Lucy Liyou, Photo: Park Seung Won.

In this week’s edition, Lucy Liyou and Kenya Eugene explore love from different ends, KDYN, Ecca Vandal and SHIMA have us jamming, and Taylor Bickett and The Wrecks give us the hard truth.

KDYN, “Never Giving up” – The second single from DJ-producer Cadyn Jay Lewis Page’s forthcoming EP, “Never Giving Up” ticks all the boxes for a certified house banger. With a cool piano melody, a sickening beat drop and smooth vocals, it’s a song that picks you up and gets you amped up for a wild night out. Like his first single, “Proud,” the music is lyrically and instrumentally uplifting, blending sounds to create sonic euphoria.

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The Wrecks, “Speed” – This Gen-Z anthem is what I describe as “crashing out,” in a fun way. From the Wrecks‘ upcoming album, April’s Inside, “Speed” is an upbeat power pop song with quirky vibes and dark lyrics. “Sometimes I wonder if my meds are taking me/ I’m still depressed but now I’m depressed on speed,” Nick Anderson sings at the outset. I’m not sure if I should be dancing, crying or both. It’s the L.A. band’s second appearance in Tuesday Tracks. The Wrecks kick off their 2025 tour at The UC Theatre in Berkeley on April 18.

Ecca Vandal, “CRUISING TO SELF SOOTHE” – A punk-rock bop with explosive guitar riffs, this song is chaotic and bold. “Cruising on my own/ I’m moving up where I belong,” the South-Africa-born, Australia-based artist, whose first name is Rebecca, goes off in the chorus. The song screams girl-boss energy. With her unique raspy voice, eclectic fashion sense and bold personality, Ecca Vandal is here to stay. As if she can’t get any cooler, she’s from my country, with Tamil (south India and Sri Lanka) heritage.

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Taylor Bickett, “The Crime” – “I can’t make sense of it/ Were you born with wickedness/ Or was it taught to you?” Taylor Bickett asks over a soft piano melody and soothing vocals. She wrote  “The Crime” to address violence against women. With beautiful storytelling, the Indiana singer kicks off Women’s Month by gracefully narrating the female experience. The song is accompanied with a black-and-white music video with women from different walks of life, highlighting shared experiences. It’s sad, personal and very relevant in today’s world.

SHIMA, “1806”– Though this electro-banger is sung in Japanese and carries extraterrestrial energy, it also sounds like a song that would thrive in the Johannesburg, South Africa underground club scene. It’s edgy and unusual. A former J-pop girl group singer from Tokyo—she was Tina in FAKY—the Georgia-born Japanese American is paving her way as an electronic solo artist. This song is a fusion of genres, sampling Japanese folk with cool electronic beats.

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Kenya Eugene, “In And Outtah Love”– Opening with sweet harmonizing over a tropical reggae beat, this is a warm love song. From the St. Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) native’s upcoming EP, Roots Reggae, it highlights the complexities of being in love. “I keep on lying to myself/ Even when I feel it/ Happens every time I fall in and outta love,” she sings in the chorus. It’s that kind of song that makes you want to relax on a sun-drenched island.

Lucy Liyou, “16/8″– From Lucy Liyou’s debut album, coming March 21, “16/8” is a song about yearning and anticipation. Opening with a low vibrato over sparkling piano key strikes, the Korean American artist sings with unwavering honesty: “The more I wait/ The more I want you.”For two minutes, Liyou slowly walks us through what it feels like to love, to want, to yearn. Using long pauses in the first minute of the song and then exploding into a brief sonic cacophony in the middle, it’s personal and vulnerable.

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Dumi’s pick: This song has no chorus or bridge, just two minutes of somber vocals and honest haunting lyrics. This is my first encounter with Lucy Liyou’s sound, filled with many raw emotions, putting her on my radar.

Follow Dumisani Mnisi at Instagram.com/nairobi_1899.