Sunday Spin: New Releases From MC Abdul, pami, JO1, Jensen McRae, and Rocco
Sunday Spin is EnVi‘s weekly music showcase, where we bring you the hottest global hits in our curated playlist. Join us every Sunday for new music that sets the perfect tone for your upcoming week.
July may be wrapping up, but the summer’s hottest releases don’t stop! From high energy EDM and pop R&B to ballads on love and heartbreak, these artists have it all. Between new names and industry staples, you’re sure to find something to play on repeat this week.
JO1 – “WHATCHA DOIN”
Six years into their career, JO1 advanced from major stars in their home base of Japan to a growing global force. The nonet’s latest arrival, “WHATCHA DOIN,” is here to further solidify their international presence. “WHATCHA DOIN” is a pre-release from their upcoming first full EP, ANIMAL, which features tracks entirely in English. The song’s high-energy fusion of EDM, pop, and trap creates a dynamic, experimental sound that leaves listeners curious as to what else JO1 have in store. “WHATCHA DOIN” introduces JO1’s new era as the chorus invites listeners to celebrate: “What you doin’? What’s the word? Where you at? / (Where you at?) / Afterparty where you goin’ after that? / (Bring it back) / Wake the whole world up when I say what’s up / Whatcha doin? We can do this together.”
“WHATCHA DOIN” is one of six tracks produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Dem Jointz for ANIMAL. In a press release, Dem Jointz shared that the EP is “like an 18-minute roller coaster, full of adventure, celebration, growth, and human connection.”
ANIMAL’s official release date coincides with the opening night of “JO1 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, ‘ANIMAL’” in Toronto on October 2. As for what we can expect in the meantime, the official music video for “WHATCHA DOIN” will be released on July 30 and American audiences can check out JO1 perform the new track at KCON LA on August 16.
MC Abdul – “Shway Shway”
It’s been less than one month since the release of his single “Wein Abdul?” and MC Abdul is already back. This time, he brings us “Shway Shway,” a track of resilience and power in the face of confusion and fear. At only 17 years old, MC Abdul has faced four wars and death all around him, having to go as far as to flee Palestine and his home in Gaza. However, through his music and songs like “Shway Shway,” he reassures everyone that it’s going to be alright.
“Shway Shway” translates to “step by step” or “take it easy.” Through the song. MC Abdul asks listeners to react calmly and not live in fear because this in itself is an act of protest. Over Afro-inspired beats, he chants, “Shway shway / Day by day / Find your way / Shway shway.” The beat of the track is ready to be danced to, and the song’s lyrics serve as a rebellion, counteracting the notion that he and others needed to grow up prematurely amid trauma. Within the three-minute song is the offering of a moment to take pause and have fun or simply sway side-to-side.
MC Abdul has been using his voice to create movements like this since he was only 10 years old. Now, he is building up momentum for the release of his debut album, which will drop this fall. There is a lot to be excited about in his future, but for now, “Shway Shway.”
Jensen McRae – “Annihilated”
In true Jensen McRae fashion, the second half of the deluxe version of her album is just as painfully heart-wrenching as the first. Upon the release of I Don’t Know How But They Found Me…Again!, listeners got access to twelve new songs, including three duets and nine solo tracks. Among those is track seven on disc two, “Annihilated,” where McRae reflects on a summer she spent with a lover, though the memory and feeling of the time are now fading.
Told in a narrative fashion, “Annihilated” starts in the spring and ends in the winter. The love slowly became cold like the seasons until, ultimately, it died. During the first chorus and into the second verse, McRae describes this experience. “It was so isolating, but the feeling is fading / No longer annihilated / And December came ’round, bared its teeth once again / I lost less than a lover, but more than a friend.” Through these lyrics and raw vocals, the listener hears a new side of McRae’s emotions, and this continues within other new tracks like “God Has a Hitman” and “Richard Siken.”
These songs and more can be seen live on the continued “God Has A Hitman” Tour starting back up on September 12.
pami – “all in”
Are you guarding your heart instead of giving in? Pami has decided to take a leap of faith with love. Switching her tune from the sassy humor of her previous release “cry jar,” pami presents the sentimental ballad “all in.” Pami revealed through an Instagram post that the songwriting process had been difficult. Still, she chose to let her own expectations go, and the result was an honest message. “I have no idea how far [this song] will go but as long as I love it, I’ll keep believing in it and give it everything I have,” she wrote in the post.
A digitized version of pami wanders various worlds in the “all in” music video. As she walks endlessly, her health bar of hearts slowly depletes to nothing. Still, pami faces drowning, a car collision, fire, and a sea of lava head-on. Her character’s determination to reach her destination serves as a metaphor for her own love. Just as she fearlessly endures virtual challenges, pami also challenges, “I’m never afraid of gettin’ a heartbreak / We’re not a mistake.” She dedicates her heart wholly to all she loves, regardless of what she may lose. Despite any fear, pami reminds listeners to live without regrets and go “all in.”
Rocco – “Nobody”
It’s the end of the story but the start of a new era for Rocco this week. On May 29, with the release of “perfect song to slow dance to,” Rocco welcomed viewers into a new world of hopeless love and high school crushes. As fans watched Rocco pine for his one true love, Lucy, they became more and more entranced in the story with the addition of new episodes and new tracks like “Break.” Now with “Nobody” and the release of his EP, A Comedy Romantic (Act 1), Rocco proclaims that even if Lucy has a boyfriend, he’s not giving up, and he will be there when she’s ready.
As Rocco screams and cries behind an oblivious Lucy during the official visualizer, the song plays in the background. Rocco’s voice echoes, singing, “Can you hear me at all? / I’m still standing here / Cause I’m trying to tell you / No one is gonna get like I do / Gonna want you like I want you.” After this, they continue rocking out and dancing around each other, but no real resolution comes, suggesting there’s more to the story. So now, we see there’s definitely a connection between Rocco and Lucy. But the real question is, will it be enough?
DICEBLUE – “Smoke”
Thai group DICE’s first subunit, DICEBLUE, has made their debut with “Smoke.” Consisting of five members from their original ten-member lineup, Jay, Alex, Jisang, Obo, and Cheese take on a new sound. Their emotional trap R&B track “Smoke” contrasts the full ensemble’s previous lively releases. Not all relationships last, which DICEBLUE learned the hard way. They come to pursue a relationship which quickly turns intense but is ultimately one-sided. Centered around a fleeting romance and a smoke break at 3 a.m., “Smoke” shows off the subunit’s emotional maturity.
As consenting adults, DICEBLUE and their lovers enter official relationship statuses with few expectations. In the chorus, they recall their original motivations, “‘Cause you came just to try a hug, not to fall in love / And I was only looking for someone to help me through the dark.” Ephemeral romance is reflected in the music video, with shots of couples lasting for only a few seconds before cutting away to the members stuck in longing. DICEBLUE find themselves falling into deeper emotions than what prompted the entanglements. Their lovers, unfortunately, do not feel the same and end up breaking off their relationships. Despite their heartbreak, DICEBLUE leave one last request, “Just let what we had slowly fade away / like the smoke we had that day.”
LIM KIM – “Never Gonna Be Alone”
In her latest full-length album, Exit to Nowhere, South Korean artist LIM KIM reflects on the deepest and most sincere moments of life. “Never Gonna Be Alone” is a midtempo retro pop track on the introspective loneliness of life. It uses repetition throughout the verses and chorus to nail down the sense of being lonely even when surrounded by others. LIM KIM’s clear voice weaves through the light, ‘80’s synth-pop track, paired with piano, strings, and bass guitar. The lyrics paint the picture of contemplating isolation in the middle of a wedding, watching it all go by.
The music video centers LIM KIM in such a scenario. The singer watches from afar as a revolving cast of wedding-goers dance, cheer, and share cigarettes at a lively wedding. Filtered over in chic black-and-white, the video encapsulates the loneliness of being surrounded by others who don’t really know you.
Just over 13 years into her career, LIM KIM presents a deeply relatable story among a tracklist of personal meditations. In a press release, LIM KIM described her new album as “a personal chronicle of the years that shaped me.” For listeners musing on their own lives, Exit to Nowhere becomes the perfect soundtrack.
Nao Yoshioka – “Safe Place”
Japanese R&B and soul talent Nao Yoshioka delivers her most intimate project yet, entitled self. The twelve tracks weave together an exploration into the inner workings of Yoshioka. The singer collaborates with global musical greats to convey a story she hopes is universally resonant. Topics of identity and self-acceptance come up throughout the album, something most listeners can relate to.
“This album is the sound of me finally facing and accepting every part of myself—the hopeful side that chased the light and the hidden side that felt weak or never enough,” Yoshioka reflected in a press release. “It is about turning that honesty and gratitude toward the people who carried me here into music, without holding anything back.”
One of the standout singles, “Safe Place,” features vocals from two Chicago greats. Poet and musician Jamila Woods and award-winning composer Peter CottonTale collaborated with Yoshioka during a session in the Windy City. Yoshioka and Woods’ soulful vocals glide effortlessly on CottonTale’s neo-soul beat. The chorus reads like a manifestation: “I’ll be the joy that carries through / I’ll be my safe place, feel brand new.” If you’re looking for a bit of introspection with the right amount of groove, “Safe Place” is where you can find it.
CASANDRA – “RESERVED 4 ME”
CASANDRA builds on the imaginative world she created in her May EP, ISLA TRANQUILITA, with an LP of the same name. This LP consists of thirteen tracks, with seven additional releases, all evocative of CASANDRA’s heritage and philosophies. ISLA TRANQUILITA carries a multitude of meanings for CASANDRA. The title literally translates to “little island of peace,” but most importantly, it is an ode to her Cuban roots and her late great-aunt who instilled a sense of tranquility into her. By inviting listeners into this “little island of peace,” CASANDRA hopes to share the stories that shaped her into the artist she is today.
One of the new tracks, “RESERVED 4 ME,” is CASANDRA’s take on the cloud rap genre. “RESERVED 4 ME” feels like two different artists feature on the song, but the song is just proof of CASANDRA’s versatility. She alternates between high tone rap deliveries and deeper R&B melodies as she recognizes her worth. Rather than appearing overbearingly confident, CASANDRA comes off as effortlessly cool and chic.
Estelle Fly – “Bury it”
Sparks fly in the latest release from independent Singaporean pop singer Estelle Fly. “Bury it” is a groovy pop-R&B single that pulls back the layers of buried feelings for another. The deep bass and plucked-guitar melody create the hypnotic soundtrack of yearning for a love you can’t have. “This feeling that we end up burying is usually the one we remember the longest,” she said in a press release. Fly brings the song to life in the music video, where she plays an actor struggling with the blurred line between acting and reality as she begins to fall for her co-star off-camera.
“Bury it” is Fly’s first release of the year, following her 2025 EP ZONE from the end of last year. She got her start in music as a member of the J-pop group Sea*A before releasing her solo debut song “Blue” in 2018. Over the years, she built her solo career up with each new release, but “Bury it” marks a distinctive new chapter in it. “It’s an era where I finally have the freedom to explore ideas and emotions I’ve always wanted to write about,” she said in a press release. “Not just about love, but… all the beautifully complicated parts of being human that I don’t always share openly.”
Ivoris – “Seashell”
Summer is for relaxing in the sun and letting your mind wander. Ivoris lets herself dream and imagines a life by the shore in “Seashell.” Her latest is part of the string of releases leading up to her debut album, Pour My Heart Out. “Seashell” sets the scene for her nautical world. In the music video, Ivoris clutches a pearl, a representation of the time spent carefully cultivating her music. Her soft vocals are accompanied by acoustic guitar and chimes, adding a sense of dreaminess to the track.
“If I had a seashell’s eyes on me,” Ivoris sings, a thought that carries on throughout the song. She claims living as a seashell would allow her to be more carefree and learn more, “Like how to free this hunger to be noticed and to be adored.”
Curled up in an oyster burrowed in the sand in the music video, Ivoris is visibly at peace. To her, living as a seashell would be a welcome break from the hectic routine found in reality. Rather than focus on fulfilling ambitions as fast as possible, Ivoris invites listeners to pause and take in the beauty of the world around them. Just as Ivoris has, pick up that “Seashell” and focus on finding your own inner peace.
GIULIA BE – “911”
Brazilian singer-songwriter and actress GIULIA BE flexes her trilingual skills in her impressive self-titled album release, GIULIA BE. The two-time Latin Grammy-nominated singer released her 21-track album by combining three EPs into one. After dropping two EPs earlier in the year, one in Spanish and the other in Portuguese, she released an English-language EP and pulled the three together into one full-length, trilingual album. The songs are a showcase of GIULIA BE’s life, with songs written both nearly nine years ago and as recently as five months ago.
The lead single of the English EP, “911,” is a warm ballad track that grapples with the pain of a messy breakup. GIULIA BE strips the song back to piano and vocals to convey the heartbreak of losing a love she thought she could trust. She alternates between begging the phone operator to save her from the heartbreak and reflecting on the person she thought was “the one.” Perfect for listeners suffering post-breakup blues, GIULIA BE cements herself as a talented trilingual artist to keep on your radar.
Other tracks in this week’s Sunday Spin playlist include “Don’t Wake Me Up!” by WONHO, Charli xcx’s “Camera,” “Less than a Lover” by JENNIE, and moon tang’s “Tip toe.” Listen to everything mentioned and more, curated by Team EnVi only for you on Spotify.
Want more of the latest releases? Check out our previous Sunday Spin!
