Where August was stacked with big pop releases (Sabrina Carpenter, Amaarae, Dijon and more), September has proved a little more niche. Of course, you couldn’t miss Cardi B’s well overdue sophomore album Am I The Drama?, and Justin Bieber’s largely unnecessary addendum to surprise hit SWAG, but the real standout releases this month sit a little bit below the surface.

Not least of all is How To Win At Solitaire, the latest EP from left-field Canadian alt pop artist Sophia Stel that further cements her reputation as the ‘sonic lovechild of Ethel Cain and 070 Shake’. Elsewhere, kwes e, the Ghanaian-British rapper-producer and frequent YT collaborator, proves it’s his time to shine with new afrobeat-rage fusing single “lyk”; American sibling duo Frost Children continue their marriage of indie sleaze and meme culture with addictive pop album SISTER; and arguably the UK’s biggest grime artist right now, Kibo, continues to tease fans with a guest appearance on Sherelle’s breakneck footwork single “KIBO’S BLEEP TEST”. When oh when will you release new solo music, Kibo? 

But, if you want the real deep cuts, look no further than GAMEBOI from The Rap of China alumni africakid and rising Shanghai producer ATM Hanson, which provides a slightly more tangible take on the internet-breaking cloud rap of fellow Shanghai artist Jackzebra. The rabbit hole goes deep here – The Rap of China is basically Chinese rap X Factor and stands as one of the most popular TV shows in history with over a billion recorded views within its first month of airing, and Jackzebra is Surf Gang’s first Chinese signee – but GAMEBOI is a great place to start.

That still not niche enough for you? Well, what about the long-awaited comeback of Q-Pop pioneers Ninety One with “IYA IYA”. For the uninitiated, Q-Pop is Kazakhstan’s response to K-Pop and, in recent years, the genre has found itself embroiled in controversy for Ninety One’s expressions of both a Kazakh identity independent of Russian influence and gender fluidity in a conservative, ex-Soviet society. I rest my case. 

Album of the month: Frost Children – SISTER

Track of the month: kwes e – “lyk”