This week's new FM4 releases

Who should hit the top spot in the FM4 charts next week? This week's picks are: Caroline Polachek, Aliyah's Interlude, JAWNY, and Southstar x Cosby x sebo.

Written by Gerald Hollier

Caroline Polachek – “Spring is Coming with Strawberries in the Mouth”

On Valentine's Day 2023, Carolyn Polaszek released an album called Desire, I Want To Turn into You, which will almost certainly go down as one of the best pop works of the 2020s. Twelve musical pearls, joined by seven more songs on the occasion of the first anniversary on February 14, 2024. In addition to the acoustic versions of the famous pieces, in collaboration with the experimental genius Oneohtrixpointnever, the American musician also reinterpreted a song by Roger Doyle from 1986: “Spring Is Coming With A “Strawberry In The Mouth”. Anyone who knows the original won't be surprised why Caroline Polachek covered this song—the Irish composer's primal pop aesthetic and the voice of Spanish Elena Lopez are the kind of goal Polachek turns with confidence. Computer Music mastermind and label president A.G. Cook created a contemporary sound for the song. Now all that remained was for spring to come so that the song could be played up and down the strawberry land.

Fasl Alia – “Fashion Icon”

“It Girl” was one of the hottest nightclub stars in late summer last year and made Aliyah Interlude known outside the TikTok bubble. And now there is finally a worthy successor to the “Fashion Icon”. While many rap buddies get lost somewhere in the tepid mire of uninspiring reggaeton and hip-house, Aliyah's Interlude brings back a subgenre of hip-hop that has been forgotten for a very long time: Miami Bass is baaaaack! But instead of the sexy, sexist lyrics of the legendary 2 Live Crew song from the 90s, the American rapper prefers to reflect on her own individual style: she calls it #Aliyahcore. The hashtag has already garnered nearly half a billion views on TikTok. The song “Fashion Icon” is dedicated to all the creative people who make the most of the simplest things. “It's about people who can make a garbage bag look cool,” says the musician.

Johnny – “Running”

A little over a year ago, JAWNY – who many may still know as Johnny Utah – released his debut album It's Never Fair, Always. The 28-year-old Philadelphia musician calls it “the dream album I wish I could have made when I was 17.” The next dream album is already in the beginning stage. The first harbinger of this is “running”. A song strongly reminiscent of Twenty One Pilots' “Ride.” It remains to be seen whether “Running” will be such a global hit. While TØP orbits the Earth on a rocket somewhere at the speed of light, Jawny is still running on foot. Maybe current GF Doja Cat can help him achieve his latest global feat. and you! If you vote for him as the top newcomer on our charts next week aka. A drop on a lump of lava 😉

Southstar x Cosby x Sebo – “Set Me Free”

Thank you Robin Schultz for being a bold bastard and stealing his song “Missing You” from young Berlin producer Southstar. Because if it weren't for the uproar it caused on social media, Southstar probably wouldn't have gotten the media attention his music would have gotten even without this story. In the past, “Miss You” was the biggest and most important club song of 2022. All the songs that Leon Kershnik aka Southstar released after that were somewhat overshadowed by viral success due to their similar sound. With the song “Set Me Free”, the Berliners are now trying something new: Emo-Trap-R'n'B-Jump Up Drum n Bass is probably the best. Although the species has been buried deep underground for a long time. Let's call it a worthy newcomer to the FM4 charts. You can decide how loud the song will go next week. Vote now!