Connect with us

Entertainment

Rising Artist Erik Aronesty Is Already Breaking Every Rule He Can Find

Published

on

Erik Aronesty calls himself “a new musician who hasn’t learned his lesson.” It’s a deliberately cryptic introduction that makes perfect sense once you dive into his work—a collection of lo-fi pop singles, children’s music, and what he describes as “bizarre” music videos that somehow manage to be both experimental and deeply personal.

While most people juggle a day job and creative pursuits, Aronesty’s dual identity feels more like living in two different universes. By day, he runs Q32, an artificial intelligence and technology consulting firm that helps startups harness machine learning for everything from resume screening to code review. By night, he’s crafting genre-bending micro-films and dreamy pop tracks that feel like they emerged from someone’s subconscious.

The thing is, the musical side isn’t new territory for Aronesty. He’s been making music since childhood, following in the footsteps of his musician father. These days, you’ll find him performing live vocals, keyboard, and harmonica on stages across Los Angeles every week, with regular Monday night shows at the Clubhouse drawing a growing audience.

His sound pulls from an eclectic mix of influences—Coldplay’s anthemic qualities, Jim Morrison’s poetic intensity, Ween’s genre-hopping irreverence, and the atmospheric textures of Radiohead and Morcheeba. The result is what he calls “Lo-Fi Pop and Dream Pop that’s designed to tell a story,” drawing directly from whatever’s happening in his life.

A glimpse of ‘Undo’ by Erik Aronesty

“It’s just stuff that’s happening in my life,” Aronesty explains about his songwriting process. But there’s nothing “just” about the execution. Operating under the q32 Studio banner, he’s published nearly 30 videos on YouTube, each one feeling like a mini-experiment in visual storytelling.

Take his recent work “Undo,” a breakup story he describes as having “a sad ending.” The track (and video) blends sketch-style visuals with photoreal footage in a single-take sequence exploring that universal desire to reverse time and fix a relationship. Then there’s “Didn’t Happen,” a lo-fi track about disassociating from painful reality, looping through washed-out moments and forgotten memories. On the completely opposite end, “Did You Lose Your Keys?” leans into absurdist internet humor with a song-based parody infomercial, complete with French lyrics and meta-comedy.

‘Didn’t Happen’ by Erik Aronesty

His most recent single, “It Goes Like This,” represents something of a departure—a deliberately catchy track designed for maximum TikTok virality. Released on June 1st, 2025, the 2:23 track is available on Spotify and showcases some subtle mainstream ambitions. You can check out more of his music on his Spotify. There’s even a TikTok preview that gives viewers a quick glimpse into the new music video. The song captures that universal feeling of being stuck in patterns—”Up all night, can’t get no rest / Same old song, it’s stuck again”—with a hypnotic repetition that somehow feels both frustrating and liberating. Honestly, after hearing it once, you’ll find yourself humming along whether you want to or not.

What sets Aronesty’s work apart isn’t just the music itself, but how he approaches the entire creative package. His videos span genres from sci-fi to slice-of-life, comedy to noir, always aiming for unexpected narratives and emotional depth. While he incorporates AI tools in his production process—a natural extension of his day job—the writing, directing, and scripting remain firmly human-driven.

‘It Goes Like This’ by Erik Aronesty

“I generate punchy micro-films that span genres,” he explains. “My goal is that every story unexpected and has a twist. This isn’t typical AI-gen sync.” The distinction matters to him, and it shows in the final product.

For Aronesty, the ultimate goal is simple: giving listeners “a sense of play, and fun.” It’s an approach that feels refreshingly honest in an industry often focused on vanity related numbers and metrics. His live performances every other Monday at 7pm at the Clubhouse in LA offer audiences a chance to experience this playful energy in person.

Having recently completed the duet “Undo,” Aronesty continues to blur the lines between his technical expertise and creative output. Whether he’s helping startups implement machine learning solutions or crafting the next weird little movie that makes people think, he’s operating from the same core principle: technology should enhance human creativity, not replace it.

The capacity of his creative output is pretty remarkable when you step back and look at it. From children’s singles to breakup ballads, from absurdist comedy to genuine emotional depth—it’s the kind of artistic range that comes from someone who isn’t trying to fit into a predetermined box. Maybe that’s what he means about not learning his lesson.

At a time when AI and art conversations usually swing between doomsday scenarios or sterile perfection, Aronesty’s work offers something different—a place where the tools serve the story, and the story always comes from somewhere real.

This article contains branded content provided by a third party. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the content creator or sponsor and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or editorial stance of Popular Hustle.

Entertainment

Siren Built Her Entire Sound in Secret and Now She’s Ready to Surface

Published

on

Siren

The first thing that hits you about Siren isn’t just her voice—it’s the sheer audacity of someone who taught themselves everything. No formal training, no music theory classes, just pure instinct driving her to create something that sounds like Rammstein got into a late-night conversation with Lana Del Rey while Massive Attack played in the background.

At 24, this LA-based artist has already written around 70 songs, most still unreleased, sitting in her vault like secrets waiting to surface. Born June 13, 2001, Siren started making music in 2019, and what’s emerged since then defies easy categorization. Her sound pulls from trip-hop pioneers like Portishead, the industrial weight of German metal, and the cinematic drama of Tchaikovsky—yes, the Swan Lake composer.

“Every ache must be turned into art,” she says about her approach to music. It’s this philosophy that drives her self-described “raw confessions where melancholy meets beauty.” Her mezzo-soprano voice shifts between whispered vulnerability and soaring intensity, creating what she calls “cold waves of sound that mesmerize like a siren’s voice in the night sea.”

Siren

The artist’s journey started unexpectedly early. One of her most vivid childhood memories involves her grandmother singing Russian folk songs on a winter swing—an experience she describes as “blue, cold, wintry, dark, nostalgic, deep, soulful, and melancholic.” By twelve, she’d discovered Rammstein, which she credits with awakening “strength, courage, resistance, and the spirit of a fighter.” The band shaped about 60% of her musical taste, while Lana Del Rey, who she calls her “musical mother,” opened up the other side of her artistic personality.

What’s striking about Siren’s work is how she balances opposing forces. She describes her music as reflecting both her anima and animus—the feminine emotional vulnerability paired with masculine instrumental drive. This duality shows up everywhere in her sound: acoustic piano meets electric guitars, string arrangements collide with rock drums, trip-hop grooves support orchestral swells.

Her latest release, “Devil 2019,” dropped on August 3, 2025, running 3:28 and showcasing her hypnotic vocal control. But it’s just a taste of what’s coming. Her debut single “Siren Heroine,” released on June 13, previews her upcoming album “Blue Blood,” which promises an oceanic, siren-themed concept drawn from songs written three to four years ago.

Siren

Beyond music, Siren works as a visual artist, filmmaker, and photographer, creating her own visual concepts exactly as she imagines them. She admits to both loving and fearing the ocean—thalassophobia mixed with an obsession for deep blue imagery. “I reflect what I fear. I am what I fear,” she explains.

When asked about dream collaborations, she mentions Hans Zimmer, Rammstein, and Lana Del Rey—though she notes that most of her musical heroes are dead. Her approach to creation remains uncompromising: “I don’t write for people—I write for myself. Music is how I let you know me.”

For those curious to dive deeper, Siren’s music can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, and her website. Follow her journey on Instagram and TikTok.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

JJ Tyson Proves You Can Make Metal Albums and Worship Music Without Picking Sides

Published

on

JJ Tyson

JJ Tyson’s path into music started the way most teenagers’ dreams do — with a drum kit at 15 and some high school friends ready to jam. What’s happened since then reads like a rock autobiography that nobody saw coming.

The Pennsylvania native, who proudly notes his home state produced Poison, Halestorm, and Live, spent years drumming for popular local bands before stepping away for two years to write his own material. That break changed everything. When he reconnected with a former bandmate and released “Walk Away,” the song exploded online, racking up over a million views and birthing Black Water Greed.

“The popularity skyrocketed,” Tyson recalls. “Magazine covers, interviews — it all happened fast.” But success brought its own complications. Internal tensions split the band apart, leaving Tyson at a crossroads.

Rather than retreat, he pivoted. Working with producer David Mobley, he created The Tyson-Mobley Project, an album that performed well enough to convince him solo work was the next step. Four solo albums followed: “Back from the Ashes,” “Digital Mine Crime,” “The Other Side of Me,” and his latest, “Cellar Dweller.”

Released August 1st, 2025, “Cellar Dweller” doesn’t pull punches. The 18-track album stretches over an hour, diving into trauma, betrayal, and personal demons with the help of studio band Crosswindz and co-executive producer Mobley. Songs like “Unleash the Rage” and “Haunted Hallways” tackle isolation and survival head-on — no sugarcoating, no easy answers.

But here’s where Tyson’s story gets interesting. While “Cellar Dweller” delivers hard rock intensity, he’s simultaneously working on his second Christian album, “Army of Faith,” due late September, plus a Christmas album featuring 12-14 original songs scheduled for November. It’s a range that would give most artists whiplash.

The reason becomes clear when Tyson talks about his fans. “I write meaningful lyrics that have touched a lot of hearts,” he says. “Hopefully my message can help them cope with issues they may have.” He shares stories of listeners who’ve told him his music helped them through breakups and toxic relationships. One fan said he “wrote her life in five minutes.”

Looking ahead, there’s talk of touring in mid-2026, though for now, the focus remains on perfecting the music. His message to fans mixes rock attitude with spiritual conviction: “I love my hard rock roots but I love my messages I put in my Christian songs, to spread the word of God to the world. This world is falling apart and we need to pull together and love one another.”

His advice for others cuts through the typical music industry noise. “Just do your own thing and what makes you happy — it reflects on your fans, and they are the ones that make you or break you. Stay focused and loyal.” It’s the kind of wisdom you only get from someone who’s watched a band implode at peak success, rebuilt from scratch, and discovered that authenticity matters more than any genre boundary. The guy making rage-filled tracks about personal demons is the same one writing Christmas songs and Christian albums about bringing people together.

What stands out is how he treats fan loyalty as a two-way street. They’re not just consumers — they’re the reason he keeps pushing boundaries between hard rock and worship music, between anger and healing. When someone tells you your song helped them leave a toxic relationship, that changes how you approach your craft. Tyson gets that. He admits it’s been a long road, crediting the right connections and people along the way, but ultimately his message stays consistent: stay true, stay focused, and remember who you’re really making music for.

Fans can find Tyson’s music across platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and connect on Facebook.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Rising Artist Turo Rose Talks Vulnerability, Fort Worth, and Finding His Voice

Published

on

Turo Rose

Fort Worth’s music scene has always been diverse, but Turo Rose is carving out his own lane with something different entirely. For the past three years, he’s been developing in own unique interpretation of what he calls “chill emo rap” – a sound that prioritizes emotional honesty over the braggadocio that typically dominates hip-hop. The independent artist recently started performing live and is working toward bigger exposure, with a Dallas show coming up in November and an upcoming album called “Demons” set to drop December 2025.

What makes Turo Rose stand out isn’t just his sound, but his motivation. Born and raised in Fort Worth, he’s struggled with his own obstacles over the years, and through music, he aspires to help others get through theirs as well. We caught up with him to talk about his journey, his approach to hip-hop, and what sets his music apart.

How would you describe your music to someone hearing it for the first time?

I’d describe it as chill emo rap. It’s not what you’d expect from most hip-hop coming out of Texas, but that’s kind of the point.

What do you hope listeners get from your music?

I hope they get the emotions from my music and that the vibes help soothe their own negative thoughts. I’ve been through a lot, and if my music can help someone else get through their stuff too, that’s what matters to me.

Was there a moment that made you realize you wanted to take music seriously?

Yeah, there was a point in my life where I felt like I lost everything I built. I was weighing my options in life and I already had a hobby with practicing my vocals and creating beats. After I saw some of my songs were getting high streams compared to other friends of mine that made music, it boosted my confidence up a little bit. That’s when I thought, maybe I can actually do something with this.

What’s the story behind “Message 2 You”?

Message 2 You I created as a farewell to my ex girlfriend. We had spent 7 years together and it was my first time being single since high school. It was rough, man. Writing that song helped me process everything.

How did growing up in Fort Worth shape your mindset as an artist?

There’s many different types of artists in Fort Worth. But when it comes to hip hop/rap, they mostly tell the same stories or rap about the same things. I wanted my music to be different and have a new take. Instead of rapping about guns, drugs, and violence I wanted to be on a more personal level with my audience. That’s just not my story, you know?

What can fans expect from your upcoming album “Demons”?

My newest album will have a more party style, sexual, fun vibe to contrast my older music telling more of a sad feeling. My personal favorite track from the album is called Demons as well which is why I decided to name the album the same. It’s going to show a different side of me.

Final Thoughts

Where authenticity often gets lost in the pursuit of viral moments and industry formulas, Turo Rose represents something refreshingly genuine. His willingness to be vulnerable in a genre that often rewards posturing suggests he understands something many artists miss – that real connection happens when you’re brave enough to tell the truth. While he’s building his career one song at a time, his approach indicates he’s not just chasing trends but creating something that could outlast them. That kind of artistic integrity, combined with his growing streaming numbers, positions him as an artist worth watching in Texas and beyond.

Find Turo Rose on Spotify and Instagram.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Follow Us - Popular Hustle on Spotify
Follow Us - Popular Hustle on Spotify
Follow Us - Popular Hustle on Spotify

Trending