Summer’s not over yet, but Christmas has certainly come early for music fans this year. There’s been something for everyone this month: Sabrina Carpenter took straight men to parents’ evening with Man’s Best Friend, released today, Dijon’s delivered a euphoric, crunchy pop ode to fatherhood with Baby, net natives have been busy listening to Mechatok’s Wide Awake and Ninajirachii’s I Love My Computer, hip hop heads have been eating good with standout LPs from Earl Sweatshirt and JID, Mac Demarco taught us all how to build wells, Ethel’s graced us with new lore… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Suffice to say it’s been all hands on deck in the Dazed music section this month.

But that’s just the albums. Because, on the single front, August has also seen London’s saviour himself, Fakemink, follow-up his Drake co-sign at Wireless with new-gen rap banger “Braces”, while, following guest appearances on Justin Bieber’s Swag, Central Cee’s Can’t Rush Greatness, verifiable hitmaker Sekou has stepped out of the shadows with timeless soul cut “Catching Bodies”. That voice should not come from someone who’s just turned 21. 

Still, in the middle of all of these heavy-hitters, it’s important to not forget the tracks that might have slipped under the radar. First off, west London’s best-kept secret and Dazed ones to watch H.LLS have just dropped an ode to getting waved at bottomless brunch, while, normally known for his stoner wisdom, Irish rapper’s rapper Curtisy has been elevated to an auto-tuned cyborg by Dublin producer SLOUCHO in “gimme it”. And let’s not forget BXKS’ Notting Hill Carnival anthem “Init Gyal” and JD Cliffe’s FIFA 2026 soundtrack shoe-in “3am” (you heard it here first). It’s certainly been a month. 

Album of the month: Dijon – Baby

Track of the month: H.LLS – “Brunch” 

Although we post these round-ups at the end of every month, we update the playlist regularly for our subscribers – so be sure to follow us on Spotify for the hottest new tracks.