Elli here.

The age-old question: how do you organise your playlists? I don’t actually think I’ve got synesthesia, or specifically chromesthesia (sound-to-colour synesthesia), but I do mentally categorise songs into colours in my mind. A couple of years ago I started sorting my playlists into colours, which really helps to capture a specific vibe and avoids the frustration of trying to create a prescriptive playlist by genre. There can be a huge amount of variation in songs that I might class as a certain colour… So, I’ve chosen two tracks from each colour, and to show the full “spectrum” I’ve picked one from a more widely known artist and one from a newer one, so — going along the colour spectrum…

RED

Kicking things off with the colour of anger, passion, danger, all that good stuff; these tracks have it absolutely bottled. Fast and furious drums, a ripping bassline, grinding industrial sounds - anything slightly intense, it goes here.

1. The Power Is On — The Go! Team

I absolutely love this whole album Thunder, Lightning, Strike from 2004. When people say ‘genre-bending’ I think this is the epitome of that - it chucks hip-hop, rock, Northern Soul samples, indie and funk pop all into a blender for a very tasty smoothie.

2. The Sound It Made — Robber Robber

This track twists and turns, it’s unrelenting and slightly uncomfortable - like a never ending hill climb.

ORANGE

Songs on this playlist sound warm, round and juicy - they’ve got a groove that makes your neck move, often very sexy, often great to cook to.

3. Wildfires — SAULT

Anything by SAULT is just so orange to me, and watching Cleo Sol at The Royal Albert Hall was possibly the closest I’ve ever come to a religious experience.

4. Deus Deus — anaiis

Love the dubby vibes, how can you not groove along!!

YELLOW

Plucky and bright sounds are very yellow to me - they feel quite optimistic and so are great to listen to in the morning to set you up for a good day ahead :)

5. Nothing Can Stop Us — Saint Etienne

The gorgeous flute on this just reminds me of singing birds which I love and feels so sunny and yellow :) Also my Dad used to play this record in the house all the time when I was growing up so it feels very nostalgic, which is also the colour of yellow in my mind.

6. Chicago Flood — Truman Sinclair

Truman is a brilliant live performer and all round lovely human. Check out the full ‘American Recordings’ album, you won’t be disappointed.

GREEN

Chilled tracks that are expansive or ambient in any way get dropped in here, often lots of instrumentals. With green being the universal colour of all things ‘natural’, I guess these ones just feel grounding in some way.

7. Aisatsana [102] — Aphex Twin

Aphex Twin tunes are so greeeeen and lush and gorgeous. Also bonus points here for sampling birds.

8. Himmel — Ebbb

This track sounds pretty magical but it’s also quite murky which I like. Lots of their tracks are very hypnotic which fits the vibe of the green playlist.

BLUE

This might be the most self-explanatory colour - it’s a safe place for those pretty melancholic tracks, both lyrically and tonally. Looooots of piano-heavy stuff is to be found here, minor key ahoy.

9. Lana Del Rey — Norman Fucking Rockwell

This song feels like staring dramatically out of a car window, Lana somehow manages to make being annoyed at a man sound glam!!!

10. Cameron Winter — Vines

I heard him in an interview say that when he’s deciding which songs are for his solo project and which are for Geese, he says he keeps the ‘sad and froggy’ ones for him. This song epitomises the sad frog vibe here, and the pared back piano just pulls on the ol’ heartstrings.

PURPLE

For me purple is the colour of blurry late nights!

11. Good Lies — Overmono

Love the way this one builds, it feels like the different stages of a night out?

12. I Like It Like That — Fcukers

I don’t think you can have a nightlife-heavy playlist without a Fcukers track, this whole album is just brilliant!! I love how they were both in indie bands and got bored so they made a dance project.

PINK

Now for the final switch up, THINK PINK!!! This playlist is a great one to stick on when you’re getting ready or just need some pep in your step.

13. Gossip — Confidence Man & Jade

Impossible not to strut a bit while listening to this track! Everything Con Man do is so playful and maximalist and full of personality, and this song feels like overhearing something juicy in the girls bathroom which just feels very pink-coded.

14. Yay! Saturday - Girl Group

A perfect track to end on — would this truly be a playlist for Boys Boys Boys without Girl Group? This song completely captures girlhood and it’s a true banger.

A playlist for interns made by an intern. You know when people ask “what do you listen to?!” and you kinda don’t really know what to say, I always say EVERYTHING. this playlist really encapsulates that. It’s got everything from the most exiting new artists in Colorado to the most incredible producers and songwriters coming out of UK.

While on tour with the most fabulous Pevova, of whom I manage currently, we’ve had lots of time for MUSIC, and to be quite honest I’m quite a random playlist maker. However, I’ve been especially listening to this one I’ve made as I’ve actually become quite fond of it. Never have I ever ordered a playlist but this one begins with my favourite song of the year by the fabulous Man/Woman/Chainsaw, and follows into some wondering UK female R&B. I’ve added a section for some amazing international artists I’ve been loving including Gecko, Tiffany Day and of course Audrey Hobert who I actually had a ticket to see at The Lower Third which I MISSED cus #busy but will definitely see her soon I’m sure.

I’m not gonna write about each song as I urge you all to just LISTEN, and if you would like any further recommendations I’m sure I will be adding to this playlist forever and ever, or you can drop me a message :)

Introducing Laura David to the BBB fam. Laura has become a dear friend ever since she wrestled an extremely jumbled train of my thoughts on BBB into a comprehensive piece for The Line of Best Fit (an impossible task she made a walk in the park)…. So when Laura said she wanted to get more involved with us and the label, we threw ourselves at her. She’s a real gem and we feel chuffed to have her. She’s going to be heading up the BBB Substack, and you better all be nice to her ;) Anyway, over to Laura (thanks Laura, we love u). YIPPEE xx

Helloooo boys!

There’s something about this time of year, isn’t there? The days get warmer, you start to sit outside like a lizard emerged from a cave, you wonder if the only reason you felt so shit six weeks ago was Vitamin D deficiency. Yes, it’s spring, and everything is alright again — even if it isn’t.

My own personal spring has been a little strange. Sparing the details, it’s been perhaps both my favourite and hardest spring that’s sprung in my short little life thus far (I’m freshly 24… I should calm down… Lowkey getting old…). Sometimes I had to stop and marvel at the fact that while, in some ways, everything was falling apart, but in other ways, everything was as good as I think it gets.

I moved to England in October from Canada by way of New York. I ostensibly came here to go to grad school, but I also came here to “get into the music industry” and “be creative” and “explore London” and all that shit. Turns out, being on a whole other continent from your loved ones is a little weird. But when you meet the right people and secure the right routines and find yourself biking down the alleyways of a medieval town at dusk on an unseasonably warm March night, you realise you did something right. As the days got longer and the rain let up and the sun came out and I spent more dusks biking along with new friends who I think will eventually become old friends, I further realised I was actually having the time of my life. Yes, I was, in fact, experiencing a fabulous spring. Sure, there were insane curveballs too gnarly to disclose in this letter, but what the hell! Nothing was going to get in the way of my fucking awesome spring!

And part of what helped me make it through was a fabulous collection of songs that soundtracked the whole thing. So here, I want to present to you my magnum opus of a playlist: Unencumbered Spring. The alternative title for this was “Nicole Kidman Post-Divorce,” but I’ll settle for the former. Moodboard is still Nicole, though. That’s the vibe we’re going for.

Every year when the season changes, I always cling to songs like these. As the days get longer and the world gets a little softer and everything turns green, I find myself craving music that meets the moment. I want songs that are expansive, freeing, lush, and romantic. I want songs that make me feel like I’m running barefoot through a field (And, in Cambridge, UK, where I am, apparently you can actually do that! So I did). I want songs that I’d scream to at two in the morning. I want the warmth of spring to be even sweeter because I made it through the harshness of winter. Spring songs, in my opinion, should make you feel totally unencumbered, like you’ve finally broken free at last. Unencumbered spring!!!!

So, this is a playlist of songs that make me feel like that. They’re all pretty wide and pretty nostalgic — to me at least. But for a spring music mix, that’s how I like it. And there are a few cheeky bits just for fun. Enjoy your awesome and wild spring, buddies <3

1. Losing You — Solange

Had to open with this classic. Tell me the intro doesn’t sound like that classic spring day in the park? Blanket, strawberries, beverage, and this tune are all you need. Better yet, it’s perfect to soundtrack some wistful longing and opining.

2. Summer 2000 Baby — TV Girl

A friend told me this song sounds like happy guinea pigs squealing, and I can’t get the visual out of my head. Regardless, perfect for a confident strut in the sunshine. Put this one on here for the vibe. Sometimes that’s how it is.

3. You Seemed so Happy — The Japanese House

This song is just one of my all timers. It’s so bittersweet in an amazing way. It’s a bit about lying to yourself and putting on a show for everyone while you’re also dying inside and trying to somehow rid yourself of that habit. A lot about letting go. Feels like a sunshower.

4. All My Friends — LCD Soundsystem

Do I even really need to talk about this? Peak unencumbered. Literally the patron saint of songs meant for letting loose. The sonic version of an exhale.

5. Love Takes Miles — Cameron Winter

A song about how it’s worth working for what you love. And a reminder that good things don’t and shouldn’t come easily. This song is like giving yourself permission to take as much time as you need to. Also, the jangly piano of it all feels peak whimsy, even if the lyrics are going to make you cry.

Lyric of note: “Love will make you fit it all in the car”

6. Favourite — Fontaines D.C.

This song is a love letter to something that means a lot to you but you also know you need to leave behind. There are lots of reasons to get deep into that feeling in spring. Also, it just sounds so coming of age. Arrangement for the ages. Fantastic guitar work. Makes me feel like I’m flying.

Lyric of note: “Makes sense when you understand / The misery made me another marked man”

7. No Way To Relax When You Are On Fire — Dora Jar

The outro of this song might be one of my favourites to ever exist, the way she sings “I heard about you blazing on through.” It’s just so aching, so emotive, so expressive. This song is very restless to me. It’s about going for exactly what you want to go for. It’s about betting on yourself and not holding back. And that’s the theme of the list, so. Had to include.

8. blade bird — Oklou

Perhaps Oklou’s best. Tell me the riff on this isn’t perfect. A song that’s also an invitation to cut your losses and to know that the things that are yours will always come back. You can’t bend someone to your will. And you shouldn’t bend to theirs. When I listen to this I imagine that I’m in a field of dandelions.

Lyric of note: “I’ll miss you when / The wings I fell in love with / Take you away again”

9. Fuck Me Eyes — Ethel Cain

Amazing song for letting your freak flag fly. This is such a “fuck off” song. Go full chest when you sing this. Unencumbered to the max. Separately, I love how Ethel has one 80s-inspired pop banger on every record just to tease us. She keeps us coming back for more.

10. Spring Is Coming With A Strawberry In The Mouth — Caroline Polachek

Now it wouldn’t really be responsible of me to curate a spring playlist without putting this song on it. The anthem of this season. If your visual of spring isn’t Caroline Polachek delivering you a tiny little strawberry like a fairy, then you’re doing it wrong.

11. Breathe In — Frou Frou

This whole song feels like anticipation. Like having a little crush. And isn’t that one of the best feelings ever? So “new beginning” coded. So “open to the possibilities” coded. A little dangerous, even. Perfect. And don’t tell me that bridge where Imogen asks “Is this it…? NO!” doesn’t get you GOING.

12. Champagne Coast — Blood Orange

Yet another classic. Can you tell I tried to go for classics and bangers? Whatever Dev injected into this intro needs to be studied.

Lyric of note: “Tell me, what’s the joy of giving if you’re never pleased?”

13. Shooting star — Audrey Hobert

Audrey Hobert is easily my favourite breakout star of the last year. Personally, I think this is the best song she’s put out so far, and I don’t understand why it hasn’t racked up plays the way her other songs have. Easily a perfect piece of pop writing. Sultry and sassy and addictive and messy. And you’re allowed to have a messy spring, okay!!!

14. Cool — Gwen Stefani

Wow. This one has a special place in my heart. It’s about looking back on a past relationship fondly, not with any malice (according to speculation, this is in reference to her relationship with No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal). It’s about finally feeling content and coming through a hard time. So classic girlhood, so classic personal growth, so classic getting older and wiser.

15. ‘06 wayne rooney — Jim Legxacy

This tune taps into figuring out how to make it up and make it out. It’s triumphant but also discombobulating and dizzying. It’s someone trying to reckon with their own success as they build a new life. Jim is truly one of the best acts on the rise today, and this song is so perfect for coming into a new era and figuring out how to come into your own.

16. Imitation (how to become you) — doggone

In my music-lover groupchats, doggone has been the name on everyone’s lips. He’s tapping into that Mk.gee-ish glitch guitar sound, but he’s still making his own mark on it. Those first few guitar licks of the verse are simply nasty. In the best way possible. So smug, so confident, so cheeky. Everything is crashing and banging around on this track and yet it all makes sense. Very rebirth energy. Perfect.

Lyric of note: “Open arms and / Closed hands, I’m not fighting it anymore”

17. Truth Of Pursuit — Sarah Kinsley

A new-ish Sarah Kinsley release that’s absolutely been on repeat since it dropped. Very much about limerence and the weird fits and starts of falling for someone.

Lyric of note: “I can’t deny something between us changed / I felt the sea and now I’m standing in the drain”

18. Skin Tight Jeans — Remy Bond

Another one about fantasising. Who doesn’t love a good daydream? It’s incredibly spring-coded. And this might be one of the best daydream songs out there. So lush, so dreamy, so bubblegum pop to feel like a princess to.

19. Stupid Bitches — Grace Ives

Sometimes it’s okay to get a little ANGRY. This is a song for tapping into that. It’s off of Grace’s latest record, Girlfriend, which has been a real musical high point of 2026 for me so far. Such a strong one to let off some steam to.

Lyric of note: “I’m a bullet on an arrow’s path”

20. Starburned and Unkisses — Caroline Polachek

Caroline deserved a second inclusion for this one. The gutting romance of it all. Too much. Too good.

21. 400 Lux — Lorde

Angsty teenage dream, isn’t it? Feels like hot concrete and fresh cut suburban grass. Also feels like running around with my high school friends, who I love and miss.

22. Silverlake Baby — Déyyess

Honestly, no shameless promo here. Yes, Déyyess is famously a BBB act, but I also think this song is perfect and I fire it off to every single yearning lesbian friend of mine. Which, to be honest, is all my lesbian friends. And that’s almost all my friends. So, anyway. Springtime yearn. The opening line is also one of my favourite opening lines of all time, I think. What a way to start with a bang.

Lyric of note: “Nothing really matters, so I’ll slip off my dress”

23. I Don’t Know You — Mannequin Pussy

Mannequin Pussy has made big moves in the indie rock space over the last few years, but it’s this soft, downtempo cut of theirs that’s become my favourite. It’s almost like a whisper of a song, like the kind of thing you might miss if you blink, and yet it’s so powerful at the same time.

24. Alien Vacation — Sophie Holohan

This tune gets me in a crazy way. It’s a lot about wondering what your life could be, particularly when you’re not so sure about where your life is going. I’m definitely in that space right now, but somehow listening to this one makes me feel like I’m going to figure it out. Unencumbered uncertainty.

25. skittles — Devon Again

I’m really impressed by Devon’s ability to balance writing a catchy tune with heavy hitting emotional depth. That’s a really hard thing to do, and she does it here. This cut is a bit about surrendering to your desires but also not fully wanting to fess up. Like you’re just getting ready to come out from hibernation but not quite.

Lyric of note: “What I’d give to feel you take your hands off the wheel / My God, I wanna be near ya”

26. Candy — Mk.gee

Perhaps Mk.gee’s most joyful song. And it’s not even THAT joyful. But, it’s perfect for spring.

27. Taxes — Geese

Enough said, I think. Geesemania is in full swing this year, and “Taxes” is their best song for letting loose. It’s almost a bit of a dare to your haters — beg them to test you. They WON’T!

28. North Poles — Samia

This one is about the power of friendship — and how perfectly Samia manages to capture that. Listen to this with your best buddy, you won’t regret it.

Lyric of note: “When you see yourself in someone / How can you look at thеm?”

29. Wild Horses — The Rolling Stones

Another unencumbered classic. It’ll get you feeling like a cowboy staring wistfully off into the Montana sunset.

30. Cherry-coloured Funk — Cocteau Twins

I was in Paris at the end of March and this song soundtracked almost the entire trip. Not only was I playing of my own accord on my own devices, but it also somehow seemed to come in on every bar and restaurant I went to. It got a little cosmic and weird. But it was also the perfect tune to soundtrack my walks around Paris in the spring breeze. Great song to think to. And this is the season for a good, liberating think.

31. Friday I’m in Love — The Cure

I’m not reinventing the wheel with this inclusion. But also, that’s not what this playlist is about. IT’S A MOODBOARD, NOT A DISCOVERY MIX! This track is another one that reminds me of late, warm, sticky nights, which inevitably remind me of spring.

32. american dream — LCD Soundsystem

To be honest this song wasn’t always in my rotation until I was reminded of it by the Coach Fall 2026 runway show. They played this track in the background and it was pure magic. Tapped back in and am now realising what a banger it is for the season.

33. American Teenager — Ethel Cain

I think all I need to say on the inclusion of this is: “Say what you want, but say it like you mean it / With your fists for once.”

34. Don’t Delete The Kisses — Wolf Alice

Again, I think all I need to say on the inclusion of this is: “What if it’s not meant for me? / Love.”

35. If We Were A Movie — Hannah Montana

Consider this tune the encore. A cheeky surprise to close out the show. Just picture yourself absolutely shouting this in the car with some buddies. DUNK ON THE ONES WHO DO NOT KNOW YOUR WORTH! Pure fabulousness and comedy.

Short intro to me for anybody that doesn’t know me:

My name is Lizzy. I am an A&R at Polydor Records where I work with my roster signed across both Polydor and my label and club night ‘boys, boys, boys.’

Moon Omens told me my horoscope for April was all about choosing clarity. Clarity being “the quality of being coherent and intelligible.”

I’m not very good at being coherent. Or intelligible.

My brain has always felt like a kind of mad, jumbled, weird wonderworld/abyss. Or, as every school report I’ve ever had politely put it: “eccentric.” And I’m cool with that. But I don’t think eccentricity and clarity exactly walk hand in hand.

Which means putting things into words… I find difficult. Like, really difficult. I jest not, up to where you’re reading now has taken me about 45 minutes (maybe i’m just stoooopid?!?!?). So imagine my horror when faced with kicking off the BBB Substack with a written piece about Boys, Boys, Boys and what it actually is.

My.

Worst.

Nightmare.

(Seriously).

I don’t often have clarity as to why things are the way they are. Why we sign the artists we sign, why we throw parties the way we do. It’s nearly impossible to describe the fabric of this label and club night because it’s so kooky—and I love its inexplicable nature. It just is. We just are. You take from it whatever you want.

But what to do?! Moon Omens says, ‘I am choosing clarity now,’ … and despite my feeling that star sign stuff is nearly all BS, I love magical stuff so I can’t help but want to make the effort to shed some clarity on the beating heart of Boys, Boys, Boys.

And then, heaven lord alive, an angel appeared in the shape of Laura David (mother of the BBB Substack), who suggested I try and explore the heart of Boys, Boys, Boys through a playlist instead.

Which feels manageable. Music as the voice of reason, NAY the much-desired voice of clarity.

So this is where the weekly playlists begin. I invite you into the coherently and intelligibly labelled playlist ‘if boys boys boys was a playlist’. Can’t get more clarified than that. You’re welcome Moon Omens.

(Side note: I’m just gonna talk about a few below otherwise I will be here forever).

1. Boys, Boys, Boys — Lady Gaga

Need I say more. This was the only appropriate way to begin. Despite popular belief, the label is not named after this song, but I welcome people thinking it is. Certified. Banger. We played this at the label launch party in the introductory speech and that’s what kicked it all off so I feel a special kinda special about this one (attaching snippet below for your amusement).

2. Girls, Girls, Girls — Jay Z

Appropriate B-side to the above and from one of my fave albums, The Blueprint. This album really pioneered vintage soul vocal-sample based production which I fall for hook, line and sinker every. single. time. A B-side to Gaga not just because of the name, but that if we were sober enough to end our parties meaningfully and tastefully, I’d like to think this would be our closing song (reality is always some god awful donk remix….).

3. There’s nothing in this world — Tom Brock

This is the song sampled by Just Blaze in “Girls, Girls, Girls.” I love hip-hop largely because of its sampling. Repurposing old material to recontextualise, pay homage to and/or create a new lease of life! We are big samplers at BBB….. there are samples of so many greats before us and alongside us which is weaved into the BBB fabric (some of which you'll get some insight into in this playlist). I also, very simply, love the discovery of it. It’s how I first found this song and I think it’s incredibly beautful… it is SO romantic and I am SUCH a romantic. Quite a few friends have started dating people they meet at BBB events <3 hella sweet, yippee i love love (watch out singles night incoming).

4. Welcome To My Island — Caroline Polachek

Other than being one of my favourite ever pop songs (the vox and synth production is yummmm). I feel like this is exactly how i want people to feel when entering the BBB universe. Euphoric, random, mad (just watch the music video). And don’t get me started on the bridge… I won’t pretend i don’t sometimes play this walking on empty sideroads and pretend i’m in a music video. So cool, right?

5. What’s it all about — Jockstrap

Lol this makes me laugh because i feel like whenever anybody asks us about BBB, we get super existential and we always answer horribly. But also the Jockstrap ‘i love jennifer b’ creative is a huge source of inspo for the BBB branding. It’s also bled into the roster (GG vinyl 1 stickers), as an example.

6. Have Fun — CMAT

Girls just wanna ! we just want to have a really good time, putting out really good music with really good friends *cringe* and this song is the perfect anthem for that. CMAT (as always), says it best: “How things in life are never satisfying, and don’t make sense, but they exist anyway and we have to make the best of it. And have fun!”

7. Yay Saturday — Girl Group

Our first release and still probably my favourite Girl Group song (although “Rage Song” is up there too). The lyrics are the song’s brilliance, especially ‘any kind of lesson learned/won’t fit in my tiny purse’. Labels are defined by the music they release and this set the tone perfectly from day dot.

8. Silverlake Baby — Déyyess

One of my favorite songs we've released on the label so far. This song fell out of Hannah, Meg and Nick one day in Oslo and it feels as immediate today as it did the first time we heard it. I’ve never been much of one for deluxe products. Often, it feels like an afterthought which cheapens the original product, but this song changed my opinion. It is the perfect epilogue to an EP I absolutely love.

9. Saturday — Sam Fender

It’s a lot of work running this BBB shindig. And not all of it is great. This one is a pick-me-up when I question if it’s worth it. It is also one of Sam Fender’s most underrated bangers. He’s one of the reasons I love Polydor (where BBB lives), so this one is a nice nod to that.

10. Let’s Dance — David Bowie

We love to dance. We love to Bowie. One of the most incredibly brilliant refreshing fabulous minds of all time. I am OBSESSIVE about music videos. When I hear a song that really speaks to my soul, I either imagine the music video for the artist or I pretend I am in a music video. And this one HITS DIFFERENT. God it’s so unbelievably mad and perfect and brilliant. And powerful. Obviously. David Mallet and David Bowie are what dreams are made of.

11. I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) — Icona Pop and Charli XCX

I think this would be the number one song on the list if we were allowed to steal a song that could have been released on BBB. Also my song of the summer, every summer.

12. Childlike Things — FKA Twigs and North West

This sounds like my brain.

13. I’VE GOT THIS ALL UNDER CONTROL — Willow Kayne

This song is for when it’s 2 weeks before an event, we haven’t done the poster, we haven't got the budgets approved, we haven’t actually even put the tickets onsale and we have to present our annual label plan later that afternoon. No but seriously, I’ve got this all under control.

14. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing —Aerosmith

Idk. Feels like the closing credits to BBB if we ever got shut down. This actually didn’t make the cut for the greatest love songs of all time set we did for Olivia’s Brits after party. Big faux pas.

And that is a wrap!!! <3