Temper City, the group behind one of the year’s most irresistible hits, is an alt-rock trio formed by singer-songwriter Eytan Peled and global production duo Sync (Aviv Barenholtz and Chen Kordova). “Self Aware,” their global chart-topping debut single, has made the leap from TikTok to the Hot 100.

The three Los Angeles-based session vets got their start behind the scenes after meeting at a chance open-mic night in Israel. They spent five years traveling the world and crafting songs that generated hundreds of millions of streams for acts making waves in electronic, blues, and rock music. But they noticed their strongest work always emerged when they were simply in a room together, writing without expectations.

When an artist canceled a session at the last minute, they seized the moment. It was a decision that changed their lives. They finally had a moment to put their own spin on “the indie-rock, nostalgic sound we’ve always been obsessed with and grew up on,” the group said of the day that sparked “Self Aware.” “We wanted to make something that sounded timeless and had a massive live energy.”

The inspiration for “Self Aware,” about a romance that clicks physically but not so much mentally, was a snapshot of a situation one of the members was navigating at the time. After obsessing over every lyrical and musical detail, Temper City combined elements of all three musicians’ experiences into a track that blends the grit and swagger of early 2000s indie rock with the melodic polish of mid-2010s alternative. Rolling Stone named the song one of the best of 2026 so far.

“Sex & Drugs,” Temper City’s third single, was written and produced by the band during a spontaneous late night in their living room. A “self-observant snapshot of modern romance,” the song questions whether fast, intense attachments are genuine feelings or “just a biological reaction to fleeting highs.” Temper City performed it for thousands of fans across both weekends of Austin City Limits Festival, making it one of the most shared moments from their set.

“Reverse Psychology,” another follow-up single, is a vibey track built on a funky bass line and soaring chorus, with echoes of Gorillaz, Tame Impala, and Arctic Monkeys. “We aren’t just writing about ‘love,’” the group said. “We’re writing about the mental gymnastics you go through when things get complicated. We’ve always been drawn to the messy, unfiltered side of human behavior, and this album is basically us just being honest about the stuff we usually keep in our heads but feel in our hearts.”

Temper City has opened for Lewis Capaldi at Fiera Milano and performed at Summerfest alongside Muse. The trio recently announced appearances at iHeartRadio ALTer EGO on January 16 and M3F Festival in Phoenix in March. Their first album is due next year.