Hailing from Glasgow in Scotland, Ali & The Parade’s infectious style of alt-pop has already seen them achieve two consecutive ‘track of the week’ placements with BBC Introducing.
‘Infatuated’ is a feel-good bop that’s all about the moment of instantly falling in love with a person across the dance floor, and the mesmerising madness of it all.
Swedish pop collective King of Little Sweden return today with relatable new bop single ‘Dave Is Online’.
With lyricism that was inspired by self-observation, the song looks at our emotional disconnection in digital times.
“This is a song about ‘Online Intimacy’. Nowadays, we can get swamped by so many messages that we sometimes end up neglecting the ones that we really ought to answer.”
I’ve been a fan of Saint Djuni for quite some time now. Each song brings a refreshingly eccentric and playful twist to indie-pop, and new single ‘All Of My Friends’ is no exception.
No matter what mood you’re in, this song is guaranteed to elevate your spirits and give you the boost you need to get through the day.
“Lonely days and lonely nights should always be replaced by having joyful and happy moments with friends and family. A very known motto for Saint Djuni.”
A rousing dose of alt-rock from Danish outfit The Malpractice. This is a sound that is boldly eclectic and unique, with falsetto vocals clashing over a raw and energetic production, leading you to the musical equivalent to a KO on the chorus.
Taken from the upcoming EP ‘Additional Purchase Incentives’ which is out on 17th September 2021.
Now commanding over 20 million streams to his name, Swedish indie-pop artist Augustine returns with the beautifully emotive ‘Summer Wine’.
A retro ballad with a nostalgic essence, the song is all about feeling trapped in the aftermath of a relationship’s demise, and desperately trying to find a way to free yourself from the memories of what you’ve lost.
“I wrote most of the lyrics in spring, on a train to my family’s house on the Swedish west coast. The weather got brighter each day and people seemed so happy and hopeful, but I felt more distant than ever. ‘Trying out our summer wine’ became a symbol for the little things that you took for granted with someone, until it’s over and you just can’t get them out of your head.”
Kicking off the weekend with some premium electronic dance music from 19-year old Connecticut talent NKE. Newly signed to Stockholm label One Music Group, his musical style is deliciously bass-heavy all the while maintaining a strong melodic core.
“I try to make a new sound that still includes what house music has always had, while adding my own twist on things and still making everyone feel good while they listen to what I have created.”
A truly sublime and dreamy release from British newcomer Honey Mooncie. ‘Four Reasons’ is a laid-back jam blending funk-tinged guitar lines with those distinctively crystalline vocals.
“‘Four Reasons’ is one of the more uplifting and light hearted tracks on my upcoming project. It’s about how much you can love and care for someone no matter the circumstance. I wanted to try to capture the feeling of unconditional love whether that be in a relationship or friendship.”
Taken from the upcoming mixtape project which is due in October 2021.
Hailing from Orange County in California, STEEN are a sibling duo who’s feel-good approach to indie-pop feels nostalgic and familiar, all the while being future-forward and characteristically unique. On the video to their new single, they say:
“Our real intention with the ‘What Day Is It?’ visual was to capture the essence of what it really means to ‘let go,’ which many of us need now more than ever! That inner rebel never truly disappears… so why hide it?”
Her third single of the year so far, ‘Crystal Clear’ from Nashville-based artist Chloe Gilligan is a sultry and catchy number that feels finessed yet emotive.
The song tells of a love where the future was unknown, until a fateful event makes the next step for the characters in the song glaringly obvious.
Californian native singer-songwriter Dawson Fuss crafts a hazy style of electro-pop that is immediately charming to any listener.
‘Hollywood Heartbreak’ is a song that encourages you to hold on to that glimmer of hope that movie-like romance still exists.
“The track is inspired by the vintage Hollywood film noir movies and modern films that often portray romance unrealistically, yet as a society, we see that as the blueprint. Because my love life was not like the movies I was watching. I got a little sad and realised that although essentially impossible, I would love to have a taste of what that kind of picture-perfect love life would be like.”
Marking her evolution from BÉE to Teddy Bee, the hugely talented Dutch singer-songwriter releases a beautifully charming and stripped-back RnB-pop bop in the shape of new single ‘Justin and Hailey’.
“I’ve been a Bieber fan since he released ‘One Time’. He is one of the people who inspired me to become an artist. There have been songs about Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah, Bonny and Clyde and other famous couples, so as a Belieber I thought “why not about Justin and Hailey”? I hope you like it!”
Already garnering over 5.5 million followers on Instagram alone, Nessa Barrett seems to be a name that will inevitably hit the mainstream very rapidly.
And if the title of this song is anything to go by, the world of pop may well be a more interesting place when she does.
Jake Lee serves Scandinavian electro-pop with a kick. This is a sound that is immediately relatable, yet carries a dark and intense undertone which is powerful and gripping.
Part of London music & arts collective NiNE8 (which boasts members like Lava La Rue and Biig Piig), Bone Slim is a yet another hugely talented creative who’s crafting some excellent sounds worth listening to.
His new single ‘Dancing on my Own’ blends dance with hip hop in a thoughtfully intelligent way that makes it impossible not to fall in love with.
Already garnering support from the likes of BBC Introducing, SOFAR Sounds, Amuse and Earmilk, it’s safe to say that UK-based Cameron and the Slumberknights are ones to watch.
Relatively new to the hip hop & soul scene, these chaps only launched their debut in early 2020 after meeting at university. Despite enduring two national lockdowns since then, the’ve still managed to release bops like ‘Pour’ and ‘Midnight’ – earning the group over 100k streams on Spotify alone.
‘Old Jacinto’ carries themes of metamorphosis, youth and adulthood, all the while sounding light, summery and fresh.
A bold, confident and impactful sound from Melbourne artist boler mani. Listening to ‘no patience’ feels like a whirlwind experience, hooking you in with that sinister intro and leaving you wanting so much more.
Fresh off the back of their work with Boo Seeka on ‘Don’t Waste Your Love’ (which is on the cusp of hitting a millions streams on Spotify already), Golding return with another sensational collaboration featuring Cailin Russo.
Co-written by pop songwriter powerhouse Jarryd James, this release features Cailin’s understated vocals gliding over a beautiful melody that is intertwined with a modern and sharp production.
Serving as the lead single from platinum hitmaker KABBA’s forthcoming EP ‘Note to Self’, ‘Rather Be Single’ is an impactful RnB-pop release that was crafted by the artist alongside songwriting genius MNEK.
This is a song that’s all about reclaiming your independence, and serves as a reflection of an intense period of hardship that KABBA was experiencing personally and professionally.
I predicted last summer that music emerging from the African continent would (finally) begin to garner more mainstream exposure across the rest of the globe, and it looks like I might just be right.
Ghanaian music starlet Gyaki’s blissful mid-tempo love song ‘NEED ME’ follows the release of debut EP ‘SEED’, which included ‘Forever’ – one of the biggest afrobeat tracks of this year (garnering millions of cumulative streams worldwide).
“‘Need Me’ is a love song. This song goes out to people that are willing to sacrifice everything for the people they love. The people that are always available for the ones they love. This song is powerful, it’s a song for the heart and the message that is being sent out is that ‘love is a beautiful thing, and if you happen to find love, enjoy the most out of it’. I’m very excited about this release because it’s been a year since I dropped music and I know my fans have been yearning for it. It’s finally here and I believe it’s going to be another global wave!”
Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sara Kay joins forces with UK-based indie pop artist Cavetown on new meaningful new pop single ‘Struck By Lightning’.
“A friend of mine struggled a lot with depression and didn’t necessarily always talk to me about it. It can be frustrating when you know someone’s going through something, but they won’t say anything. So, the idea is, ‘I’ll sit out there with you in silence’. Around the same time, my ‘For You’ page had a ton of trending videos of people laying down in driveways in the rain. I brought all of that together, and it was really cool to duet with Cavetown. I’m basically saying, ‘I’d get struck by lightning for you’.”
Taken from the new EP ‘Struck By Lightning’ which is available now via Atlantic Records
