It’s the year of the fire horse. Pairing together flames with stallion muscle promises twelve months of energy, vitality, speed, and passion. As we at Yellowbelly have entered into our “chopped” eras, we’ll take all the above. However, we thought this year could bring a little extra. We’re going to add tunes to that list.
We scoured the local and international music scenes for some of our favourite artists and tracks. HORSEPOWER: A LNY Playlist has a little bit of everything, from shoegaze, indie-pop, alt-rock, and hip-hop. Let us at Yellowbelly be your soundtrack as you open red packets or drift in and out of food comas.
HORSEPOWER: A LNY Playlist 🔥🐎
Bridge Dog – Counterweight
YURA – Lovergirl
Texas 3000 (JPN) – Strange Cherry Red
Hinano Fujisaki – あなたはまぶしい
iPod – four five
Peterparker69 (JPN) –Monkey See
MINH (VN) – Out With Grace
ONE CLICK STRAIGHT – Telepono
Adrian Eagle – BLISS-N-OUT
Jean Vice (KR) – Oreo
Bridge Dog – Counterweight
Counterweight is the stunning opening track off of Bridge Dog’s debut album, Auto Fictions. The song combines their keen sense of earworm melodies with their signature immersive shoegaze sound. In under four minutes, Bridge Dog plunges you into their dreamy world. Over fuzzy guitars, lead vocalist Grace Ha sings of a desire for something lost, obscured, and forever out of reach. Counterweight is the type of tune you listen to with headphones, using your palms as a pillow (trust me, I know this from firsthand experience).
YURA – Lovergirl
Lovergirl is the latest release from Sydney’s indie-pop princess, YURA. The single is an anthem for the hopelessly romantic and heartbroken alike. Lovergirl sees YURA play the role of a cheerleader and confidant to someone who’s been through the wringer of love. While there’s no substitute for a shoulder to cry on as your heart aches, listening to Lovergirl might be the next best thing.
Texas 3000 (JPN) –Strang Cherry Red
As an introduction to Tokyo-based Texas 3000, Strange Cherry Red hits with the subtlety of a fist to the face. The alt-rock epic celebrates the euphoria of being free and present. Strange Cherry Red opens with the sounds of a computer’s soul leaving its plastic frame (I can only presume) before slowly building like a deep inhale. The track simmers with grunge-tinged melodies before exploding into an avalanche of crunchy guitars and lead singer Jojo’s earnest vocals. Make sure to listen to this one with the volume cranked all the way up.
Hinano Fujisaki – あなたはまぶしい
Hinano Fujisaki is a Sydney-based musician, composer, and improviser. あなたはまぶしい is a track written while on a residency in Banff. The inspiration came to her on a lonely Sunday morning in the presence of Sulphur Mountain, looming just outside her window. The track echos with an ambience and etherealness as if it’s bellowing from the forest floor. Make sure to vote for Hinano for this year’s fbi SMAC awards (here).
iPod – four five
four five is one of the standout tracks on Sydney-based rapper iPod’s debut album, nanopod. Over thudding boom-bap beats, iPod spits bars of a love lost. While peering into the mirror of self-reflection, he manages to paint his pain with the type of lyricism that has become his signature. In the first verse alone, he drops references to Poké Balls, Spider-Man, and the kitchen queen herself, Nigella Lawson. The track ends on a equally celebratory and heartbreaking note, with iPod admitting, “If a girl is a gun, I couldn’t handle my weapon”.
Peterparker69 (JPN) – Monkey See
Tokyo-born hyperpop group Peteraparker69 is the combined efforts of Jeter & Yohtrixpointnever. The duo craft a blend of glitchy J-pop and alt-rap, creating a sound that exists somewhere between a stream of memes and a Boiler Room set. For their single Monkey See, the two enlisted the help of UK artists Rosier and tomhuna. The result is a celebration of self-acceptance and refusal of youth’s ennui set against the shimmering neon lights of Tokyo.
MINH (VN) – Out With Grace
Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, MINH is a singer-songwriter known for his introspective lyricism and pop sensibility. Out With Grace is the second single off his latest EP, THANK GOD IT DIDN’T WORK OUT. The track sees MINH yearning to escape the milieu of heartbreak and boredom. Out With Grace is for anyone who’s ever cruised the streets with the windows down and a little too much on their mind.
ONE CLICK STRAIGHT – Telepono
ONE CLICK STRAIGHT are just one call away with their 2025 single, Telepono. The song title refers to the 00’s Filipino cultural phenomenon of late-night phone calls to a crush or lover ( we all know the feeling). The track is an ode to the angst and melodies of pop-punk. The brothers (and anointed spiritual brother) glide through each earworming refrain, building to a hook that will have you whipping out your studded belts and knocking your head back and forth.
Adrian Eagle – BLISS-N-OUT
Adrian Eagle’s latest single, BLISS-N-OUT, takes the Adelaide singer to new heights. The sprawling 7-minute track finds him floating over a luscious psychedelic beat that sparkles like sunlight dancing on the ocean’s surface. With his irresistible vocals, Adrian sings of intertwining our bodies with something cosmic and far grander. BLISS-N-OUT is the perfect sonic antidote to the endless churn of a world experienced through screens and dictated by algorithms.
Jean Vice (KR) – Oreo
Oreo is the latest single from emerging Korean singer-songwriter Jean Vice. The velvety smooth track sees Jean effortlessly croon about a lost love. With Oreo being released just days into 2026, we’re keen to see whatever he has in store for the next 11 months.
Special thanks to all the artists and their teams. Most of these tracks can be found on all streaming services. Make sure to check out HORSEPOWER: A LNY Playlist below (あなたはまぶしい wasn’t available on Youtube, so we included Hinano’s performance of おかえりなさい at Phoenix Central).
