Recommended Tracks: “shut up,” “car,” “more to lose”
Artists You May Like: Wallows, Djo, Cage The Elephant
Whether it be at the festival you attended this summer, repeating throughout your TikTok “For You” page, or on your TV screen while watching the hit show The Summer I Turned Pretty, the addictive sounds of Royel’s guitar and Otis’ voice have seeped into every corner of summer 2025. There is no denying that Royel Otis is the duo of the season, and with their sophomore album, hickey, out as of August 22, Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic have audiences everywhere absolutely buzzing.
Having met in a way that can only be considered fate, Roy and Otis claim they were only looking to make music as a bedroom project on the side. It seems as if this so-called destiny had other plans, as their take on the Cranberries’ “Linger” quickly made the Billboard Hot 100 and currently has over 220 million global streams. With audiences hooked on their inspired spin on the legendary classic, Royel Otis sold over 100,000 tickets to shows across Australia, U.K, Europe and the U.S.
A couple EPs, a debut album, and some iconic covers later, Sydney-born Royel Otis have become widely known for their charmingly hazy indie-rock sound and electric onstage presence. On a whirlwind of navigating this success and facing the highs and lows of touring in combination with constant goodbyes, hard decisions, and one really spicy burger that made it onto the album as a song name, hickey came to life, as Pavlovic himself puts it, “Because love bites harder than any emotion.”
Their debut album PRATTS & PAIN (2024) has a feel that falls in line with the way in which they wrote it: being in a South London pub that the album was cheekily named after. They solidified their effortless, sunny sound with hits like “Fried Rice” and “Sofa King” before Maddell and Pavlovic took the opportunity to work with Grammy-winning songwriters and producers for the first time. This geared hickey toward a more polished, smoother, straight-to-the-point sound. Leaving (some of) the chaos behind, the sophomore album translates as a more confident body of work while still incorporating the charming, magnetic DNA structure that fans know and love them for.
The opening track off hickey, “i hate this tune” sets the precedent for the album in its entirety through both its message and sound, reflecting a kind of upbeat yet easygoing giddiness. Lightweight guitar riffs and impatient melodies serve as the perfect backing to a message of lost love and the regret of letting go, expressing, “No matter where you are / If only we could start again.” It’s been noted that the 13 tracks on the album were made considering how they would come across at live shows, and the opener, as well as standouts “say something” and “who’s your boyfriend,” are all perfect testimonies to this.
These soaring, windows-down anthems feel as if you’re in a coming-of-age movie ready to take on the world, but not without the common themes of these years, as well. As both Maddell and Pavlovic were writing hickey coming off of breakups and a massive year of skipping between cities while touring, their single “car” feels especially representative of the nature of the album, specifically in terms of goodbyes. Maddell reflects on its resonance with fans: “Everyone’s had a breakup in a car.” This track acknowledges the difficulty of making the hard decision not because you want to, but because it’s what’s ultimately best for both parties, even if it doesn’t feel that way in the moment or causes temporary pain. This is where commitment, or lack thereof, overrules the idea of what could’ve been. Thankfully, like hickeys, the emotions felt in the heat of breakups don’t last forever.
The first single of the album, “moody,” co-written with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen and produced by Blake Slatkin (Gracie Abrams, Omar Apollo, Charli XCX), proved to spark some controversy, specifically pertaining to the chorus’ lyrics: “My girls a b**** when she’s moody.” Reveling in the sentiment that it is important that listeners form their own opinions, and that they are entitled to them, Royel Otis and their team put out a statement saying, “This written from a specific perspective, it is not intended to convey a broader view or standpoint about women in general.” It is undeniable that “moody” and all of its nonchalant energy has a sound that is nothing short of addictive. As for the lyrics, the perspective is in the eye of the beholder, no matter what the means to the message be.
The magnetism of the voice behind Royel Otis is uniquely authentic, and proves to captivate listeners time and time again. Tracks “shut up” and “more to lose” stand out as personal favorites demonstrating the whimsical and effortless charisma the duo is known for in combination with smooth guitar that proves incredibly easy on the ears.
Wrapping up the album with the shimmering, chilled-out anthem that is “jazz burger,” hickey showcases a refreshing and enjoyable step in the right direction for Royel Otis, honing in on their already incredibly lively spirit with more stripped back, polished tracks balancing between old and new wave sounds. Even upon first listen, this album feels drenched in nostalgia and familiar memories of late summer. There is no question that listeners everywhere will consider hickey to be their backing soundtrack when reflecting on the summer of 2025.
Listen to hickey below.
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[…] and synth notes carry the instrumental, leading the audience on a rollercoaster of emotions. Created with live performances in mind, “who’s your boyfriend” is a deceptively upbeat, road […]