anna Smyrk - 'Skin Thinner'
'Skin Thinner' by Anna Smyrk is a tender meditation on grief and life, written in the aftermath of her father's unexpected passing. The track captures quiet resolution, rather than a confrontation. Anna moves with a careful softness. It is an attempt to move through the shock, to soften back into the world and choose to remain open feeling again, even when it hurts. Smyrk beautifully sits with the understanding that pain does not simply disappear, but it can exist alongside joy, it does not diminish what you have lost, but you carry it within this new version of yourself. Nestled between indie and pop, the arrangement feels deliberately restrained, allowing space for each emotion to breathe as the sense of light filters back in. The subtle shifts in textures reflect the complexities of what Smyrk works through within the track, and overall, it honours that uneven process of finding your footing again after something so unexpected.
Cherry Bomb - 'Never Be Me (M★THER★CKER)'
'Never Be Me (M★THER★CKER)' arrives as a dazzling debut from Mandy Lee's solo project Cherry Bomb, bursting onto the scene with a confident, theatrical flair. The track revels in self-assurance and hard-earned autonomy over seeking validation and lowering yourself simply to fit into others' expectations. Independence is wrapped in glitter and grit, realising just how powerful you can become as you step away from patterns that hold you back. The track is pop perfection, built for movement and spotlight moments. It feels destined for the stage, exuding kinetic energy and explosive momentum. Every moment hits with intention and becomes a true earworm. 'Never Be Me (M★THER★CKER)' announces Cherry Bomb's arrival with lights flashing, volume dialled all the way up, and as an artist well and truly in control.
Holly Humberstone - 'To Love Somebody'
Holly Humberstone's album rollout is truly upon us, and with 'To Love Somebody', she continues to lean fully into the shadowed romanticism of this new era. The single thrives in the tension she captures so effortlessly, the understanding that love and pain are not opposing forces, but intimately tethered by their inherent connection that gives shape to one another. This is what gives the heart of the track a bruised tenderness. Humberstone remains a lucid and visual storyteller, her lyricism amalgamating to become a gothic-tinged world for her music to sit so well in. Everything in this era unfolding feels deliberate from the melancholy textures, the romantic ache, the sense of devotion haunted by loss. The world she builds is one where feeling deeply is simply unavoidable, but suffering is not something to escape; it is a tool to sharpen love's intensity. While the chorus is bright and catchy, the darkness pulses beneath it, where devotion is forged through hurt, and joy only exists because ache came first. 'To Love Somebody' tells the tale that pain becomes the baseline for every moment of affection and vulnerability.
Lucy Blue - Delicate
Lucy Blue has become a firm favourite at Blonde Vibrations HQ, and 'Delicate' expands her already gorgeous discography. The track captures that familiar duality of self-protection with the armour we wear against the world, and the softer core of vulnerability we keep carefully hidden behind it so as not to appear weak. True to its title, the song moves gently, handling fragility with care rather than spectacle. 'Delicate' strikes with honest lyricism. Lucy leans into the truths that admitting this emotional exposure is integral to life itself, feelings that cannot be simply swept aside in favour of a brave face. The writing is self-aware in nature, particularly in moments like the peach imagery, where softness becomes symbolic of bruising, the ease with which we can become marked and changed. The truth has a way of surfacing when you are alone with your reflections. Sonically restrained yet emotionally resonant, the track recognises fragility as human nature when you are fraying from the weight of everything you carry. With each release over the past year, Lucy Blue has continued to reveal herself as a versatile, nuanced artist.
Dalia - 'Blue June'
'Blue June' offers a deep exhale at the exact moment it is needed. Set against the emotional reset of welcoming in a new year, Dalia uses the track to encourage a gentle release of what no longer serves you through comfort over confrontation. At its core is a soothing but ultimately resolute truth that you do not need to be chosen to be worthy, and someone else's failure to recognise your value does not and never will lessen it. Healing, Dalia reminds us, begins with self-selection, choosing yourself to step outside the confines of your own damage. 'Blue June' floats within Dalia's signature dream pop-leaning indie sound, where soft melody drifts alongside moments of turbulence that wash over the listener in waves. What makes the track so resonant is its emotional honesty. Dalia does not mask the difficult truths but allows them to exist within the dreaminess. She proves that affirmation does not have to be loud to be powerful, and that is so resonant to her audience. Dalia continues to carve out her own sound within the indie-pop sphere, one defined by softness, strength, and a growing confidence that positions her as an artist to watch in 2026.
Rachel Grae - 'Come A Day'
Rachel Grae commands attention on her latest release, 'Come A Day', a song that will resonate with fans of Sienna Spiro, Amy Winehouse, and Adele. The track captures the suspended, liminal space between heartache and healing, where pain still lingers as flickers of hope break through to the surface. From the opening moments, the track feels cinematic, where emotions unfold in slow, luminous waves. Grae's voice carries the weight of longing with that deeply soulful, raw voice. Each pause is filled with unspoken reflections. The production allows the listener to float through the grief and ache, where small but persistent sparks of optimism can shine when you least expect them. 'Come A Day' decided against rushing the healing process, instead honouring the pause and patience required to move forward, even if it feels like getting further away from being okay again with every passing step. Every beat gives power to the journey of the heart, learning to mend. With the choral inclusion surrounding Grae's voice, the song ends at a point of sorrow and hope coexisting, optimistic about the arrival of peace whenever it shows its face.
Ashlie Skye - 'Not Drinking Anymore'
On the surface, 'Not Drinking Anymore' does exactly what it promises: it explores a life unburdened from alcohol, the familiar crutch in social situations left behind. Ashlie Skye takes this and goes further, delving into the ripple effects of letting go of what no longer serves you. She reflects on the challenges, the shifting dynamics of relationships, and the courage it takes to make choices for yourself, even when it discomforts people you once considered constants in your life. The song is about moving forward with the intention to grow. Skye’s voice is warm and reassuring, carrying each lyric with a lived-in confidence. The track glistens with acoustic simplicity, the delicate guitar serving as a mirror for the clarity and resolve of the song's message at its core. 'Not Drinking Anymore' is an intimate triumph, released at the perfect time to showcase an artist who knows herself enough to stand tall in her decisions, and invites listeners to find strength in their moments of choice, regardless of fallout or loss as a result.
Who has been your 2026 musical standout so far?
Comments