Artemas, a one-two punch of new music, is setting the tone for 2025. Following the viral success of his 2023 single "I Like the Way You Kiss Me," the multi-instrumentalist releases two offerings, "Southbound" and "Test Drive." This duo of hypnotic tracks embodies his unmistakable blend of sultry vocals, indie-pop sensibilities, and electronic-gloss production.
The first of the pair, "southbound," plunges into a dark, fever-dream-like ambiance. A throbbing blend of beats and glittery synth evokes a hazy early-2000s warehouse rave, priming the atmosphere for Artemas' intoxicating storytelling. His sultry vocals float atop the gritty soundscape as he admits, "Baby likes it messy, yeah, she loves to cause a scene / Touchin' me in public like she wants the world to see." And if the chorus is a bracing exercise in surrendering to unhinged desire, the track captures the feeling of being utterly at someone's mercy.
With "southbound" and "test drive," Artemas demonstrates again why he's one of the most fascinating voices in modern dark pop. This two-for-one is more a sensory rendering than a release, sexy, snappy, and hard to avoid. Buckle.