“Hold Me, lyrically, is about the cycle of love and death. Iâve lost loved ones, and Iâve seen other people lose their loved ones (most of us have)âitâs always had a grip on me how we never know how long weâll be with the people we love the most. This song is about how I hope I can be everything they wanted and needed me to be in this life.”
â’Rosie’ is a song I wrote as a thank you to my friends. It’s about bundling them all up into one perfect person which is Rosie (I don’t have a friend called Rosie and A) didn’t want to single anyone out. B) none of their names fit into the chorus). Throughout the song features little clips of us talking and having a laugh together and ending with the people that helped bring the song to life.â
âDEER. is life and death, and the how lucky we are to love even for a moment, and surviving the want and miss of when it is gone.”
Kathryn Joseph Tour 2025
Memphis-born Jack Fargo is one of those artists who makes songs that are pretty much impossible not to find some kind of enjoyment in. If you’ve got a taste for musicians like Dominic Fike and Anderson .Paak, then it’s quite likely you’ll feel an appreciation for Fargo.
This promising talent is making a name for himself thanks to his feel-good bops that blend bedroom pop with rap and R&B. Speaking on his melodic new single, ‘Drugs on the Weekend’, Jack says:
“The song captures the feeling of being with someone who naturally gets you high. What started as a long rap verse turned into one of my favourite tracks on the project.”
You can explore more of Jack’s music on Spotify right here.
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TRACK OF THE WEEK
Kingston-born and Toronto-based artist CLENNON is a very, very exciting newcomer. His debut single, ‘No Pain’, dropped today, and it’s really quite something to behold.
Bold, unique and avant-garde in style, this track takes mysterious vocals and hard-hitting lyrics (inspired by queer love) and infuses them into a dark-pop production that features elements of electronica and dancehall.
“I wanted to write a song that was equal parts Jamaican and equal parts CLENNON. I sometimes feel that I have to compartmentalise who I am as a person because it’s not always safe to be me everywhere I go. This song represents the merger of the most important parts of who I am and does so in a way that is unapologetic and reaffirming.”
This is the type of artist we love discovering â someone who’s unafraid to push boundaries while still crafting sounds that feel accessible and easy to form connections with. We’re excited to hear what comes next!
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Your pop bop for the weekend comes courtesy of independent US artist savannah, and her mesmerising song ‘on again’.
If you love your early 00s electronic pop (think The Knife, Imogen Heap and Robyn), then you’ll probably enjoy this track a lot â it’s a gorgeous style of sound which feels nostalgic yet also subtly experimental.
The song evolves from a dreamy state to something more energising and raw, all the while maintaining a sense of emotion that mirrors the state of being in relationships.
“My partner and I wrote and produced this track to capture the emotional push and pull of a relationship on the brink, where boundaries blur and tensions resolve into something beautifully uncertain.”
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LA-based talent, Kirsten Izer, is back on our pages with a powerful new single that deserves your attention!
‘Electric Blue’ is a beautifully emotional and sincere song that seamlessly applies bossa nova rhythms over an alternative pop production, resulting in a sound that is unlike anything we’ve heard. The track was co-produced along with Randall Belculfine and looks at the legacy that love leaves within us. Izer explains:
âIt was one of those songs where I didn’t even really understand what it was about until it was complete. Each lyric felt very soft, like a natural fit, and conveyed kind of a duelling positive and negative feeling Iâve had simultaneously for one person, which was turning out to be a common theme in a lot of my songs.â
The song serves as a taster to Izer’s forthcoming debut EP, titled ‘The Perfect Hire’, which is scheduled for release on 5th June 2025. We’ve been fans of Izer’s work for some time now, so be sure to keep this artist on your radars!
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TRACK OF THE WEEK
Critic’s favourite Mobley is, without a doubt, one of the US’s most exciting creatives. This Austin-based multi-disciplinarian counts being a singer, songwriter, producer and filmmaker as only a few of his talents.
‘Yesterdayâs Another Day’ is a stunning release that we’ve been obsessed with. The track is lifted from Mobley’s forthcoming ‘We Do Not Fear Ruins’ album, which is out on the 23rd of April 2025 (pre-save here).
The song itself is paired with some equally impressive visuals that give listeners a glimpse into the album’s concept, which centres around a character called Jacob Creedmoor â a fictitious band singer from the 80s.
âIn the last proper song on the album, the central character Jacob marvels at the durability of his passion for his lost love. He shrugs off his self-consciousness about living in the past with a cheeky modification of the aphorism âtomorrowâs another day.ââ – Mobley
Hailing from Vancouver in British Columbia, David July (aka Trevor Donohoe) is a Canadian artist who we’re very excited to be sharing with you today.
Already a prominent name in the Canadian new-music scene, this talent’s momentum has grown substantially in recent months, with songs like ‘One More Time’ only further boosting his popularity. This track blends dark pop with hip hop in a captivating way, leaving listeners craving for more.
“One More Time” is a song about a failed relationship and being stuck in a loop of wanting to try again and again, saying, Let’s do this” one more time.”
With more than 500k career streams to date, as well as praise from the likes of Hip Hop Canada and Sidedoor Magazine, we anticipate July’s music to hit the North American mainstream very soon!
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DROZ returns with what we think, in our humble opinions, is his best work to date (although let’s face it, this guy hasn’t released a track that we haven’t fallen head over heels in love with).
‘rollin” is unveiled ahead of a summery weekend here in the UK (fingers crossed) and treats us to a heady mix of disco, funk and electronic pop. Aside from its finessed production, this song has one of the catchiest melodies we’ve come across all week.
You can check out more of DROZ’s bangers, including his 2024 EP ‘everybody must have a fantasy’ right here.
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Ireland is quite the hotbed for indie-pop talent right now, with artists like Fintan McKahey showcasing some of the country’s most exciting new sounds.
‘Higher Place’ presents listeners with a mellow fusion of indie, rock, and lo-fi pop. The track’s soundscape sets a beautiful scene for McKahey’s lyricism to shine through, encouraging us to rid ourselves of the past and to look forward to the future.
The song serves as somewhat of a comeback for the artist, who has focused his attention on being a father over the past few years. Fintan’s music has garnered praise from outlets like Hot Press magazine, TodayFM, and JOE.ie, while his songs have amassed more than two million streams on Spotify alone.
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MUANH is a rising Vietnamese-German musician who spent much of her childhood living between the US and Germany.
Growing up while also moving homes can take quite the toll on any young person, and so, ‘Ever Since’ is a song addressing the loneliness and feelings of not belonging.
This introspective track tells of the insecurities that MUANH has had to tackle, all for the sake of ‘fitting in’ to her surroundings, while also finding ways to accept and embrace those thoughts. As she explains:
“Growing up between the U.S. and Germany as child, with a Vietnamese mother and a German father, I learned early on how to adapt – how to blend in just enough, to not take up too much space. I spent most of my childhood in the Southwest German countryside in spaces where no one really looked like me, where I felt like I had to leave parts of myself behind just to be accepted. That feeling never really left.
It followed me into everything, into my choices, into the way I carry myself, into the constant push and pull between doing whatâs expected and doing what actually feels like me. I took the safe path, became a teacher, but music has always been the thing that keeps pulling me back. Still, no matter how much I do, I never feel like Iâm fully present in either world. Like Iâm stretched too thin, juggling too much, and still feeling like Iâm falling short.
‘Ever Since’ came from that place. From the exhaustion of constantly trying to fit in, from second-guessing myself every time I walk into a room. From that quiet, lingering voice asking, Did I say something wrong? Did I act weird? Itâs about how easy it is to lose yourself in expectations, whether they come from other people or from yourself.”
Despite MUANH being a recent discovery to us, we’re pleased to see that this talent has already racked up thousands of streams on Spotify from previous singles – all of which you can explore here.
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We’ve been fans of Barrett Bleeden’s club hearts for over a year now, so we’re pleased to see that there’s a new single from the artist out today called ‘real life on a screen’.
The track blends alternative pop with rock, synth and R&B, resulting in a sound that is refreshingly eccentric but still easy to listen along to and connect with.
In our opinion, it’s near impossible not to find some kind of love for this song, so hopefully you’ll enjoy it as much as we have!
club hearts currently commands more than 10k monthly listeners on Spotify and has amassed over 250k streams from only four releases.
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LA-based starlet Sienna Melgoza is back with one of the most moving pieces of pop music that we’ve heard in quite a while.
‘differently now’ is an introspective song that encourages us to think about the hardships that we can face, and learn from them – so that we can look after ourselves more and strive for better lives.
ââdifferently nowâ is about loving yourself in a way you havenât loved yourself before. Recognizing destructive patterns within yourself that cause you to stay in an unhealthy situation with someone that is not meant for you, or even good for you. Sometimes you have to look to the darkness to get to the light. I am figuring out how to treat myself differently while continuously learning what I deserve from myself and from others.â
For those unacquainted with Sienna, this immensely talented singer-songwriter has been active in the music industry from the age of 13, building a name for herself as a multi-genre artist who serves as a storyteller through her music.
Hailing from Miami, SimĂłn is a promising newcomer who blends rap with trap and dark pop to create powerful and captivating sounds.
New single ‘ROSES’ is a great taster of this artist’s work. The track highlights the frustrations and strong feelings of pain that are triggered from having your heart broken.
But more so, SimĂłn explains that the song is “about calling out the façade of love when itâs really just another game. Itâs about knowing when to walk away and realizing that sometimes, the best thing you can do is save your roses for another time.”
You can explore more of SimĂłn’s music on Spotify here.
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Canadian up-and-comer MKSTN returns today with a sensational piece of electronic pop that is really quite captivating.
‘Omni Eyes’ invites listeners to a world that is both enchanting and mesmerising. The track’s production (with help from the iconic Omnichord instrument) evolves from a delicate electronic beat into a cinematic fusion of dreamy pop and alternative rock.
“‘Omni Eyes’ is a lush, layered, multi-faceted universe, existing to be seen through a window into MKSTN‘s own soul.”
The song serves as a taster to the artist’s next album, which is scheduled for release this May. In the meantime, you can explore more of MKSTN’s music on Spotify.
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Chaz Marcus is back just in time for the weekend with a catchy new single that deserves to be on everyone’s playlists.
‘All The Way Down’ is a fun R&B-pop song that carries strength in its simplicity. The beat structure is minimal, allowing for Chaz’s melodic vocals and lyrics to shine through.
It’s a refreshing approach to a genre that often shies away from the ‘less is more’ approach and fits with Chaz’s ethos:
âFor me, itâs not about following trendsâI prefer to set them.â
Chaz is an artist on the rise. From his early career on Broadway to working with the likes of Usher, this is a talent to keep an eye on.
Emma Tea is a London-based singer and songwriter who came across our radars this week with a catchy pop bop that we’re excited to share with you.
‘so sick’ looks at the moments when we find ourselves falling in love, despite our intentions not to. The track mirrors Emma’s style of work, which takes her raw emotions and thoughts and applies them to interesting alt-pop productions. Elaborating further on the new single, Emma says:
“It captures the messy spiral of liking someone you wish you didnât â a chaotic blend of obsession, frustration, and self-sabotage. Itâs an upbeat, danceable track for anyone whoâs ever battled with feelings they wish they didnât have. Sinking deep, whilst desperately trying to stay afloat.”
This self-taught multi-instrumentalist is enjoying some great momentum right now, garnering more than 100k career streams to date on Spotify alone.
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TRACK OF THE WEEK
GUNNAR’s musical evolution recently has been quite extraordinary. The LA-based singer and songwriter has piqued our interest of late thanks to his take on alternative rock, with the new single, ‘Upside Down’, being on rotation ever since we picked up on it earlier this week.
The track is lifted from the artist’s upcoming ‘Sun Faded’ album (out on the 6th of June â pre-order here), of which he says:
âItâs hard to box this album into one theme. A lot of life has happened over the last few years, and I think these new songs show that. A lot of growth, rolling with the punches as they come, and accepting that I canât control what happens. Sometimes that mentality is exactly what makes a difference.â
If you’re based in the US, then you can catch GUNNAR this autumn on his first-ever headline tour, with shows planned all across the country. You can grab your tickets here.
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GUNNAR Upside Down Tour 2025
If you’re in the mood for some quirky indie-pop, then we’ve got a talent from the UK to share with you today called Xav Clarke.
Despite being a new name to most, Clarke is actually an award-winning composer who is no stranger to the music world. His new single, ‘None Of It’s Yours Anyway’, is a brilliant sound that is not only refreshingly unique but also really fun in its style of production.
âAt the time I was writing songs for an indie documentary, and this song was initially just a late-night brain dance that I sang and strummed into my cassette recorder.â I forgot about it and discovered it again for the album sessions. I took it into the studio with Mike, and we noticed how much momentum was latent in the song that could be brought to life!! We kept the cassette recording and built on top of it, adding drums by the amazing James Vine (of Waldoâs Gift) and turned it into a pumping bopper in the style of some of my favourite songs, like âDancing In The Darkâ or âJust Like Heavenâ.â
An upcoming album by Xav, called ‘Fossil Forest’ (produced by Mike Lindsay), is out soon, along with an accompanying tour starting 10th May in Southampton. You can check out the full schedule and get your tickets here.
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