Western Massachusetts’ own Jackson Whalan and NYC producer GES have crafted something special with “Coming Alive,” the attention-grabbing lead single from their upcoming collaborative album “Vocal Points.” The track, which kickstarted their creative partnership, masterfully weaves together infectious motivation and contemporary trap elements that might just have you hitting the replay button.
The single showcases GES’s production chops in full force, as he layers hard-hitting trap drums with moody, cinematic synthesizers that create an almost movie-like atmosphere. Whalan steps up to the plate with a delivery that’s both precise and commanding – particularly evident in standout bars like “Bridge the divide/ Plan I devise/Making designs/Raising the tides/Painting outside of the lines.” There’s something raw and authentic about how the track captures that unstoppable feeling of pushing through barriers.
In a recent conversation about the track’s origins, Whalan shared his mindset during creation: “I was thinking of being in the gym, a workout vibe, something that could be in a commercial or movie, a motivation to defeat all the odds, a soundtrack for being unstoppable.” You can hear that energy pulsing through every beat, marking what Whalan describes as an exciting venture into fresh sonic territory.
“Coming Alive” by Jackson Whalan & GES
This collaboration brings together two fascinating musical journeys. Whalan, who cut his teeth in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, fell head over heels for hip-hop at age 11 after discovering some life-changing CDs that belonged to his older brother – notably The Fugees’ “The Score” and Nas’s “Illmatic.” Since then, he’s carved out his own lane, culminating in impressive milestones like featuring KRS-One on a remix of his track “From the Woods” and later producing for KRS-One’s 24th album. With more than 100 releases under his belt, Whalan has proven himself as a workhorse independent artist who’s equally comfortable commanding stages solo or with a full band backing him.
On the other side of the equation, we have GES – Gregory Eugene Somerville to those who know him – bringing his considerable expertise as a musician, producer, and engineer straight from the heart of New York City’s demanding music scene. His work, which spans both live playback and studio production, has earned him a reputation for creating the kind of melodies that stick with you long after the track ends.
Mark your calendars for May 23rd, 2025, when their full-length album “Vocal Points” drops. “Coming Alive” offers just a taste of what happens when Whalan’s versatile artistry collides with GES’s production mastery, and early signs suggest they’re onto something fresh.
You can catch both artists doing their thing on various digital platforms. Check out Whalan on Spotify and Instagram, while GES maintains his presence on Spotify and Instagram. Between tour dates, Whalan keeps the creativity flowing from his Berkshires studio, while GES continues pushing boundaries in the Big Apple. If “Coming Alive” is any indication of what’s to come, this partnership might just be the beginning of something remarkable.
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There’s something refreshing about an artist who doesn’t chase volume. “I don’t make music to sound loud. I make music to sound deep,” says iurisEkero, and after diving into his catalog, you get exactly what he means.
Born in Mendoza, Argentina, iurisEkero (stylized in lowercase, like his approach to fame) grew up in a house where music wasn’t just background noise—it was the main conversation. His grandfather recorded albums as a vocalist, his father played trumpet, and young Iuris absorbed it all. But here’s what’s interesting: instead of just carrying the torch, he’s completely reimagined it.
Now splitting time between the USA and Argentina, iurisEkero creates what he calls “sonic exploration”—pop mixed with electronic textures, ethereal vocals, and these atmospheric moments that genuinely make you want to hit pause on everything else. He pulls inspiration from unexpected places: cities at night, red wine, those comfortable silences between people who know each other well, and what he describes as “the glitch of memories.”
His latest single, “This Summer Night,” dropped on August 19th and perfectly captures that specific magic. At 3:17, it’s packed with synths that stick in your head and a melody that somehow feels both nostalgic and brand new. Other tracks like “The Sun, The Wine and You” and “Midnight Drive” show his range—each one catching different emotional frequencies while keeping that distinctive warmth that comes from his bicultural perspective.
The numbers tell their own story. Nearly 3 million Spotify streams. Over a million YouTube views. But when you mention this to iurisEkero, he seems genuinely surprised. “I don’t even understand those numbers,” he admits. “I just enjoy and am grateful.”
What he hopes listeners take away is simple: that urge to play a song again, whether you’re remembering someone, dancing alone in your kitchen, or waiting for something you can’t quite name yet. Even his breakup songs somehow feel optimistic—there’s always this undercurrent of possibility in his work.
Currently working on a new album featuring various guest artists, iurisEkero seems ready for whatever comes next. The sound explorer from Mendoza has found his frequency, and people are definitely tuning in.
What happens when you achieve everything you dreamed of before turning 23, but there’s no one around to celebrate with? That’s the question Alain Mékani wrestles with in “Quiet,” his introspective new single that dropped August 1st, 2025.
The Dubai-based artist, who grew up in Beirut speaking Arabic with his mom and French with his dad while MTV played in the background, has been carving out his own corner of the Middle Eastern pop scene since his 2023 debut “Fool.” But this latest track hits different. It’s raw, honest, and uncomfortably relatable for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a room full of people.
Written during a period of professional success while living abroad, “Quiet” runs just over three minutes but packs an emotional punch. The track opens with Mékani reflecting on his younger self’s dreams—the car, the new place, all achieved before his 23rd birthday. But here’s where it gets real: “I left it all behind just to find myself / But am I really free?”
The chorus doesn’t pull punches either. When he admits “I’ve been going through some changes and my mind is fucking racing,” you feel that restless energy. It’s not polished pop perfection; it’s someone working through their stuff in real-time. The official music video, which premiered July 31st, visually captures this internal conflict.
“Quiet” by Alain Mékani
Family threads through every verse — and you can feel it. There’s the promise to make his mother proud, the desire to share his victories, and that gut-punch line about missing the people who matter most. The bridge transforms into something between a mantra and a desperate reminder: “Be somebody if you’re nobody.” It’s less motivational poster, more survival mechanism.
Since emerging with tracks like “Awlad El Haram” and his licensed reimagining of the Lebanese classic “Tallou Hbabna” earlier this year, Mékani has built a reputation for blending French, Arabic, and English lyrics with what critics call a “melancholic awakening” sound. Regional outlets including Musivv and Buro 24/7 Middle East have taken notice of his ability to pair cross-cultural production with genuine vulnerability.
The artist, who taught himself guitar after starting on accordion at eight, turned to songwriting as therapy following his father’s death in 2015. While working a marketing day job in Dubai, he spent nights and weekends learning production, eventually creating the demos that would launch his career.
Currently working on collaborations with Rayan Bailouni and Jay Janith, Mékani is pushing further into French territory with his upcoming releases. It’s a natural evolution for someone who grew up switching between languages at home. As he puts it: “I write in three languages because some emotions need more than one passport.”
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.”