Superstar Sel’s first tape of 2025, Soldier is a victory lap that begins before the starting pistol sounds off – the Milwaukee rapper bobs and weaves through manic melodies and bitcrushed beats on his most consistent work to date. Executively produced by Milwaukee’s own Run Along Forever crew, the ten tracks on Soldier see Sel in peak form as he postures his whip-smart melodic sensibilities against a cast of high-octane instrumentals. He tackles spritely chiptune synths on “Lindsay Lohan”, rhythmic jerk rap on “Stomp da Yard” and “Carlton”, and blissful ambiance on “Screwed Up”, racking up earworm after earworm on a tape that’s already one of the most replayable of the year.

You can catch Sel at the next Run Along Forever showcase at Cactus Club on February 28, performing alongside labelmates AyooLii, kill.dawn and Renzo.