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Namira debuts EP California Fever

N AMIRA (Alice Nam), the Korean-American singer-songwriter, DJ and producer, has released her debut EP California Fever with title track of the same name. The EP establishes Namira as a virtuoso songwriter unafraid of exploring high stakes emotions. Building from her electrifying single Forever (November 2025), Namira

o Korean-American artiste finds authenticity in counterculture sound

True to the sounds of California, Namira also incorporates Latin motifs into the production while remaining musically coherent.

EDM finale.

The cover art pays homage to Francis Cugat’s The Great Gatsby cover, featuring a bear and tiger – a reference to Korea’s founding myth, where both animals hope to become human but only the bear has the patience to undertake the transformation. It is an image that evokes American and Korean iconography, resonating deeply with the themes of the EP. With a unique background as a classical pianist, Stanford literature graduate and former tech executive, Namira bridges the gap between intimate songwriting and club-ready production, translating lived experiences across continents into music that speaks to Eastern and Western audiences. California Fever establishes Namira as a songwriter and producer with a singular vision, where electronic roots meet emotional

“I want to change what people think of when they imagine an American songwriter,” Namira said. Across the EP’s four tracks – Forever , One of These Days , California Fever and Come with Me – Namira displays her intellectual rigour as a classical pianist and Stanford literature graduate. On One of These Days , Namira swaps dance piano for harpsichord to evoke California’s Spanish mission history, her vocals soaring to G5 in the second verse, while lap steel, electric guitar and baritone guitar feature in the drops. The strophic form recalls folk

blends global folk rock with electronic production into a sound she calls California EDM. Written in memory of her mother, the EP traces the emotional journey of an immigrant contemplating moving to the New World as a metaphor in four love songs. Namira also produced the EP to reflect on her personal transformation of leaving an enviable career in the tech industry to become a musician.

California Fever square artwork.

“This EP is about the decision to follow your dream, which for me was music and for my mother was America,” Namira explained. The title references America Fever, the Korean term for the wave of immigration to the US in the 1970s. An original mod girl, Namira’s mother collected Beatles records and played the harmonica on national radio before moving from Seoul to New York City in 1970 to chase the free spirit of American counterculture. Through California Fever , Namira channels the legacy of her mother’s generation while establishing herself as an authentic voice in an era of AI-generated pop stars. “Each generation, immigrants weave their music into the American canon. I felt it was time for Korean Americans to do the same,” Namira noted. Throughout the EP, Namira draws on her heritage as she flexes her songwriting prowess, weaving Korean folk elements in classic American melodies. The EP’s title track California Fever begins in 6/8 time (beats), evoking 3/4 time (beats) Korean folk dances, before the chorus shifts to 4-on-the-floor as the lyrics pivot to classic English pentameter. The melody follows the structure of an American folk song while incorporating signature single-note repetition from Korean minyo . JAPANESE singer-songwriter Ako has dropped her new single Turn It Up . Sung in English and Japanese, the track serves as the ending theme for the TV anime The Darwin Incident (streaming now on Amazon Prime exclusive), marking a bold new chapter for the artiste known for her signature whisper voice and visually engaging artistry. Created as a fan of the original manga by Shun Umezawa, Turn It Up explores complex themes through the perspective of the anime’s antagonist organisation, questioning existing values and the meaning of life. The track blends jazz, rock and pop elements into what Ako describes as a “melting pot” of music – wrapping various modern societal issues into its sound. “I felt that The Darwin Incident is a story about people with many different backgrounds, so when creating this song, I wanted to reflect that by mixing together music genres with very different roots. “The title Turn It Up literally means ‘turn up the volume’, and in the lyrics, I wrote about my thoughts on both the main character Charlie and the organisation that opposes him. I hope you ‘turn it up’ and enjoy the music!” Ako explained. Mixed by Nathan Boddy (known for his work

jazz standards such as Summertime. Come with Me reworks a track Namira released in December 2024 as part of the ADE shesaid.so mentorship programme, reimagined in the new California EDM style that defines the EP’s sonic identity. On the second verse, she quotes poets including Catullus, Garcia Lorca, Pablo Neruda and Hwang Jini before building into a classic

vulnerability, and Korean heritage meets American counterculture in a sound that feels at once new and nostalgic.

Namira fuses her Korean heritage and American influences in her song. – PIC BY EMMA ANDERSON

Forever cover art.

Turn it up with Ako’s new single

with Olivia Dean, PinkPanthress and NewJeans), Turn It Up showcases a new dimension of Ako’s artistry while maintaining her pursuit of innovative pop music that challenges genre boundaries. The anime follows Charlie, a 15-year-old “humanzee”(half-human, half-chimpanzee) with superhuman intelligence, as he navigates school life in rural Missouri while confronting an eco-terrorist organisation, the Animal Liberation Alliance. The series tackles themes of terrorism, discrimination, human rights and cyberbullying through the lens of a “non-human” protagonist. Ako launched her career in 2020, quickly making an impact with heartfelt, visually engaging songs and her signature whisper voice. Leading the creative team “londog”, she produces music videos and pioneers diverse artistic projects. Her major debut single Planet was released in 2024, followed by her first full album Gene (July 10, 2024). In 2024, Ako performed at SXSW 24 in Texas across three showcases, and in May 2025, she appeared at The Great Escape 2025 in Brighton, UK. She completed two major Japanese tours in 2025: Ako Live Tour 2025“Love Prophet”and Ako

Turn It Up single artwork.

Live

Tour

2025

“Odyssey”

(including

performances in Japan and Taipei). She is set to return in June 2026 with Ako Live Tour 2026 “Juno”, a five-city tour across Japan promising electrifying and raw performances. With Turn It Up , Ako continues to push boundaries, blending her alternative pop sensibilities with anime culture while addressing urgent contemporary themes through genre-defying pop music.

She has completed two major Japanese tours in 2025.