J'ai besoin d'un late pass, but MEGA BBBL, the 2025 expanded re-release of late 2024 album BAD BOY LOVESTORY, is currently my favourite music in the world and I think ilm would dig it too.
Theodora is based in France but grew up all over the place thanks to a military dad. With her producer brother Jeel Sauve, she makes an endlessly charming mix of genre-hopping global pop.
The expanded album is pretty long so start with the bouyon channelling "KONGOLESE SOUS BBL"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2tnwgcBfoA
"Fashion Designa" does the amapiano-najia afrobeats thing I thought I was thoroughly sick of, but could listen on repeat here (cool video too):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXmXQ9nxWY
I also really love "ZOU BISOU" which I'm going to go ahead and erroneously call reggaeton yé-yé:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8JraA4K14c
And "ILS ME RIENT TOUS AU NEZ" which almost has an indie pop feel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRXKpZnLw1A
― obvious old hat (rob), Thursday, 29 January 2026 22:12 (two months ago)
Sweet, yes, gonna check this. The only one I've heard till now I'd Kongolese
― Jonk Raven (dog latin), Friday, 30 January 2026 09:11 (two months ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhgFR2L2reE
oh nice I was looking for an excuse to bump this, and she obliged by dropping "Mythos" and a very striking video. This one is a moody jazz not-quite ballad with skittering shuffling afrobeats drums.
I'm liking MEGA BBL even more than when I started this. There's a live version of ILS ME RIENT TOUS AU NEZ at the end of it that really shows off her voice
― obvious old hat (rob), Saturday, 7 February 2026 15:37 (two months ago)
Haven’t listened to the earlier stuff yet but “Des mythos” is fabulous
― Tim F, Sunday, 8 February 2026 00:04 (two months ago)
it is! I was caught a little off guard by yet another stylistic swerve (not that big of one on further listening), but it's wonderful. "Fashion Designa" probably the one I'd say to check next, but at this point I am in love with everything she does
― obvious old hat (rob), Monday, 9 February 2026 16:42 (two months ago)
listened to mega bbl last week and got major amaarae vibes. i dug the whole thing, never boring despite the long run time, but the highlight among highlights for me was "ils me rent" and the live version. big tune.
― harper valley paul thomas anderson (voodoo chili), Monday, 9 February 2026 17:40 (two months ago)
oh yeah that's a good comparison — though Theodora has a wider vocal range — some of the newer tracks on it esp have a high-drama dancey black star amaarae quality, e.g. Do U Wanna
― obvious old hat (rob), Monday, 9 February 2026 19:41 (two months ago)
new album SM4L coming soon, here's the next single:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsUsICDxobc
"Miss Kitoko"
― obvious old hat (rob), Friday, 13 March 2026 20:11 (one month ago)
I listened to that three times in a row and have determined that SM4L is the 2026 AOTY
― obvious old hat (rob), Friday, 13 March 2026 20:26 (one month ago)
what a banger
― harper valley paul thomas anderson (voodoo chili), Friday, 13 March 2026 22:27 (one month ago)
Okay I love this
― Tim F, Monday, 16 March 2026 18:52 (one month ago)
c'est un bop
― monotony, Monday, 16 March 2026 22:49 (one month ago)