Having a diverse taste in music can help spice up the more mundane things in life, and the new year is the perfect time to explore some new music. Opening your ears to new music also allows you to open yourself up to new perspectives, everything from Arabic Trip hop to Neo-Soul. There is a wide variety of music waiting to be explored and stories to be heard, so here are some recommendations to begin your musical journey.

The first album is I remember I forget بنسى وبتذكر by Yasmine Hamdan, a Lebanese singer based in Paris. One of the genres this album falls under is Trip-Hop, a genre influenced by Hip-Hop beats and invokes a dark and dreamy atmosphere. That atmosphere works perfectly here as the album explores modern global crisis in an increasingly divided world.

The second album is Choke Enough by Oklou, a French artist. Choke Enough is an alternative pop album with elements of ambient trance. Some of its content can be considered pretty ‘bare bones’ and minimalistic, requiring multiple re-listens for it to click to some people.

The last album is Magic, Alive! by Mckinley Dixon, an artist from Virginia. It is a Neo-Soul, Jazz Rap album released in 2025. The album follows the story of a group of three friends who look into the meaning of magic after the deaths of one of their friends and how to use that magic to keep their friendship alive. Dixon mixes a lush jazz production with socially conscious lyrics to create a stand-out and refreshing project.

There is so much more to these albums than what is described above and you can either just stop there or use it as a jumping off point to explore more music like it. Maybe you liked the dark melancholic atmosphere of “I remember I forget بنسى وبتذكر” or maybe you liked the more minimalistic approach on “Choke Enough”, or maybe you prefer the warm feeling of “Magic, Alive!”, whatever it is there is a lot more where that came from.