Debuting only last year, Vancouver-based newcomer EKKSTACY has found himself racking up over 50 million catalogue streams, and currently commands more than 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Pressing play on new single ‘wish i as dead’ makes it clear why this 20-year old talent has acquired such a large following. This is a sound that perfectly blends elements of indie, punk and lo-fi pop into melancholic songs that feel both emotive and captivating.
EKKSTACY releases his new album, entitled ‘Misery‘ on the 30th September, and will embark on a headline tour across the US in October.
Based in Berlin by way of New York City, Swedish-American songwriter Grimson (aka Aiden Berglund) is beginning to gain traction thanks to his beautiful blends of indie, folk and pop.
Alongside his music releases, the Bard College film graduate also creates accompanying animated videos – treating listeners to an audio and visual experience that is like none other. Pieces like ‘Household’ showcase this work perfectly:
With that said, Grimson has chosen to showcase his artistic versatility on new single ‘Set Gently’. Here, the musician presents visuals which follow him across a journey on New York’s subway.
“I thought for a while that I was going to add some animations to it to try to make it more ‘Grimson-eque’ in a way, but decided not to do it. Not just because I was able to edit the footage to look like it matched the video, but also because the song is a bit more personal, in a way.”
The video’s simplicity amplifies the song’s deeply emotive lyrics, which address the feelings we may get when we realise that our partner has lost their love for us.
“It’s the internal monologue of the moment you realise that the person you’ve spent years with no longer loves you, and even though the split hasn’t officially happened, there’s no saving the relationship. Instead, the song attempts to comfort by encouraging acceptance, despite what you’re motivated to do otherwise.”
Norwegian talent looks set to take over the pop world once again – this time with the help of Oslo newcomer Ira Nor.
Freshly signed to noted record label 777 Music (home of boy pablo and Fur), Nor constructs a style of experimental electronic pop that pushes the boundaries of the genre, yet does so in a tastefully balanced way that makes her music relatable to most listeners.
Lifted from Nor’s upcoming ‘Swim Ira‘ EP (out 26th August), new single ‘doomed’ was written alongside Øyvind Glåmen, and is inspired by Nor’s mantra of trying to find the beauty from painful experiences.
“It’s about moving past a relationship that always was doomed; getting the power over yourself back, and letting go of an unhealthy relationship.”
If you’re a fan of Jeremy Zucker, Emi Beihold or Charlie Puth then Sleeping Lion will most likely be a welcome addition to your playlists.
Since the release of their debut record ‘Patient Creature’ back in 2016, this LA-based duo (consisting of Nate Flaks and Noah Longworth McGuire) having been creating songs that are both catchy and irresistibly charming in character.
New single ‘CTFO’ playfully balances elements of indie, pop and jazz with vivid lyricism, and serves as a taster for the outfit’s upcoming EP, ‘Most Improved’ (out later in the year).
“It’s about that desperate feeling of just wanting it all to stop for a second. It’s is an anthem for anyone who needs someone in their lives (themselves included) to just Chill The F**K Out.”
With over a million monthly listeners on Spotify, it’s safe to say that UK singer-songwriter Claudia Valentina is already on her way to pop stardom.
Created alongside Lost Boy, Tom Mann and Digital Farm Animals, Valentina’s new single ‘Sweat’ is lifted from her forthcoming ‘Foreign Affair’ EP (out 9th September) – and is truly a masterclass in pop artistry. Speaking on the EP, Valentina says:
“I’m fascinated with different sounds from around the world and as I’m from a small island, I longed to get out of there and discover a new world of sounds since I was young. Growing up in London and LA has allowed me to be exposed to different types of music through the people I work with. I’m inspired by the producers I work with and their own individual sounds and I learn so much about different cultures of music through them so I like to merge all these sounds together to create something that’s unique while putting my own musical stamp on everything to tie it all together. This EP is global sounding, it encompasses everything that has touched and inspired me in my life.”
Still only 21-years of age, Valentina has received attention from the likes of MTV UK, Billboard, The Face and i-D, while her catalogue has accumulated well over 20 million streams to date.
Rising singer and songwriter Zoe Ko might well be your favourite new musical artist to emerge from New York.
This future starlet creates a style of angsty alt-pop that not only makes a statement with its punchy productions, but also through well-constructed and refreshingly raw lyrics.
Latest single (and Gen Z anthem) ‘Til U’ is only Ko’s second release to date, but has already picked up significant attention online. And with more than 50k monthly Spotify listeners already hooked on this artist’s work, it’s clear that Zoe Ko is one to watch.
It’s been a short while, but today marks the return of the immensely talented London-based singer, songwriter and producer Paige Bea.
Inspired by the rollercoaster of emotions that we can sometimes experience in romantic relationships, ‘Melt’ serves as Bea’s first new single since the release of her acclaimed 2019 debut project‘Burnout’. Speaking on the track, Bea says:
“It was written in that phase where you’re trying to pull away from someone but you’re still vulnerable to them despite their emotional unavailability. The song’s key point is how a physical connection and attraction can override the ups and downs of the emotional one. ‘I melt with you, I lose all solid ground / I split in two, then three, then four, then five / So soft I’m barely alive’, when all is said and done, a burning physical connection with someone can often make the anger and acrimony simply melt away. It might be a mess, but you’re still waking up next to them.”
To date, Bea has garnered acclaim from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Clash, while her work has received coverage on national outlets like BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
Pennsylvanian singer-songwriter Avery Lynch is back with a superb new single, entitled ‘Sleepover’.
Produced by Emi Dragoi and mixed by Mark Rankin, the track is as perfected as you could expect for a pop sound, and continues to prove Lynch’s star potential. Speaking on the lyrics, Lynch says:
“I wrote ‘Sleepover’ about what it was like living in Boston with my boyfriend and our friends. In the beginning of our relationship, we would meet at the train station when I got out of class, we’d go to this little convenience store near his apartment to get snacks, and then we’d head to his apartment to watch cartoons and eventually fall asleep.” Lynch says of the song. “Later when we were living together in a house with our friends, we would all go on Walgreens runs to get snacks and come back and watch movies together. I wrote ‘Sleepover’ to try and capture how much fun that all was.”
With an ever-growing fanbase on social media (329k followers on TikTok alone) and more than 600k monthly listeners on Spotify, it’s clear that Lynch’s refreshingly original approach to pop will propel her to the mainstream in a very short space of time.
While still only 18-years of age, pop talent AJA has grown to become a one of Canada’s most promising new musical artists.
Written during a difficult period in her life, new single ‘Fireflies’ is an inspirational piece of music that carries thoughtful lyricism over a beautifully constructed pop production.
“I wrote ‘Fireflies’ when I was in a pretty dark place and it was really about looking forward to what is next for me and getting away from negativity. Not letting anything stand in the way of me chasing my dreams.”
To date, AJA has received critical praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, Billboard, Complex and Wonderland, while also commanding over 90k monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
Hailing from Columbus in Ohio is rising producer and artist Monroe Jordan. As far as emerging alternative R&B talents go, you won’t find someone as exciting as this creative.
‘Jody’ perfectly demonstrates Jordan’s ability to create deeply emotive pieces of music with a delicate kind of subtlety that is rare to come by.
With more than 600k catalogue streams to date as well as support from the likes Before The Data and Fashionably Early, this is one talent to keep on your radars.
Rising Irish starlet April returns with one of the most impressive pop releases of the week. New single ‘54321’ was written alongside Alfitude favourite Matt Maltese, and produced by Danny Casio. Speaking on the track’s lyrics, April says:
“‘54321′ is more about me knowing what I want from someone rather than being hopeless and helpless in love. Matt Maltese sent me a recording of the piano chords over a rough drum beat made by Danny Casio. I wrote the melody and lyrics, recorded vocals on my phone because my interface wasn’t working, and sent them back to Danny to produce it up. He emailed it to us a few days later and I was like ‘woah, time to shake some ass I guess!’ It embodies the more playful, electronic sound I’m mixing in with my songwriting, and is my take on the drum & bass trend that’s returning to music right now, inspired of course by artists like PinkPantheress.”
Fans can also look forward to April’s forthcoming ‘STARLANE’ mixtape (out in September), which was inspired by her move from a small Irish town to London.
Since April’s debut in 2020, this emerging talent has gained the attention of heavyweights like NME and BBC Radio1, and also joined Matilda Mann and Claud on their respective tours.
Track of the week. Emerging from Bavaria are German-Swedish sisters Josy and Mimi, collectively known as HAVET.
Inspired by the likes of Billie Eilish, Tyler, the Creator and Bruno Major, this promising teen duo create songs that incorporate a multitude of genres together – creating songs that carry mainstream appeal while still maintaining a strong sense of individuality.
New single ‘Toxic’ fuses 90’s inspired indie-rock with current pop sounds, treating listeners to a sonic experience that feels both nostalgic and future-forward in equal measures.
“‘Toxic’ is about getting free from a toxic relationship and finally realising all the ways the other person treated you wrong.”
Listeners can look forward to HAVET’s forthcoming debut EP, entitled ‘Muma’s Lullaby’ which is out on 11th August 2022.
Aside from co-hosting popular podcast‘New Rory & MAL’,Rory is rapidly gaining traction as a talented R&B artist.
New single ‘Not Me’ features RAAHiiM and Shantel May, and presents listeners with a beautifully melodic blend of alternative R&B, soul and dreamy pop.
With the release of each single so far, Rory has unveiled an accompanying video on his YouTube channel to explain the story behind the music. A link to the series can be found here.
Texan outfit Mamalarky are back with a blissful slice of feel-good summery rock, written as an ode to the friendships that they have with one another.
Taken from the band’s forthcoming album ‘Pocket Fantasy’ (out 30th September 2022), new single ‘Mythical Bonds’ is a refreshingly experimental and playful sound that is sure to put you in a good mood.
“I really needed to write something to accurately show Noor [Khan, bassist] how much her friendship means to me, and our journey as musicians and friends. We need more songs about friendship. In peak album-making mode we were churning out songs, at times to the point of delirium. So we decided to shake ourselves loose and make this serotonin rock song about how much we love each other–to push past all those hunched-over studio hours and create this little summer memento. At the time we were having a lot of pond, lake and pool-side hangs, laughter under the beating heat. At the end of those days all we wanted to do was come home and synthesise those feelings in our studio.” – Livvy Bennet, mamalarky
Alongside the release of the album, the group are also set to go on tour all across the US and Canada later this year – beginning in Phoenix in September and ending in Atlanta in November.
Hailing from Denmark is emerging singer and songwriter Betty Bass, who’s distinctive vocals have graced various releases since her initial debut in 2019.
Through a polished mix of R&B, pop and soul, Bass creates songs that carry mainstream appeal while still maintaining powerfully emotive themes.
Anthemic new single ‘Self First’ encourages listeners to be honest with themselves, and to let go of all those situations that hold us back or make us unhappy.
Hailing from Baltimore is rising artist Julien Chang. Releasing music since 2019, this talent creates work that is sonically elegant and lyrically meaningful.
A case in point is Chang’s new single, entitled ‘Marmalade’. Fusing elements of lo-fi, dreamy pop with guitar-driven indie tones, the song spotlights the ways in which our memories try to make sense of love.
“I think the point is that memory runs up against certain limits in sense-making and then has to start relying on fictions. I wrote ‘Marmalade’ at a time in which this feeling of passionate regret had just finished transforming into something domesticated, incorporated, and basically mundane–a part of everyday life, something that pops up in the mind from time to time and causes me to scrunch my nose.
Already garnering praise from the likes of The Guardian, NME and Fader, Chang is not only a tastemaker’s favourite, but also a promising mainstream prospect.
Just in time for the weekend comes your summery dose of nostalgic pop-rock, thanks to American newcomer Tanner Orange.
Feel-good single ‘Firebird’ could easily pass as something that was released 25-years ago (channeling the sounds of Sugar Ray, Beck and Weezer), yet somehow the production still maintains a modern edge that is refreshingly unique in tone.
“Roll your windows down, turn the volume up to 10, and cruise to the beach with ‘Firebird’ to make the trip a whole lot more fun! (You can also air-guitar the solo while you’re at it).”
With such an original approach to his craft, Tanner Orange is shaping up to become one of the most interesting newcomers to have emerged from the US this month.
LA-based artist Peyton Shay is back today with a punchy new anthem called ‘Badder Than The Bad Boys’.
Inspired by the 00’s style pop-rock sound, the song’s lyrics reaffirm Shay’s view that listeners should stand their own ground – and follow the paths they choose to.
“The idea behind ‘Badder Than The Bad Boys’ started in high school. I grew up in a very proper and standardised town where everyone followed certain paths and expectations, even the “bad boys” followed a norm. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to be on top of the world and genuinely live life for myself. This song is about me speaking and thinking how I want, not how everyone else expects me too. I hope this song gives power to the listener and helps them discover their true self.”
Shay is currently one of the youngest female artists to have ever charted on the US Billboards, and has recently enjoyed the success of her single‘Aftertaste’going viral all across social media.
If you’re a fan of Dua Lipa, Lily Allen or Amy Winehouse, then chances are high that you’ll enjoy also Nashville artist Elle Buell’s debut single ‘1 Man’, which was released today.
Inspired by the heartbreak that a lover can cause to their partner, the song balances a playful pop production with thoughtful and relatable lyrics.
Not much is known yet about Buell – but with such an impressive debut, it seems inevitable that this promising talent will begin to garner a significant fanbase over the coming months.
Emerging from the iconic city of Manchester comes self-described ‘hyper-dream pop’ trio OMA.
After garnering an impressive 40k fans (and millions of views) on TikTok within the space of just three months, this exciting outfit unleash their debut single to the world today.
Written, recorded and produced by OMA themselves, ‘All Again’ playfully blends elements of pop with nightcore, presenting listeners with a melodic slice of bliss that sounds like nothing else you will have heard before.
“It was inspired by afternoons spent riding round the same local park, drinking alone to try and relive old memories.”
OMA are currently preparing the release of their six-track debut EP, which is out soon.
