LA-based pop talent EMELINE returns with one of the catchiest bops of the week! A demo of ‘flowers & sex’ went viral on Tik Tok and received over 8 million plays in less than a week, so it’s safe to say that this track is on course to be one of the summer anthems of the year.
“This song is my moment to ask for what I want and need, unapologetically. I am living inside my power and embracing that I deserve to be celebrated. What can I say, flowers and sex are a girl’s best friend.”
One of the most exciting outfits to emerge from Belgium recently, The Haunted Youth embody a raw and youthful energy through a unique sound that blends hazy indie with undertones of psychedelic rock.
Love Truls is the brainchild of 18 year old Swedish creative Truls Söderman Carlberg. Listening to new single ‘Tell Her’ gives you a glimpse at just how phenomenally talented this artist is.
A true Gen Z songwriter with an innate ability to absorb, filter, and distill various musical expressions, Love Truls also vividly depicts the experiences of a 21st century teenager.
“‘Tell Her’ started with just a nativistic guitar line and vocals; it has transformed and grown ever since it was written in 2018. It definitely has some classical music influences, and I wanted it to be powerful, which Röda Paradise really helped with, being able to take in real strings and shit. Shoutout Röda Paradise!”
Taken from the debut EP ‘Kantande Wanai’ which is out now via This Is Scandinavia.
Just in time for the weekend, bülow’s back! The alt-pop superstar returns today with her empowering new release ‘Revolver’. This is a song that is sure to fire you up enough to take on the world – whatever comes your way.
“I want people to feel empowered listening to it. You are as powerful as you want to be. I don’t wake up every day feeling my most confident self. No one does. I struggle with finding my footing and falling into a state of confidence every day where what people say or do doesn’t affect me. It’s something I work on every day, but I know that when I am that and I believe it, I’m not afraid of f**king up/ falling on my face. That’s how I want to live. And that’s what I want people to feel when listening to ‘Revolver’.”
Not only a talented singer and performer, Violet Days also has an enviable reputation within the songwriting world through her collaborations with the likes of The Chainsmokers, Shaun Frank, Cash Cash and more.
Today she returns today with the beautifully anthemic ‘Shut The World Up’, song that feels both melancholy yet rousing, and a prime example of Scandinavian pop at it’s best.
“This song was definitely born under the influence of anxiety. It’s been a frustrating year for all of us, It’s been scary and Ive felt pretty clueless overall. This song is basically my journal of this past year, struggling a bit with myself and some relationships. Sometimes you wish you could just push the OFF button on all the thoughts you cook up in your mind.. Listening to music has helped me a lot with this and I hope this song can be somewhat helpful for anyone out there that needs to feel like there’s more of us out here losing our minds.”
This year seems to be yielding a whole new generation of rockers, and that’s something I’m pretty OK with. While Toronto-born artist Sophie Powers is still only 16-years old, yet her vocal’s intensity is years ahead.
Her new single ‘Lonely Army’ tackles the feeling of widespread loneliness that so many of us experienced during 2020’s seemingly endless lockdown.
“’Lonely Army’ is an anthemic song. It speaks on behalf of my generation. I want to start a conversation, as it feels adults and people who are not struggling during this time need to understand that almost everyone else is, whether they show it or not.”
Following on from her sensational debut back in April, Melbourne singer songwriter Tassia Zappia returns with the beautifully autobiographical release of ‘When I Was Four’.
True to form, Tassia’s incredible voice serves as the centrepiece to a melodic and emotive song that details her journey from humble beginnings in Australia to the door of a seemingly impossible dream.
Taken from the forthcoming debut EP which is out soon.
LA-based wonder-kid Ginesse returns today with a shimmering take on hyperpop through the release of new single, ‘Gatorade’.
The title of the song is a tongue-in-cheek play on the astrological phenomenon of mercury in retrograde, and ties into Ginesse’s personal interest in astrology and the meaning it can hold.
“For some reason, mercury going into retrograde has always put me in a very nostalgic place. It’s a love letter to those I shared time with where the doors have remained open without resolution and without a clear understanding of why.”
Years of enduring closed doors, homophobia, and fighting for artistic integrity led to Amir Brandon to become the artist that he is today.
With a style of songwriting that balances vulnerability with confidence, Brandon’s approach to RnB-pop is immediately captivating and refreshingly honest.
His new single ‘champagne’ was written as an anthem for the introverted and lonely, reflecting on his own personal experiences with depression, and embracing heartache rather than drinking it away.
Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter Devan returns today with the beautifully emotive and totally relatable ‘Lie’.
The song is all about the blissful ignorance you allow yourself to feel when you know a relationship is going sour, but refuse to accept reality.
Hailing from Minnesota is pop-rock outfit Guytano, made up of brothers Grant and Eddie Hamilton along with Isaac Hesse and Colter Benoit.
Having initially met in 2010, the band has accumulated a solid and loyal base of followers since the release of their debut album in 2016. They haven’t slowed down since, with their music becoming a favourite on college and commercial radio, as well as getting numerous placements on TV shows.
Today they return with new single ‘She Knows’, bringing with it a sleek blend of synth and pop, a hugely catchy melody and finessed vocal arrangements.
“This song embodies the excess of Vegas and tells the story of losing everything in sin city.”
Hailing from Miami, Latin-American artist Miliano has been writing and playing music for over a decade, with songs in both English and Spanish.
‘Nubes’ (which translates to ‘clouds’ in Spanish) is a track about the unavoidable reminder of past regretful experiences that one can learn and grow from.
This is a beautifully emotive blend of Latin pop, trap and alt-RnB, all complimented with intensely captivating vocals.
Indie-pop with a nostalgic twist from Danish talent Daniel Joy. One of the catchiest bops you’ll likely enjoy all weekend, ‘How to Talk to Girls’ is about an insecure young man in a world that expects you to always be on top of your game. But when the game is love, life’s not always easy!
“‘How to Talk to Girls’ is a tribute to the shy guy. I recall the awkward moments in bars, you know, the moments where one of your friends introduces you to this girl, and you suddenly turn into a silent and uncomfortable shell. It’s just as much about impressing your friends, as it is finding the courage to actually talk to a girl you’ve just met. No one wants to be known as the shy and awkward friend sitting in the corner and I can think of a dozen times where a book for dummies or a tutorial video would have come in handy. I still don’t know what’s going on – so here’s a song about it!” –
London-based talent Arin is not only a singer but an established songwriter, creating a new kind of pop that feels sleek, mellow and finessed; all the while still carrying a sense of charm and playfulness.
Listening to ‘All I Want 2 See’ reminds you of that euphoric feeling of falling head-over-heels for someone.
A finessed blend of RnB and pop from rising UK artist AMBA. On ‘Butterflies’ we are treated to a strong bass line that lays the foundations for rhythmic vocals, delicate hints of harp and an infectiously memorable melody.
A richly intense pop-rock release from Icelandic talent GREYSKIES. This is a raw yet exhilarating sound that is both bold and deeply emotive in equal measures.
“‘Eyes’ is a song about that feeling when the emotions are overwhelming and you feel like you have no idea what to do to get out of that feeling. It talks about the fears and problems I sometimes have with coping.”
Some of the boldest rock that you’ll likely experience this weekend, Ora Violet is the brainchild of multi instrumentalist production duo Black Tiles and guitarist Nick Ferman.
This is a sound that takes the best elements of classic rock and applies a fresh and modern take over it, to create something that is uniquely captivating. So much so that their work has already been supported by the likes of Wonderland, Clash and EARMILK, and praised by The Strokes producer Gordon Raphael.
New single ‘Have You Met Me’ also features vocalist Jeet Mulkerj and Adam Liston on bass.
“Influenced by Grinderman, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Marmaduke Duke & Earnest Hemingway, the song was inspired by the realisation that the same way we go down, we come back up; gradually and then suddenly. The antihero protagonist has lived a life of unapologetic excessive in all ways and despite nearing the end, the statement is clear… I won’t go down.” – Ora Violet
Seamlessly fusing elements of both Western and Middle Eastern music into her sound, emerging British Arabic artist Hemes is rapidly gaining traction as a pop artist to watch out for in the UK.
New single ‘Breathe’ was written in the midst of the pandemic, and takes a refreshingly honest look into a daughter’s relationship with her mother.
“I wanted ‘Breathe’ to capture the feeling of needing that one person in your life who can relieve your anxieties, for me it’s my mum. I finished the song during the pandemic because it was the longest time that I had ever been away from her, through tough times I really wished that I could just drive to see her, and that’s how Breathe was born. I wanted the track to feel relatable, so that people can think of whoever makes them feel better, whether it’s a family member, a lover or a friend.”
Taken from the debut EP ‘Matters of the Mind’ (funded by the BBC Horizons Wales Launchpad and the Help Musicians Do it Differently schemes), out later this year.
An infectiously vibrant blast of nostalgia from LA-based Swedish American artist Freddy Hale.
An already versatile talent with years of experience fronting rock bands like Kerbera and Rosie the Rage, he is now delving into the pop world as a solo artist.
‘Past Life’ peeks through a looking glass into old memories – both good and bad, while bathing in a synth-scape setting of tomorrow.
Taken from the upcoming debut album, which is planned for release later this year.
It wouldn’t feel right to go by a whole week on Alfitude without featuring a Norwegian pop banger.
This time it’s the turn of PLENTY, who’s single ‘For Now’ is a dark and broody club number that serves as a day dream about wanting someone for a moment, but not forever.
