On August 11, Softside announced its latest addition to its ever-growing artist roster: hongjoin.

The multi-genre artist effortlessly evokes a sense of comfort and honesty in his music that listeners both appreciate and resonate with, something that’s sure to come across visually in his eventual merchandise.

Through Softside, fans are able to build & submit portfolios featuring examples of past creative work, or they can create mockups with original designs inspired by hongjoin for consideration. Approved fans are paid royalties with each sale.

To officially welcome hongjoin to the Softside community, we caught up with the indie-pop artist to talk about his fans, reflect on his sophomore album, and get a hint of what’s to come…

Welcome to Softside! What about this new partnership are you most excited for?

I’ve known of Softside for a while now and really love what you guys are doing for the creative community!

I am looking forward to pushing this platform out to my fanbase since I know a lot of them are super creative. The fan art and fan projects that I’ve seen over the years have always impressed me and it’s going to be so interesting to collaborate with fans on some official, artist-approved merch!

How would you describe your fan community?

Loyal, down to earth, and has a unique music taste!

What visuals come to mind when thinking about your music?

I would say I have a distinct color for each project, from purple to light blue to most recently, green!

As of now I would say my music’s aesthetic feels nature-y forest green, with dreamy undertones. My latest album KOMOREBI features…a lot of trees and flowers. I like trees and flowers!

You’re currently based in Boston, with roots in Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. How do each of these locations reflect in your identity as an artist?

I think it helps me draw cultural inspiration from both ends of the world. I grew up in a very Southeast Asian household, and always visited Taiwan and Japan due to family being there, and growing up in Singapore now living in the US helps me appreciate the nuances of both the East and West.

All my songs are pretty much about love, whether romantic or platonic. I’m always inspired by how big the world is, and navigating that unknown while growing up makes me write a lot of music deeply personal to me.

Are there any emerging artists you can’t stop listening to that you’d like to shout out? Any artists in general who have major influences on your own music in different ways?

Honestly, I have so many artist friends that make awesome music. I can’t name them all but I’ve really been digging Rin’s music and it’s been on rotation in my playlist for a while now.

For artists that inspire me, my answer’s always been the same. Charlie Burg, VALLEY, Jeremy Zucker, Sunset Rollercoaster, wave to earth like damn the list goes on and on. Underneath everything I’m just a fan who happened to make his own music so hooray shoutout music!

You recently opened for Charlie Burg in Boston. How was this experience? How do you view opening gigs like this as a rising artist?

I’ve been keeping cool about it and trying my best to act calm…BUT I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE IT HAPPENED.

I cover his songs at every show I play and singing his song was the first YouTube post I ever made. My fans know how much his music inspires me and honestly, he’s such a great guy so down to earth and humble. He lives and breathes music, and it shows on stage. Opening for him was a dream come true.

I have opened for many artists that I’m a fan of, and I’m always happy to do it. I love hyping the crowd up for an artist I truly respect and to me, it’s always such an honor to be able to be a part of their musical world. I love getting to interact with new faces in the crowds, and being able to share my music and stories with people I otherwise would not have crossed paths with is an experience I am always grateful for.

It’s been a year since KOMOREBI, your sophomore album, was released. When thinking back on this project, what stands out the most to this day (songs, lyrics, sounds, etc.)?

This project really solidified my sound as an artist I think. I’m still a growing artist but I think KOMOREBI really gave my music journey a push and somehow people really resonated with it. They were mainly love songs that reflected on long distance and taking the leap of faith, and I’ve had the opportunity to bring this album to life on stage many times.

My favorite song on the project varies with my mood but right now I would say - “Yesterday,” SLAPS. A late bloomer on the album.

How does KOMOREBI compare to any new music you might have on the way? What can listeners expect about what’s to come?

Like you said this was over a year ago. Since then, I’ve lived more of my life and grew up a little haha. My discography is like my diary, a reflection of what I was going through at that point in time. In my current stage of life I think, I found myself navigating through different phases of figuring out who I am as a person and what dependency means to me. My new stuff will be a lot more reflective — I’d say we are about to slow things down a little.

Get involved with Softside x hongjoin’s fan-designed merchandise collaboration here.

Listen to hongjoin here.

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Softside is a fan merch platform dedicated to connecting music artists with their creative communities via officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

Martina Rexrode is a writer based in Delaware. With a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware and a lifelong passion for music, she combines the two when she can to put her thoughts about all kinds of music down where anyone can read them.

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Written by Martina Rexrode

If you’re familiar with the world of fandom, you already know the force of nature that is Taylor Swift’s Swifties or BTS’ ARMY. These fandoms take years not just to build, but also deepen: the community identity, the inside jokes, the shared lore and familiar names on Discord or at tour meet-ups.

Fans have become critical extensions of an artist’s promotional strategy – in some ways, they act like grassroot marketing powerhouses, dedicating themselves to organizing streaming parties, sketching out how to get their favorite artist on the Billboard Hot 100, and building online excitement around an album’s “easter eggs” (hidden messages or nuanced hints for fans to discover).

Global reach is an increasingly important piece of this strategy, and social media and other digital channels are typically the engines to make this happen.

Beyond just sharing music, fans are building entire online ecosystems with artist update accounts and fan-run pages, especially ones that are region-specific (how else would “come to Brazil!” become such an iconic rallying cry amongst fans?) In recent years we’ve been seeing music lovers in the Eastern hemisphere digging more into artists from the U.S. and Europe (thanks to the help of services like East Goes Global) while Western fans are immersing themselves into other genres like K-Pop.

The K-Pop community is home to some of the most fiercely dedicated fans you’ll ever meet. Even though their favorite artists often tour only a few major cities globally, many listeners often treat their fan identity as a full-time job. Sometimes this includes fighting for a way to show artists just how widespread their reach is.

The K-Pop fanbase in Lima, Peru, for example, is one of the biggest in Latin America.

Despite its 10,000+ mile distance from Korea, fans have found their own sense of community by founding dance crews who learn and perform K-Pop choreography, hosting public events, and showing their dedication through their own online streaming events.

A recent example of the impact of K-Pop in Peru lies within a project created between TOORLY, a fan-driven online platform that allows fans to influence where artists tour next, and a group of Jackson Wang fans.

Wang is a Hong Kong-born multi-hyphenate talent who first rose to fame as a member of K-Pop boy group GOT7 in 2014. Since delving into his own solo career, performing at Coachella, and releasing his debut solo album, MAGIC MAN, Wang has become a global pop star.

Along with providing real-time data that shows artists where demand exists for future outreach, TOORLY also supports fan-led cultural projects that give fans additional visibility and creative control. They recently worked with fans in Lima to create a temporary art gallery, which served as an open invitation for Wang to perform in their city .

The gallery included three pieces from artists based in the U.S. (@cholorsplash), Colombia (@karina), and France (@ahgaxl), further highlighting the reach of Wang’s fan community. The pieces were displayed in the well-respected Galería Índigo in San Isidro, Lima, a gallery known to host both permanent and rotating exhibits that support local as well as international artistic voices.

Karina, of the artists whose work was chosen for this gallery, shared, “I found inspiration in how human he is — how open and real. He inspires me to create art.”

Turning an art gallery into a tribute to a musician - as both a call for them to visit and a celebration of fan art - beautifully reflects the passion and humanity of fandom. In an era where most fan campaigns live and grow online, there’s something strikingly original about anchoring this energy in a physical space. It’s a reminder that while community thrives in digital ecosystems, its emotional core still craves tangible expression - a real place where shared creativity and connection can take shape offline.

The gallery in Peru is just one part of an international K-Pop fan gallery initiative. Future exhibitions are already planned for Latvia, South Africa, and more.

Softside is a merch partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists and creative communities through officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

Martina Rexrode is a writer based in Delaware. With a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware and a lifelong passion for music, she combines the two when she can to put her thoughts about all kinds of music down where anyone can read them.

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It started the moment FKA twigs dropped EUSEXUA. Sure, it was only January 24, but that seems a perfectly reasonable time to start the heated ‘Album of the Year’ conversation.

Now, with ‘The Song of the Summer’ just around the corner, 2025 has already given us a stack of standout albums destined for year-end lists.

We compiled a few of our favorite albums of the year (so far) and dug more into the merch surrounding those releases. Let’s take a look…

FKA twigs - EUSEXUA

As an artist who has always leaned into her multi-hyphenates, it’s no surprise to see the world of EUSEXUA come to life beyond the music. The genre-bending record floats between so many worlds. From the heavy trance of “Room Of Fools” to the autotuned songwriter moment that “Wanderlust” delivers so beautifully, everything is crafted with a precision and elegance that makes it feel more like fine art than just a collection of songs.

That same feeling carries through to the physical release. The clear vinyl pressing comes with a photography booklet and a set of postcards, giving more shine to the brilliant details that help make this project what it is. The images really strike and linger with you, much like the music itself.

We noticed there are different sets offered: the full price for the general public, a discounted price for her Discord community, and a steel vinyl version for Spotify fans. Segmenting the products to create special offerings for her loyal groups across various channels is a masterful approach to thoughtful community-building.

Oklou - choke enough

Musically, this record feels like a cousin of EUSEXUA, with both artists braving the edges of their sound and offering new expressions of familiar sounds. “blade bird” is a highlight track, offering an intimate, swirling meditation on the reality of a relationship. Nostalgia-tinged and emotionally precise, Oklou reaches for something remembered and brings its most delicate details into focus.

Currently, there’s only one merch item for sale to support this release - though I’m sure more will appear as we get closer to the tour this October. But the choke enough t-shirt really hits the mark. A design that recalls and leans into a late-90s’ alt look, it feels like it could’ve been art for Blur. Printed in a luminous Matrix-silver on a washed grey-black tee, it echoes the sonic world of the album and, just like the music, the details make it special. The tiny choke enough text on the back neckline is a brilliant touch. Not to mention, the consideration to source PETA-approved vegan shirts takes it over the line.

Charley Crockett - Lonesome Drifter

It feels great when the merch matches the music, but there’s something delightful about an artist who is telling you where, when, and how to enjoy their music through their merch. It’s a true joy to receive some context to what you’ll hear before you hit play.

Charley Crockett has done this better than anyone with new record Lonesome Drifter. The rising country star feels plucked from another era of country, true to its wandering storytelling roots.His music is transportive and in its perfect execution somehow opens up the door to those who’ve sworn off country music.

The merch for this record includes some great tees, whose designs make them feel vintage already. He also offers trucker hats, drink coozies, and floating keychains – essentially screaming at listeners to enjoy this record floating around the lake with their friends. And, oh what a day it’d be: sun coming down, stories shared, and memories made. Throw on “Never No More” and you’ll see the vision.

Gigi Perez - At the Beach, in Every Life

Gigi Perez’s shooting-star-ascension to stardom has been a joy to watch. The singer-songwriter’s powerful voice finds its footing in deeply personal storytelling and exploring feelings over edgy, guitar-driven pop production. Even as Perez pushes the limits with powerful emotions crashing through big, climactic moments throughout the album, the music remains sweet, grounded, and heartfelt.

The same energy comes through in the album art with perfectly simple illustrations that feel gentle and inviting. Building off that visual touchstone, we see a three-panel comic version for the main tee. She’s also paired it with a cute keychain and temporary tattoo sheet, both wholesome, low-cost entry points for fans to support Perez and carry a piece of her world with them. Delightful and thoughtful, just like the music.

Honorable Mention: Remi Wolf’s Big Ideas Tour Merch

While Remi Wolf’s record, Big Ideas, gets disqualified here for its 2024 release date, I had to give her an honorable mention as her tour merch just released online for the general public.

Is anyone having more fun than Remi Wolf? The merch store is now flooded with fun concepts, goofy copy, and a taste of so many different styles. The Slay Bitch bumper sticker is an easy favorite, but I’d opt for the I went to a Remi Wolf concert and it changed my life a little bit tote bag. A true statement for anyone that’s ever attended a show, but also the perfect, cheeky encapsulation of her music. So many fun tees and hoodies, a couple great hats, all worth checking out!

Softside is a partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists with their creative communities via officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

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Max Himelhoch (he/him) writes and curates Max's Music Mondays, a music discovery newsletter on Substack. You can also find him throwing special shows with up-and-coming artists through Mendel Records, both in his hometown LA as well as NYC. Beyond the music, you can find him solving today's NYT Crossword Puzzle.

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Capitol Hill Block Party (“CHBP”) is a three-day music festival and block party that occurs annually in Seattle, Washington. Since its founding in 1997, the event has hosted a wide range of artists from genres including, but not limited to, punk, indie rock, R&B, pop, and EDM. Artists like Jack White, Sonic Youth, and Remi Wolf have graced their stages throughout the years, but this year’s lineup is one you can’t miss.

Apart from serving as your traditional music festival, CHBP also includes free events to keep you occupied in between sets. Center yourself with a yoga session after an intense half an hour of jumping around, or participate in a skate competition while your favorite artist performs in the background. Over the past 27 years, the festival has grown into a must-attend weekend for music fans from the Seattle area and beyond.

On April 22, Softside announced its fan merch partnership with Capitol Hill Block Party, inviting fans to collaborate with the festival on official merchandise designs.

Fans are able to build & submit portfolios featuring examples of past creative work, or they can create mockups with original designs for consideration. Approved fans are paid royalties with each sale.

To kick off the campaign, Softside chatted with the CHBP team about the event’s history, Seattle’s music culture, and which artists they’re excited to see this summer.

Softside: What makes Seattle the perfect place for an event like this? How would you describe the music culture in Seattle?

CHBP: Well, no one knows how to take advantage of the summer like Seattle! After enduring nine months of cold, dark, and wet, Seattle doesn’t let a single summer day go to waste, which makes CHBP that much more of a big event for the community.

Seattle’s music culture is deeply rooted but always evolving. Are we known for 90’s grunge music? Sure. But we’ve also grown to be the home to electronic artists (Odesza), rappers (Macklemore), and legendary singer-songwriters (Brandi Carlile).

Softside: What do you love about the fans that attend every year or have attended in the past?

CHBP: We love how consistently fun attendees are, no matter the year. It’s such a unique footprint for a festival in 2025; the space lends itself to make sure people have fun whether they know the artists or not.

Softside: How are artists within the local Seattle music scene connected to the history of the Capitol Hill Block Party?

CHBP: Local artists are a massive part of the fabric of the event! They make up roughly half of the entire lineup and add so much personality to what CHBP ends up being. The diversity in sound represented in our lineup never ceases to amaze us.

Softside: What are some of your favorite spots (local businesses, recreational areas, etc.) in the innermost and surrounding vicinity of Seattle?

CHBP: Catch us enjoying a bubble tea from Drip Tea, right outside our gates, and also a burrito from Poquitos!

Softside: What are some of the biggest ways the Capitol Hill Block Party has evolved over its nearly 30 years of existence?

CHBP: While the footprint has stayed generally the same over the past 25+ years, the lineup is where we see the most change and growth. We pride ourselves on staying relevant in our own ecosphere of the music scene. It’s easy to see if you look at the last decade of lineups we’ve produced.

Softside: What differentiates this event from other annual music festivals?

CHBP: It’s one of the rare festivals that still takes place in the streets of a very busy part of a city. The footprint, neighborhood, and city is what makes Capitol Hill Block Party most unique.

Softside: Which artists are you most excited about from this year’s lineup?

CHBP: It’s hard to pick favorites but a few of our most anticipated would be Zulan (watch out for this one!), Fcukers, and INJI!

Get involved with Softside x Capitol Hill Block Party’s fan-designed merchandise partnership here.

More info about the festival can be found here.

Softside is a partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists with their creative communities via officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

Martina Rexrode is a writer based in Delaware. With a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware and a lifelong passion for music, she combines the two when she can to put her thoughts about all kinds of music down where anyone can read them.

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As the economics of being a musician get more difficult via streaming and touring, the one stronghold musicians have carved out for themselves is merchandise. It’s direct support from the fan: cash from your pocket to theirs. I wanted to explore this a little deeper, so I reached out to a couple of my favorite musicians to hear about it from their perspective.

Deloyd Elze is a new country act in Los Angeles, blending traditional country influences with contemporary lyrics and computers. He and his band are a force live, and their merch has always caught my eye. After a great set last summer at Permanent Records Roadhouse in LA, I flipped through some of their hand-printed shirts – second-hand tees with camo print or NASCAR graphics, now sporting a fresh Deloyd Elze logo sitting pretty on top.

When I asked Elze about the importance of merch, he didn’t mention money at all. Instead, he explained, “It’s really fun to come up with unconventional merch. It leaves a lasting impression with people and shows them your tastes and interests.” And I have to agree – just by looking at each tee, I get to know Elze a tiny bit better: what he’s about, the aesthetic, the messaging. His merch is a visual representation of his music, inviting me to connect more with him and his songs.

I’m sure I wasn’t alone at that show – floored by a powerful set, curious to learn more, maybe even take home a keepsake to remember the experience. That impulse is familiar to Elze, too. He recalled the first piece of merch he ever bought, saving up as a teen to see Cage the Elephant when they came to his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. He got hooked seeing them live that night, and had to have the shirt to show for it. Merch offers us a way to make the ephemeral real: proof of what just happened, proof of the connection we have to the community.

It can be proof of connection to the musicians, too. The merch table has become a friendly place to meet after shows. Depending on where an artist is in their career, they might be the one pulling your new shirt straight from the box.

For mer marcum, a Brooklyn-based indie rock artist, these moments of connection have helped bring digital relationships into the real world.

At marcum’s shows you’ll find unique merch. It’s always something creative, handmade, and fun. Her “undermer” line has been a big hit: hand-stamped or hand-embroidered underwear featuring her name and the silhouette of a horse (now a staple of her visual identity). Her fans walk away with a truly one-of-a-kind piece.

With the perspective I got from Elze, I now see marcum’s merch as an incredibly effective way to get to know her sensibility better, too. Much like her music, there’s a beautiful balance of elegance and rawness. The intimacy of a pair of underwear, the imperfections of the hand printing, the cheekiness of selling ‘undermer’ to begin with. Her songs thrive on the same push and pull: heart and edge, soft and sharp.

When we chatted, marcum reflected on how, sometimes, the bigger picture surrounding the merch purchase can be humbling.

“I played a show in Boston,” she told me, “and a sweet girl who was coming to the show DMed and asked for a pair of undermer. I had this moment on the Flix bus from New York to Boston: I was hand-stitching my name on a pair of underwear, to meet someone who had been a fan of me online, and give them this merch, this gift. I thought about how lucky I am, and how silly, and how cool. And I don't take it lightly!”

Not only is this fan walking away with special merch, but both sides earn an even deeper bond.

In an often cold, one-way digital world, marcum finds genuine, human connections to stay grounded. These little moments bring her closer to the music she makes and the people who deeply connect with it, whether online or in person at a show.

Big thanks to both Deloyd Elze and mer marcum for the reminder of how meaningful these little joys can be and for highlighting the care and creativity behind a truly heartfelt merch line. It’s a perspective I’ll certainly be carrying with me the next time I head into a gig!

Check out the artists:

You can follow Deloyd Elze here and listen here.
You can follow mer marcum here and listen here.

Softside is a merch partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists and creative communities through officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

---

Max Himelhoch (he/him) writes and curates Max's Music Mondays, a music discovery newsletter on Substack. You can also find him throwing special shows with up-and-coming artists through Mendel Records, both in his hometown LA as well as NYC. Beyond the music, you can find him solving today's NYT Crossword Puzzle.

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With their fourth full-length release, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), Japanese Breakfast, fronted by the ever-talented Michelle Zauner, offers a new evolution in the band’s sound. And what a stunning evolution it is. Brought to life by legendary producer Blake Mills, this album marks a bold new chapter for the band.

Opening with Here Is Someone certainly sets the tone. Zauner, a particularly poetic writer, lends a natural depth to this epic perspective. The song ebbs and flows between intimate and overwhelming moments that wash over you. The flute stands out, fluttering through a melody that feels quintessentially Japanese Breakfast. Zauner has such a distinct vision, and it sounds like Mills was the right collaborator to bring it to life. The record flows into Orlando In Love, another track that feels both personal and historical. Zauner flourishes here without a traditional drum beat. A magical piece. These first two songs are wonderfully soft and cohesive, setting the stage beautifully.

Then Honey Water kicks things into a new gear with one kick of the drum. When the first lyric, “Why can’t you be faithful,” pours out, there’s a clear change in tone. Much of the album explores different relationships with men from various perspectives. Some from afar, some intimate, some embodied by Zauner herself, all done with care and full of wisdom.

While Honey Water’s story may feel familiar, Zauner finds ways to give it more gravity. Her lyrical choices evoke a grandeur reminiscent of Greek mythology –

“The lure of honey water draws you from my arms so needy
You follow in colonies to sip it from the bank
In rapturous sweet temptation, you wade in past the edge and sink in
Insatiable for a nectar, drinking ‘til your heart expires…”

While the narrator chooses to accept the situation, the band betrays her coolness with a thunderous instrumental break with guitars nearly screaming. The emotion is palpable.

Reeling, we wake back up out west, beginning a trio of interconnected songs. Mega Circuit rides a charming drum groove, punctuated by distant guitars. It’s a massive tune that slides easily into Little Girl. We see the connection - another hotel, more ATVs. Zauner has mentioned that this track is informed by her dad, perhaps suggesting life brings her back into these places (physical and emotional) again and again. It’s regretful and beautiful, like a quiet night walking through the soft rain. Leda comes next, the acoustic guitars feeling very Mills-y (see his album, Jelly Road). Trying to create distance but only getting pulled in deeper – such a human experience.

Picture Window erupts – another wake up call for those who can get lost in songs like these. Singing of her lover, exploring intrusive thoughts, wondering if he is too. The pedal steel shines with a terrific melody in response to Zauner’s verse. The track blooms into a gorgeous chorus, a moment of self-validation before pressing on.

We take a breather, pull up a stool, and meet some Men in Bars. This one is so clearly a Japanese Breakfast song, but it takes on a new shape. Home to the record’s sole feature, Jeff Bridges’ verse carries a weight of sadness and nostalgia, his voice seemingly untouched by time. You can hear him as a father, a lover, or just some guy. He’s a perfect choice – a genuinely delightful performance to find.

Winter in LA shows Zauner wishing she was someone she’s not. Again, the production is absolutely immaculate with perfect sounds everywhere you look. The orchestra joins us in the back half and Zauner just soars. With the bells jingling in the distance, it really feels like a holiday miracle. The band grows even stronger before a tasteful fade-out – a brilliant, shimmering end. Onwards to the final track, Magic Mountain, steeped in that same magical, folktale feeling. Even while retelling a 1920s German novel, Zauner sings with such heart that it all feels personal. More epic imagery and tremendous orchestration brings us home.

For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women) is another special piece of work from Japanese Breakfast, as we’ve come to expect. Zauner reaches for something bigger than herself sonically, while leaving no shortage of insightful, emotional storytelling. She delivers everything with clear perspective and intention - and it ripples out beyond the music. An album that immediately offered more and more with each listen, it’s one to savor this spring.

Listen here

Softside is a partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists and creative communities through officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

---

Max Himelhoch (he/him) writes and curates Max's Music Mondays, a music discovery newsletter on Substack. You can also find him throwing special shows with up-and-coming artists through Mendel Records, both in his hometown LA as well as NYC. Beyond the music, you can find him solving today's NYT Crossword Puzzle.

Subscribe now

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We’re only three months into 2025, but we’ve already been rewarded with some incredible music. With what seemed like every pop princess and emerging act dropping music last year, it was difficult to predict what the 2025 soundscape would look like. Now, as of mid-March, we’ve seen new albums from artists like Bad Bunny, FKA twigs, JENNIE, and Lady Gaga, and while the main aspect of these releases is the music, there’s another element that takes just as much artistry and thought: cover art.

The cover art of a single or album is the first thing a listener sees before they press play. We all know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to music, a striking album cover can be the difference between a quick scroll past and an impulsive press of the play button. If an album has an interesting cover, a listener is likely to try it out just because the art caught their attention. These visuals often give listeners an idea of what the music may sound like or the themes it explores.

We rounded up five of our favorites from this year (so far!)

1. Doctor! Doctor! by ZEROBASEONE

K-Pop boy group ZEROBASEONE teamed up with popular manga artist Junji Ito for the cover of their single “Doctor! Doctor!,” an ode to lovesickness released a couple weeks before Valentine’s Day. Ito’s illustration shows a boy lying on a reclining chair while a female doctor looks on in the background. The boy is clearly distressed, reaching one hand out while the other clutches at his chest. This cover’s illustration is a perfect representation of the song’s lyrics; anyone looking at it is probably able to guess what the song is about, making it an extremely successful piece of cover art.

Listen here

2. Basic Being Basic/Delete Ya by Djo

Djo is entering a new era, with his third studio album The Crux set for release in April. The cover of the album and its pre-release singles “Basic Being Basic” and “Delete Ya” is a cluttered photograph that draws the viewer’s eye in all directions. The title of the album rests on a sign hanging off of the building that serves at the photo’s focal point, a clever way of incorporating text into its cover. Both the foreground and background are littered with pedestrians including a man at the center pointing into the camera and several people seen in (or hanging out of) the building’s windows. This image suggests an album that covers everyday issues or the lives we create for strangers as we walk down the street.

Listen here

3. HOT by LE SSERAFIM

K-Pop girl group LE SSERAFIM’s cover for their HOT mini-album is a visual representation of pure, scorching summer. It’s a few months early, but these songs, especially the title track, are perfect for those days spent lying on a beach towel lathered in sunscreen. The cover is a photograph of member Chaewon’s chest dripping with sweat. “HOT” is burnt into her reddened skin in what is easily the coolest title insert on this list. Another small detail are her acrylic nails, one of which features the letters “CW,” Chaewon’s initials, within the design, something that fans might not notice at first glance.

Listen here

4. Relationships by HAIM

If there was ever a sign that warmer weather is just around the corner, it’s a new HAIM song. “Relationships” is the trio’s first single since 2023, and it’s a brutally honest track for anyone questioning their current romantic situation. The single title and the band’s name sit justified to the left in a thin white font that feels like something you’d see on an early 2000s album cover. The photograph itself shows the sisters strutting down the street with their faces turned to the sun, embodying an energy that can only be matched in the iconic images of Nicole Kidman from 2001, suggesting freedom and female independence.

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5. Forever Is A Feeling by Lucy Dacus

Lucy Dacus’ fourth studio album Forever Is A Feeling drops at the end of March. The album’s cover art is a photograph of Dacus within a Renaissance-style painting surrounded by a gold frame. Dacus looks down and wears a piece of golden silk around her shoulders, dropped just low enough to reveal “forever is a feeling” tattooed onto her chest. This is another example of how an artist can cleanly incorporate their title into a design. I believe the modern elements combined with the classical visuals will tie in closely with the sound of the album.

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Softside is a partnerships platform dedicated to connecting music artists with their creative communities via officially licensed, fan-designed merchandise collaborations. We’re currently in beta working with music partners via invite-only.

Our blog covers fan art, album releases, merch trends, niche pop culture communities, and other topics at the intersection of music, visual art, and fandoms.

Martina Rexrode is a writer based in Delaware. With a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Delaware and a lifelong passion for music, she combines the two when she can to put her thoughts about all kinds of music down where anyone can read them.

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