Mellifluous. That’s how 20-year-old Powell Aguirre likes to think of the music he makes as Surf Mesa. It’s electronic, but full of organic texture. It’s rooted in dance, but sounds best by the light of the full moon. In other words, as Surf puts it, “music for good feels.” That phrase certainly sums up his biggest hit to date, “ily (i love you baby)” featuring Emilee, a tropically tinged bop that was born on TikTok, but quickly conquered listening platforms around the world, amassing over 300 million streams in less than three months, topping U.S. and Global Viral Charts, and debuting on Top 40 radio.

When he was in third grade, an older brother hooked him up with FL Studio – and Surf began posting tracks to SoundCloud. When a broken leg left him bedridden in the months after high school, he recorded the EP bedroom. He moved from his hometown of Sammamish, Washington to L.A. as soon as the cast came off. After “ily” exploded, he signed to Astralwerks, where he’s launched a series of new collaborations that include a remix of Marshmello and Halsey’s “Be Kind.” At the end of the day, his goal is to make “just really good pop music. It’s catchy. It’s chill. People hearing it might feel better about their day. It’s...mellifluous.”