As the Milwaukee music scene continues to get more popular and more competitive, it is getting tougher and tougher to stick out. This music scene seems to grow larger and stronger by the day, and making a lasting impression in the scene is becoming more difficult than ever. Fortunately for Johnny Franchino, though, he has created a sound that is unlike anyone else in the city. In fact, it is unlike anyone else making music today in general. In addition to the music he makes with his Rock band The New Grey, Johnny Franchino has a riveting music series he calls AESTHETIX. This music series fuses so many genes in an eclectic and interesting way. AESTHETIX contains elements of House music, R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop. It is light-hearted, feel-good music that makes me want to dance whenever I listen to it. Johnny Franchino has already released quite a few singles within the AESTHETIX music series. Along with a 4 song EP that he dropped last April, Johnny Franhino has released four stand-alone singles as a part of his AESTHETIX series in 2023. In this piece, I wanted to highlight his two most recent singles, including one that was released at the end of last month called ‘Track Star’ and another that was released last week called ‘Geaux.’ Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Johnny Franchino and these new singles, and also comment the names of any other rising artists that you think I should check out!

As I mentioned in the intro, ‘Track Star’ was released by Johnny Franchino at the end of last month. I have been excited to write about this track(I wanted to wait until ‘Geaux’ came out so I could write about these tracks together), as I have been bumping it frequently since I first heard it. ‘Track Star’ has a sparkling melody provided by a chime-like synths that feels melancholy and motivating at the same time; even though it has a dark element to it, this melody still pumps me up and makes me want to party. The beat on this track switches back and forth between two sounds that are very popular in music today. At some points in the track, it has a Jersey Club feeling that reminds me of songs like Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Just Wanna Rock’ or Bad Bunny’s ‘WHERE SHE GOES.’ At other points in the track, the beat has the kind of Pop-Trap sound that numerous artists today are excelling in. Johnny Franchino’s vocals on this track are captivating and fit the futuristic nature of the song. I especially love the portions where he sings on the hook, as his hypnotic tone makes the song feel so ethereal. I would love to hear ‘Track Star’ as a club sometime in the near future because it is a banger that is sure to get the place jumping when it comes on. ‘Geaux,’ which was released at the end of last week, is another song that leans into the Jersey Club sound that has become so big in 2023. This track is a bit more complex than the preceding one though, and there are elements of it that also make me think of some of the Electronic music that was popular in the late 1990s. As far as the melody goes, it does not differ a ton from the one on ‘Track Star.’ These songs are great to listen to in succession because of the similarity in the melodies. Like that one, it sounds like it is provided by wind chimes, and it has a seedy feeling that is gloomy yet enthralling. Like I said above, the beat on this track does have a Jersey Club element to it(especially through its tempo), but there are things about it that make it stand out and remind me of retro Electronic music. The way that the drums hit at certain points in this track has a Hi-NRG sound that is reminiscent of 1990s Miami-Club music. The brash nature of these drums gives me so much life when I hear them and makes me want to party the night away. Johnny Franchino’s vocal performance on this track matches the intense and lively nature of the instrumental. I love how forceful and bold his vocals are on ‘Geaux,’ as they give the song an extra layer of emphasis that takes it to the next level. Similar to ‘Track Star,’ ‘Geaux’ is a high-octane Electronic Dance track that would be perfect to play at any club because of how vigorous of a sound it has. Both of these tracks are the latest examples of why Johnny Franchino is one of the coolest musicians coming up in Milwaukee today, and I’m excited to see what he does next.