Last month, I had the pleasure of launching a brand new long-form series on Lyrical Lemonade that I’m more than excited to expound upon. If you’ve had the chance to read my articles, then you’d know that my musical taste is all over the place in the best ways possible. I’m never listening to the same genre consistently, which has allowed me to discover and appreciate a wide range of artists. With that being said, the goal of this series is to share my taste and give you all a concise list of my favorite released tracks from each month. October was filled with some great music, so keep scrolling down below to check out some songs and projects that have been on repeat for the last 30 days; IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

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1. argyle-[brakence]

One of my favorite artists out right now is none other than the pure genius that is brakence. Ever since first stumbling on him in 2019, I have been utterly hooked on just about every song that he’s put out. Once 2020 hit, it felt like everyone in the music community instantly became aware of how talented and trailblazing he actually was. With songs like, “dropout”, “rosier/punk2” & “sauceintherough”, brakence quickly made a name for himself due to his unique sound and brutally honest lyrical content. After a brief release hiatus, brakence ceased his silence and stepped back on to the scene with a much anticipated song called, “argyle”. From the moment this one dropped, til now, the song has been on my rotation consistently. From a complete production standpoint, this song is nothing short of pure gold as it features the hard hitting percussion that brakence is known for while implementing his beautifully honest storytelling. “argyle” is a 10/10, so make sure you check this one out if you haven’t already!

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2. CHASING HARMONY EP-[347aidan]

At this point, it’s accurate to say that 347aidan has not missed one single beat since bursting on to the scene last year. The young Canadian native has wasted absolutely no time is solidifying himself as one of the most promising up and coming stars and the EP he just dropped in October does nothing but back that fact up. This 6-song project perfectly showcases aidan’s immense versatility and undeniable ability to put together some of the most memorable lines and hooks. With songs like, “HARMONY” and “IDONTWANNATALKTOYOU!” feat. Renforshort, this entire offering by 347adian is a complete triumph. Him and his team should be proud of what they’ve accomplished and excited for all of the wins that are on the horizon. “CHASING HARMONY” is out now, so make sure you tap in before you’re left out!

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3. Smoke-[Don Toliver] feat. [HVN] & [SoFaygo]

One of the highlights of everyone’s October had to be the brand new album that was brought to us by Don Toliver. The 16 song project titled, “Life Of Don” delivered in every way, but what I loved most about it was Don Toliver’s decision to uplift the next generation and put people on to two artists who are going to skyrocket to the top in no time. “Smoke” feat. HVN & SoFaygo has to be my favorite song on “Life Of Don” as it exudes a head banging energy that everyone needs in their lives. The production is fire and everyone completely bodied their verse to make this one a cohesive piece that lacks in nothing. HVN and SoFaygo are more than just compliments on this song, but equal inclusions that round out a dynamic outing. “Smoke” is going to be stuck in your head from the moment you turn this one on, which is something you won’t be mad about.

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4. Red Eye-[Justin Bieber] feat. [TroyBoi]

Last month I added Drake to my favorites from September and this month I’m adding Just Bieber for nothing other than the fact that I have not been able to stop listening to “Red Eye”. Now, in no way does Justin need my musical opinion to validate his artistry, but if  you’re reading this and you just so happen to be close with Justin, please let him know that Sam Morrison says he’s doing a phenomenal job. For college me, this track was a dream came true as it paired together two of my musical idols. Ever since stumbling on “ili” back in 2015, TroyBoi has been on a pedestal, so to see both of them on this track is something special. “Red Eye” was my go to song if I needed a mood booster during the month of October and I know it can be the same for you whenever you decided to turn it on!

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5. Damned-[Gidi] & [Jonah Mutono]

I already wrote about Gidi last month, but it only felt right to add my dog back on to this compilation piece as his latest song is STILL one of the best songs I’ve heard in the last 4 weeks. The offering called, “Damned” is truly Gidi’s best song to date as it showcases his extensive range and a soulfulness that will make you ascend as soon as the production begins. From top to bottom, this song is perfect. Production, gang vocals, harmonies, melodies…The list goes on. There is not one part of the track that isn’t strong and Gidi should be immensely proud of himself for crafting up a masterpiece that has connected with so many people already. “Damned” is worthy of every purchase and stream out there, so make sure you run it up for this promising act.

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6. physs-[glaive] & [ericdoa]

It goes without saying that we’re huge fans of both glaive and ericdoa over here at Lyrical Lemonade, which is why I’m so hype to include them in this month’s wrap up piece. In October, these two superstars dropped a joint project called, “then i’ll be happy” and it’s filled with nothing but impressive song after impressive song. There truly aren’t any skips on it whatsoever, but a track that I find myself gravitating towards each and every day is “physs”. This joint is just so smooth and I can’t get over the breakdown that takes place at 1:22. glaive and ericdoa have the formula and I cannot wait to see the two of them continue to prosper. If you haven’t already, tap in with physs + the entire EP and let us know your thoughts!

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7. Summer’s Gone-[Casper Sage]

“Summer’s Gone” by Casper Sage has got to be the song that surprised me the most from October. It honestly took me be complete surprise at first listen as I hadn’t heard such an impressive piece by an up and comer in a while. Casper Sage somehow managed to garner my endless support just by dropping one song. “Summer’s Gone” is an introspective piece that will cause you to slow down and truly take in every element that’s present within it. After listening over and over, I’ve realized that I won’t be able to put Casper into a box as you can tell he has so much more in him; something I can’t wait to watch unfold. Even though Summer is gone and winter is approaching, this song will help you get through that harsh reality with eager expectation.

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8. The Only Exception-[Niko Rubio]

There are certain people who are born for the stage and Los Angeles based artist, Niko Rubio falls into that category in every way. Just last month, I had the chance to see her live in Phoenix, Arizona as she was opening up for Chase Atlantic at the Van Buren. I’ve been blessed to see a lot of amazing concerts, but for some reason, Niko’s multi-song set has been engrained in my memory for the last few weeks. She was born for the stage and that night solidified her as a star in the making. Shortly after tour, Niko decided to release her own rendition of Paramore’s hit song, “The Only Exception” and unlike most covers, her version will make you fall in love with the original song and songwriting even more. Niko Rubio has one of the most beautiful and stunning voices you’ll ever hear and I cannot wait for you all to indulge in her latest.

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9. Rodeo Clown-[Dijon]

Dijon is my favorite artist of all time and it’s not even close. I’ve been a super fan since before I could remember and nothing has me more excited than 1) his album dropping on Friday and 2) the chance to see him live when he comes to Arizona with Bon Iver in March. There are just certain artists who only come once in a generation and Dijon is one of those. His music is a gift as it reminds me of how great God must be to allow people this talented to walk the earth with the rest of us. In anticipation for his album, Dijon has released two songs and the latest is an offering called, “Rodeo Clown”. It’s hard to pinpoint a personal favorite from Dijon’s catalog and this newest one makes it ever harder to do so. I can’t wait for Friday as Dijon is going to blow all of us away.

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10. Sugar Rush-[Mei]

Southern California based talent, Mei has been on my radar for a long time, which makes it that much sweeter that I get to include him in this latest installment of my monthly favorites. His song, “Sugar Rush” has been on my daily rotation ever since it dropped on October 15th. This track has to be one of the most fun songs that Mei has put out since releasing music as it has a groove and funk that I haven’t heard from him before. As soon as you press play, you’ll instantly become hooked to the various experimental aspects that makes this an exciting one to listen to from start to finish. There aren’t enough good things to say about this one, so make sure you check it out and formulate your own thoughts!

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11. Coming Back (feat. SZA)-[James Blake]

What’s better than a James Black song you ask? Well I’ll tell you…It’s a James Blake song featuring SZA. Just last month, we received the collaboration that we never knew we needed as these two legends teamed up to release one of the smoothest tracks you’ll hear all year. “Coming Back” does not miss a beat as both James and SZA use the futuristic production to lend their respective talents to the beautifully crafted piece. The only word I have to describe this one is stunning. As I listen, I feel so undeserving in every way, but that’s just how the greats make you feel I guess. I could go on and on about how good this song is, but please stop what you’re doing, hop in your car and blast this one ASAP!

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12. Archon-[Araya]

When discussing the best up and coming talent from 2021, Araya has to be at the top of the list. The NYC-based artist has been making waves since the beginning of the year and hasn’t slowed down in anyway. Today, he makes it on to our pages for his stellar October track called, “Archon”. Araya has been one of my favorites since I first discovered him and this latest by him just made me remember why. Araya is a jack of all trades as there are so many talents in his arsenal. You can tell he thinks about music differently than all of us and lays out his expertise in everything he makes. Araya is ambitious, but he continues to outdo himself on every single song. This one is a banger, so please peep it before it’s too late!

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13. Tough-[DBMK]

If you need a stellar pop song to vibe out to, then “Tough” by DBMK is the perfect one for you. DBMK has been around for a bit, but it seems like the duo just continues to get better with time. I’ve listened to a lot of their music and I have to say that this is by far my favorite song from them. Off first listen, you can just tell that these dudes were in their bag when creating this one in the studio. Everything just connects on “Tough”, from the production all the way to the vocals and melodies. Overall, this is a strong offering by DBMK and I cannot wait to see what else they decide to spring on us as time goes on!

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14. Hot Mess-[david hugo]

Another pop song that needs to be in your rotation has to be “Hot Mess” by none other than david hugo. If you’re on tiktok, then you’ve seen him tease this track and to this day, I’m praying a video hits the algorithm because this one undeniably should be playing on the radio all over the country. Not only does does david have an infectious and captivating personality, but it must be noted that he’s one of the most talented songwriters out right now; “Hot Mess” completely backs up this claim of mine in every way as he was able to put together a meaningful song with a phenomenally catchy hook. Due to it’s length, you’ll end up listening to “Hot Mess” ten times before even realizing it.