Welcome to the second ever iridescent wave faves playlist, a monthly 10-ish song collection of tracks on sound that are flying way under the radar! (Check out the write-up on last month’s playlist here!)
That under radar, underdog part has become increasingly important to me on both this and my other playlist that lives on Spotify, Celia & Friends. As the web3 music landscape continues to evolve, it’s clear that those labels etc. who are able to buy up many editions of their own work to boost numbers have an advantage in charting, song + artist sales performance, etc. (also, where did all these bots and their random playlists come from? Ugh). I join others with the opinion that we find ourselves desperately needing real curation, and real communities to come together to support each other.
With that said, with these challenges & complications, I still stan web3 music platforms where I get paid my cut instantly when someone purchases my song NFT, which is why we’re (still) here in web3. I still believe in the power of real people to shape web3 music for the better! And it’s up to us to do it.
So how do I contribute to the greater goal of championing smaller artists with smaller money/time budgets making great music? I’ll be more active on socials tagging & amplifying these artists and their music in hopes of creating a ripple effect of support beyond me. I’ll also speak briefly on the tracks I choose. I’m not the first to do this, but am one of the only women with a focus on amplifying underrepresented voices to do it, and that mission is an important one to me.
As for my curation, of course I will look for music from women and/or queer people of color, including i-wave spotlight artists and others who haven’t been there yet. If that’s you, PLEASE don’t hesitate to get in touch so we can get you on the blog for a feature interview! Going through the list of recent drops on sound, there are still far too few women/non-binary artists out here. If I can help amplify your work, I will. I’m also only one person with this one blog as a side project; don’t be afraid to reach out and get the ball rolling!
Track by track:
Valentina cy – “I would never go”
I’ve seen Valentina’s name often lately — she’s a fellow artist/producer/musician not afraid to drop something less poppy like “I would never go,” which I respect greatly. This track brings Grimes energy; I wonder if she’s a fan.
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SAEKKO – “Leave me alone”
SAEKKO! I’ve recently seen her sharing some song picks of her own lately, and her energy comes across as cool and genuine to me from across these interwebz, so I was excited to press play on this. This track fuses dance and soul with style — a vibe.
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MahoganyTheArtist – “Soar”
Again, another lucky find via my search through ALL new releases. MahoganyTheArtist states that this song is a tribute to her sister Gail who passed from cancer. It’s uplifting and hopeful, which the world and I am in desperate need of lately.
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Elijah Rosario – “Uncertain Love”
Elijah Rosario is a name I know from the non-web3 world, which is why I pressed play on “Uncertain Love” and other tracks. I was treated with dreamy production and a melodic flow reminiscent of Travis Scott.
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Masha Rukiss – “no regrets (just piano)”
I just happened to come across this release from Masha Rukiss and wow, yes — just piano indeed. Sometimes that’s all you need. This short & lovely song carries so much feeling within it, and it’s also refreshing to see something besides obnoxiously electronic music on here, lol.
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Jaida – “What I’m Made Of”
Jaida is back on the playlist this month with another emotional, personal song. In this TikTok society, songwriting can feel like a lost art, but what I hear in Jaida’s music is her truth in her words and the music, which she produces. A slay.
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Celia Inside – “SWIMFAN”
*Editor’s note: THIS IS ME :P*
SWIMFAN! What more to say? These are the foundational days of Celia the artist/producer. For my first two sound drops, I have gone against my intense Virgo perfectionism grain and allowed people in to see these building blocks, these less polished but no less fire musical moments that I’ve been stumbling through lately.
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PORTAL MIXTAPE 001 [Curated by Dot]
*Editor’s note: I’M ON THIS wildly amazing mixtape*
First off, I have been walking around singing this first track from jnthn. for the last week straight, so. THANKS. In seriousness, this mixtape and all the love + intention behind it does not disappoint; it’s a wild ride of an experience from front to back.
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Brenna – “CREEP“
Rounding out the playlist is our most recent i-wave spotlight artist, Brenna! “CREEP” simply jumps off the page. We stan an individual with her own sound.
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Dot – “Body Talk”
The major synths and conversation throughout remind me of Sophie in the best way. I love watching Dot work on Twitch — it’s so inspiring to see how a major bop like this gets created from the beginning.
Thanks so much for your eyes + ears! To support these artists, collect their NFTs (many are so reasonably priced), and share/like/etc.
xo C