First Listen Fridays – New Music to Know – 24th October 2025

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A Friday means one thing at IndustryMe – First Listen Fridays! Editors Tom and Kloe have handpicked ten top tracks that dropped today for your listening pleasure. Delve into these fresh finds, including new music from Dave, Tiana Major9, and Leon Thomas. No matter your musical taste, we’ve got something you’re sure to love. Sit back, relax, and press play to kick-start your weekend correctly.

Tom’s Picks

JayaHadADream FT. Coops – If It Ain’t

With her debut full-length project out, and having been at the listening party last night, I can tell you now is as good a time as any to lock in to JayaHadADream. One of the new tracks on the mixtape, ‘If It Ain’t‘ has a very eerie beat that allows Jaya to give a direct delivery on who she respects based on their actions. Coops similarly delivers a verse on being an individual rather than an NPC, with a more energetic flow. As the Cambridge-born artist stated, their contrasting flows are a good juxtaposition and make for one of the highlights of ‘Happiness From Agony‘.

Buy the track here.

Tiana Major9 FT. Yebba – Always

A collaboration that everyone was excited about, this certainly lived up to expectations. That Spanish guitar eases you in, but the booming synths and Tiana’s gorgeous vocals hook you. This tale of clinging on to a relationship at its end is sung at a high level by both artists, particularly on the chorus. Oh, and those harmonies… A-star! Myself, and others, cannot wait for ‘November Scorpio‘, which drops in February next year.

Lily Allen – P***y Palace

We’ve had a few albums drop with little notice this week (Kloe will tell you about Dave later), but I was keen to see what new Lily Allen would sound like. The production is at first quite whimsical, before it transitions into this dubstep-adjacent blend of pop. This is very somber in nature as Lily reflects on the realisation of the cheating nature of her now ex-husband. Vocally, this is very direct, not pushing to the higher range, but showing the feeling of emptiness and hurt this would have caused. As my first taste of the latest record, I can say this artist still has an important voice.

corto.alto FT. anaiis – APRIL

Since I first heard this Scottish jazz musician at last year’s Mercury Prize, I have always been eager to hear more. They have teamed up with anaiis, who has been getting traction this year, becoming an in-demand vocalist. The sound is more soulful in nature, with the distorted synths and strummed electric guitar. On the vocal front, it is only angelicness and pushing those chords to the higher ranges. This is such a smooth and pleasant listen, and a new direction for corto.alto.

Buy the track here.

Anna Calvi FT. Perfume Genius – I See A Darkness

Despite BRIT Award and Mercury Prize nominations and featuring in the Peaky Blinders soundtrack, Anna Calvi is severely underrated. This marks their first release, post the popular show, and certainly sets the mood. Calvi and Perfume Genius go back-to-back very nicely, fitting this dynamic of friends wanting a better life for one another. Those eerie synths and the strained guitar playing create this melancholic feeling that fits both nicely. There is some optimism both in the sound and lyrics towards the end, with some nice harmonies. It makes for an excellent cover of the Bonnie Prince Billy track. Another fantastic crossover, and another reason to add these artists to your weekly listening.

Buy the track here.

Naiyah FT. Tahn Solo – Love Unknown

I’ve been greedy and picked six tracks this week and here we have another great collab. While originally a solo track for Naiyah, adding Tahn Solo is the cherry on top. That warm-sounding track utilises the lightly strummed guitar and blaring synths in the background, alongside subtle percussion. Both artists sound top-tier here, whether alone, together, or back-to-back. This is a great ballad that has all the passion and emotion you need. We love a new version that is done right!

Kloe’s Picks

Dave FT. Jim Legxacy – No Weapons

It’s finally here, and it feels so good. In his highly anticipated new album, Dave is aligning himself with harp-playing biblical king David setting the tone for his spiritual, ambitious new chapter. This record is a must-listen front to back, but ‘No Weapons’ with one of my favourite new artists, Jim Legxacy, is a great place to start. Albeit, more of a lighter touch lyrically than the other tracks, this laid back R&B fusion makes for magic listening.

Dave’s trademark confessional honesty paired with killer confidence shines through over a beat that gives it emotional depth. I love Jim’s singing on here, flexing his R&B mastery, and cementing his reputation of being one of the most versatile artists in the U.K. right now.

Play the track here.

SASAMI – Just Be Friends (Soccer Mommy Version)

SASAMI is my newest pop obsession, and her newest record ‘Blood On The Silver Screen’ is an invigorating listen. Modern country is far out my comfort zone genre-wise, but if anyone can warm me to this sound, she can. In this new remix with ‘country princess’ Soccer Mommy, this California-based polymath has flipped her stand-out track to add a new level of sweet, kind authenticity to an already great record. “Listen to the radio and every song is telling me goodbye.” she sings. Vulnerable and sad, it’s just pure feel good pop.

Buy the track here.

Leon Thomas – My Muse

Frustratingly short but irresistibly good, young R&B king Leon Thomas proves great things come in small packages. His new ‘PHOLKS‘ EP has dropped, a self confessed 22 minute embodiment of his inspirations, community, and artistic flair. The stand out record from this 7 track project is ‘My Muse‘. I’m talking Quincy Jones-inspired production, laden with strings and horns as Leon lends his vocals to a song about an emotionally unavailable lover.

Buy the track here.

Hit-Boy & The Alchemist feat. Conway The Machine – Mick & Cooley

This isn’t an album, it’s a movie! These two are allergic to bad beats, so it’ll come as no surprise that this collaboration is a terrific display of production prowess. However, this project has caught many fans off guard. It’s not all bravado and boasting, there is serious depth to these tracks with some of the most introspective bars we’ve heard from either artist. Fresh off first listen, ‘Mick & Cooley‘ is a stand out moment, with the unbeatable Conway The Machine letting his rap ammunition spray everyone without remorse. “The best of the best, its best you invest in a vest.“. Noted.

Buy the track here.

Home Counties – Roundabout

Alt indie band Home Counties dropped their sophomore album today, ‘Humdrum‘. This captivating collective thrusts you into an existential disco mood, captivating millennial burnout with a crazed but polished record. Their single ‘Roundabout‘ is a catchy, post-punk jam that employed the production of Al Doyle from LCD Soundsystem. This song is about desperately trying to escape a conversation with someone at a party who won’t stop talking about themselves. It’s playful and has a lot of attitude.

Buy the track here.

Follow IndustryMe on Instagram, Threads, X, or YouTube. Press play on our First Listen Fridays playlist below to enjoy all our top picks. Read last week’s picks here. Don’t forget to follow the playlist on Spotify below or Apple Music.

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