EXTENDED PLAYLIST 097: NEW AUSSIE RELEASES OF 2025 | JAN 1 - 12

Happy New Year and welcome to the first Future Focus Playlist of 2025. The Aussie music scene is off to a great start. Here are our favourite releases of the week so far.

Katanga Junior - Tanzania

This track is an ode to Katanga Junior’s homeland, her beauty, nature and people. He shares, “I had such a great experience jumping back into the afrobeat world with this one alongside incredible producer Foxx”

shlin. - Feels Like

shlin'.’s new single, Feels Like, is a sad-boy existential hyperpop anthem. He shares, “The song was conceived in a time of uncertainty and infatuation, using faux love as a means of filling a deeper lack of purpose.

Feels Like is carried by catchy, electrified vocals, warm textural samples from various 80s and 90s VHS tapes and some bit-crushed sounds fitting for glitch-ridden retro video games.

After spending the past three years living in Tokyo and just recently returning to Australia, shlin. wanted to make something that reflected his J-pop and Western music influences.

For fans of Porter Robinson, The 1975 and Charli XCX.

Dean Lewis - With You

Dean shares, “I wrote the song about the feeling of being in love with someone alone. She had completely moved on. It was supposed to be the lead single on my album, but when I heard Rihanna wanted to put the song on hold and release it as a single herself, I immediately said yes because it would have been a life-changing moment for me in so many was. One of the biggest artists releasing a song of mine. I was sad about it too because I knew it was the best song I’d written for my album, and now it wasn’t going to be on it.

“Then a few months ago, all of a sudden, I got the song back! I was so excited because even though I’d lost this incredible opportunity, I knew there was some magic in the song. You can feel the real emotion as I sing the choruses and it was mine to release again. The song was really difficult to get right. Technically, we had a few issues because I sung so loud on a fragile microphone. We had to work some magic to fix the vocal takes as I didn’t want to re-do them. I knew I could never re-do them how I did on that first day it came to life.”

This release also comes with a sped-up version and a slowed + reverb version.

The Wiggles - Wiggle Up, Giddy Up!

Featuring Dasha, this single is from The Wiggles’ forthcoming country album set for release on March 7.

LAZY GHOST - Told Ya So (Acoustic-ish Version)

Originally released in 2022, the band have now released an acoustic-ish version.

YY Crew, Desert Pea Media - Narragunnawali

‘Narragunnawali’ (pronounced "narra-gunna-wally") is a powerful and uplifting anthem that carries the traditional Ngunnawal meaning of 'alive, wellbeing, coming together, and peace.' The track is a heartfelt reflection of the community’s spirit, blending traditional language with contemporary sounds to create a message of hope and resilience.

The song is one of the key outcomes of a special project led by OG charity organisation Desert Pea Media, which took place in October 2024. Over two weeks, Desert Pea worked alongside Yerrabi Yurwang to engage young people and community members in conversations about health, wellbeing, cultural identity, and a positive future for Aboriginal youth.

Charlie Needs Braces - Wompoo

Wompoo is the final single taken from the forthcoming album NYAA WA due for release on Thursday 20 February.

Maddy Barnham - Middle Child

An impressive debut release.

Bonita Habils - Warm Bodies

Bonita shares, “Warm Bodies is about the kind of love that leaves fingerprints on your soul. It’s about the heat of passion, the chill of loss, and the way those memories can linger long after they’ve passed.”

Ama - Employee

A tongue-in-cheek anthem for anyone who’s ever been stuck in a one-sided relationship.