Welcome to the 12th volume of Freddie’s Finds! Each week I will spotlight 3-4 of my favorite new tracks of the week, ranging from a variety of genres and artists. This week includes Dev Lemons, BETWEEN FRIENDS, and Bas x Ari Lennox.

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“Autopilot” by Dev Lemons

It’s rare I get entranced by a song as much as Dev Lemons’ “Autopilot,” but the way her vocals paired with the unique production from Jondren Hwang just had to be put on repeat. It’s certainly filled with ear candy, as little trinkets are heard at every line, while a heavy bass beat drop on the hook takes the song to another dimension – literally. It’s almost impossible to believe that this beat had been brushed aside, and if it wasn't for a moment of inspiration from when Dev encountered a TikTok about a person living their life on autopilot, this may have never seen the light of day. Creative lyricism, such as “Can't complain, my brain's in airplane mode / Left my cranium in a different ZIP code” and “I'm a monotonous mystery / In a synthetic reality,” brings forth a deeper level of introspection. This is quickly rising as one of my favorite releases this year – I just can’t stop listening on autopilot.

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“orange juice” by BETWEEN FRIENDS

What is the second release off their upcoming project CUTiE, BETWEEN FRIENDS dropped “orange juice,” a new sonic exploration for the duo. Moving away from their eclectic sound and into a mellower, calming love song, the track plays with dual meanings in the most BETWEEN FRIENDS way imaginable. Orange juice serves as a gateway into the euphoric world the track takes place in, singing, “Waking up orange juice / Let me sip on you then somebody new / Mix it up like orange juice / In a swimming pool made for you.” If you really want to have the fully out of body experience, watch the lyric video to be transported into the nostalgically animated yet hallucinating feeling visuals. 

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“[The Others]” with Ari Lennox

It’s been a long time coming for a new Bas project, and while the four song EP of [BUMP] Pick Me Up wasn’t what I was hoping for, “[The Others]” with Ari Lennox filled the void. With inspirational undertones as they break off a relationship that is dragging them down, Bas and Ari each shine on this track. From their harmonies on the chorus to their respective solo parts, both artists exemplify how in order to achieve greater things, there needs to be sacrifices along the way. The production is a perfect balance of not doing too much while heavily contributing to the inspiring sound, allowing for Ari’s vocals to take it even further. I already like “[The Others]” more than any song from the Dreamville tape, and I hope both Bas and Ari have more to come this year.

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You can find all of my past finds in the playlist below:

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