Don't Worry, They'll Catch Up

The Debut, Part One. This is how it starts: I'll put a short playlist together and select a handful of songs to comment on. It'll read like a mix of cultural and industry notes, all wrapped up in personal accounts. Not the most sophisticated plan, I'm aware. But in an era where the traditional versions of this very idea are crumbling down, can we at least appreciate the confidence and almost cute level of naivety required to invest in it anyway? Thank you so much.

Oh, it takes ambition too. I'm labelling ALL ACES an experimental editorial project, and I'm committed to finding out what alternative paths are opening up for music commentary on the internet in 2024. As a visual designer, and definitely not an experienced writer or journalist — barely a decent English speaker, lmao — the newsletter format is 1) a huge challenge, and 2) a starting point. I'm doing it because I believe that writing, as a foundational skill, will help build a strong base for whatever comes next. And also because it allows you, dear Ace reader, to come along and help shape it through feedback.

But let me not get ahead of myself. ALL ACES, the newsletter, is here now. Music has been the lens through which I've viewed the world as far back as I can remember. To finally have a place to articulate and share my findings with whoever may care already gives me an immeasurable sense of satisfaction. If you're one of those people, please subscribe, and consider sharing it with a friend.

Thank you and welcome!

All Aces, The Playlist

Updated every new issue. Listen on Spotify.

Don't Worry, They'll Catch Up

KAROL G ft. Kali Uchis, 'ME TENGO QUE IR' (Bichota Records)

I have a dream, one that should have been relatively easy to fulfill by now: seeing Karol G live. The obstacle: I live in Brazil. Her fourth album, 'Mañana Será Bonito,' topped the Billboard 200 upon its release in February of 2023 and it was followed by a sold-out US stadium tour. With a long list of accolades over an 8-year career, the most popular Latina in music right now remains a relatively unknown name to Brazilians, who have largely resisted the reggaeton wave of the past decade. The reason being a mix of barrier language, the massiveness of our own music industry, and probably other yet-to-be-identified factors. The situation has been, indeed, very puzzling for people who's trying to break out reggaeton acts in this country and also for myself who so far got the experience of enjoying an international powerhouse like they were my little underground secret.

'ME TENGO QUE IR' came out in August as part of a follow-up release — Wikipedia calls it a mixtape, I refuse — of Karol's album, titled 'Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season)'. This SpongeBob meme perfectly illustrates how I feel about this track. Featuring Kali Uchis, the timing of the collab makes a lot of sense considering the news that broke out weeks before its release: Karol signed with Interscope. Now, the Colombian duo are office buddies under Nir Seroussi, who oversees the label's Latin releases. That deal, by the way, it's quite something. Switching over from Universal Music Latino, where she has been signed since 2016, Billboard reported that Karol now owns her masters and will release music through her own imprint, while Interscope takes care of marketing and distribution. The label is aptly named Bichota Records.

As for my dream, I'm actually closer than ever to realize it. Last October, Carolina announced the Latin-America leg of her tour for 2024, including one stop in São Paulo this May. While the other dates got stadiums, we first got a 8k-capacity venue. By the time the tickets went on sale in December, they had moved the concert to a new outdoor space — one that Paramore played for 18,000 people last year. So not a stadium yet, but certainly an upgrade for my favorite under-the-radar pop star.

What else you'll find in the latest update of the ALL ACES playlist.

Nina Maia, 'SUA' (Seloki Records, 2023) + Pabllo Vittar, 'Kaosdeado - Mílian Dolla Remix' (Sony Music, 2023)

Have I mentioned I'm from Brazil yet? Just checking. It will be an absolute pleasure to leverage my position to highlight Brazilian artists through this project. Take, for instance, these two polar opposite names that I've managed to fit in the same playlist: Nina Maia and Pabllo Vittar. 'SUA' is only the third original single in Nina's career, released through the independent Seloki Records. Meanwhile, 'Kaosdeado,' a collaboration with underground producer Míllian Dolla, is featured on Pabllo's fifth album remix compilation 'NOITADA,' under Sony Music.

From São Paulo's alternative scene, Nina's entry represents the more introspective, delicate, abstract-feelings-through-intricate-poetry side of the country's pop. While Vittar's track, from the most followed drag queen in the world, is the complementary high-energy, straightforward, all-out dimension of it. One is trying to make sense of the chaos, the other is having a blast inducing it. Both, randomly paired like this, are your daily reminder of Brazil's ever-expanding creative prowess.

Red Velvet, 'Underwater' (SM Entertainment, 2023)

Turns out, writing about Red Velvet is much harder than any other artist I've tried so far. They've been my favorite thing for the past three years, so I spent days trying to compensate for that extreme bias by adopting some neutral voice with an overly professional tone. How silly. Instead, accept this regular, fairly tendentious account: It's commendable how amidst the chaos of SM Entertainment ousting its CEO, being acquired by Kakao Entertainment, and undergoing a major operational overhaul, the group still managed to release a remarkably coherent new album.

The balance of striving for innovation while preserving one's sonic identity is no small feat, a fact of which Red Velvet might be hyper-aware, as they watch industry mates with decade-long careers struggling with that very task. Lastly, I couldn't have dreamt a run of b-sides as transcendent as Knock Knock-Underwater-Will I Ever See You Again.

Tabber ft. Paul Blanco, Miso, 'Creepin'' (you.will.knovv, 2023)

I suspect it's a very common experience for music fans who go down the Korean Pop Road to wonder, once acquainted with its specificities, what else is there beyond idols. Tabber is one very pleasing example of where that inquiry might lead you nowadays. Around since 2020, to summon attention as an up-and-comer it surely helps being under the wings of DEAN, one of the best-known figures in the Korean R&B scene, but no one gets to release a debut EP as strong as 'Deep End Mix Tape' solely through mentorship.

Tabber's music possesses a The Weeknd-like ability to create a universe around itself. That's well exercised in releases like '007' with Syd (yup, The Internet-member Syd!), and the jazziness of 'Creepin'' with labelmate Miso and Paul Blanco, the highest point of 'Madness Always Turns to Sadness,' his album from last year. The atmosphere is usually moody but even brighter-sounding cuts like 'Being', produced by the British band PREP — and which sound very much like a PREP song — still feel at home in Tabber's discography, thanks to the man's rich vocals and intrinsic artistry. Owning one's sound like this is not as common as it should be.

All Aces, The Visuals

Worth-noting music, in video.

AMORE, Dinamarca, 'FIGHT!' (Mis Cosas, 2023)

Making a mental recap of 2023, I realized that AMORE was my favorite discovery of the year. Through fresh, innovative storytelling in both music and video, she's improvising her way out of conventional narratives, all while looking like the coolest person in the world. Watch also the cute 'La Arena', the 'Disneyland Paris' nonsense, and the melodramatic 'Last Maria on Earth.'

Thank you for reading ALL ACES! For suggestions and feedback reach out at ac@fromallaces.com.