“Growing up, I never knew the term of “intrusive thoughts” but often had them, and as I got older, my particularly remaining intrusive thought is around wanting to go inside of abandoned houses even if I know it’s a horrible idea. ‘Give In’ is about giving into the intrusive thoughts, and the relief and the consequences that happen after. The song was written in an afternoon in my producer’s studio, and was probably the fastest song from initially writing to execution.”
L’ESPIRAL create a style of sound that is really hard to pin down. And that’s why we love it so much.
Upon a first listen, you wouldn’t tell what decade ‘Mr. Babylon’ was recorded in. It’s classic and nostalgic but still feels relatable in this age.
“The song is about a woman mourning lost love and finding that, beyond the death of a relationship, her memories live on in the dream worlds she has built inside herself. The song reflects that, even in love’s afterlife, life continues to bloom in silent and unexpected ways.” – Zoë Bleu, L’ESPIRAL
This duo (consisting of Zoë Bleu and Reggie Debris) are currently building momentum in the US while also preparing for the release of their debut album, “SQUAWK!”, cried Love, which is out on the 24th of October.
Until then, you can catch these folks performing at London’s iconic Shacklewell Arms on the 11th of June.
“‘Girl’ is the most obnoxiously poppy and sing-alongable my music has ever sounded. I’m a huge Springsteen fan — he writes with depth, but his hooks fill stadiums. That’s the goal: great songwriting and mass connection.”
DESTIN CONRAD’s ability to blend vulnerability with boldness has made him a standout artist in today’s R&B landscape. His highly anticipated debut album ‘LOVE ON DIGITAL‘ is out now.
“I wrote this song about how an event or person can come into your life and flip things around in either a positive or negative way. It’s a chance to reflect on all the emotions you felt during and after that period.”
Miranda Faul has to be one of the most interesting artists emerging from Ireland right now.
This hugely promising talent is already winning fans globally, thanks to her distinctive approach to music-making, which blends genres as diverse as folk, R&B and pop into cohesive sounds that are not only sonically captivating but also lyrically moving. Speaking on her new single, ‘Holding Me Back’, Faul says:
“‘Holding Me Back’ is a song about overwhelming, suffocating love. It’s about meaning too much to someone, to the point that you can’t give them what they expect of you. They’re also blurring your mind, so you can’t see the situation clearly. You know that they’re hurting you, but you can’t break free; you can’t unwind yourself from them.”
Faul has garnered praise from outlets as noted as BBC Introducing, Hot Press Magazine, and RTE 2FM. Listeners can enjoy the artist’s critically acclaimed debut EP, ‘Rise & Run’, here, or catch a live performance in Amsterdam on the 17th of May.
We’re stoked to be sharing with you a brilliant new single from London singer, songwriter, and DJ Gracie Convert. A regular feature on Alfitude’s pages, this ever-rising starlet has always impressed us with her bops.
‘Ma’ is the artist’s first single of the year and treats us to a Latin-flavoured R&B-pop production that deserves to be on everyone’s playlists for the weekend ahead. Speaking on the track, she simply explains it as:
“A bilingual ode for those who love and feel deeply.”
Gracie’s songs have amassed more than 400k streams on Spotify to date. You can catch the artist on her very own Soho Radio show every Friday (biweekly) right here.
US-based musician and performer Julia DeTomaso has been an avid songwriter since the age of ten years old, which might explain how this artist is able to craft sincere songs like ‘Fake It’ with such flair.
The track showcases a finessed indie-pop production and is lyrically inspired by the aftermaths that ensue after relationships break down. The song is introspective and heartfelt, allowing us a glimpse into DeTomaso’s innermost feelings.
“Deeply caring for someone + a fear of commitment = heartbreak—the thread that runs through ‘Fake It’. With journal entry-level honesty and introspective lyrics, this song was written for the 20-something navigating her relationships.”
‘Fake It’ serves as a taster to DeTomaso’s solo work, with more songs appearing on the horizon soon.
Photo / Fanny-Alba Bang Jönsson & Mathilde Ferro Fransen
“‘Can’t Find You’ is a song about searching for someone, or something, who literally disappears in front of your eyes. The person shows up in very strange places and keeps leaving weird clues, like in the pages your notebook.”
Today marks a very exciting debut from Dubai-based singer and songwriter Dana Naidu. This talent’s approach to soul is really quite something special, as you’ll experience when you play ‘SOMETIMES’.
Alongside the buttery smooth vocals, the track treats us to a sublime production that feels timeless in style. The sound is seductive, dreamy and playful at the same time and leaves listeners yearning for more. Elaborating on the lyrics, Dana says:
“On the surface, it’s a story about the moment I realised I had feelings for someone. But as I worked through it, something shifted. This song wasn’t just about that person anymore… It was about me. It became a reflection of me finding my sound.”
With such a powerful introduction, we have no doubt in our minds that Dana will evolve into one of soul music’s most exciting newcomers.
“I thought it would be really dope if I wrote a song with John Prine-style lyrics and a Zach Top kind of feel. Singing about real-life problems with a bit of humor mixed in. Those guys gave me the spark, and that’s how “If Whiskey Were Free” came about”.
“‘lvl 10 – LOBBY BOY’ is the song where I wonder what this journey of introspection has been leading to. I’ve been moving through level after level, always hoping the next one would feel different. But now I’m not sure if there’s ever really an end to the story—just more to push through. It’s that feeling of moving through uncertainty.”
Léa Sen headlines St. Pancras Old Church on 29th May 2025 – tickets here. Debut album ‘LEVELS’ is released a day later, and you can pre-order it here.
“Hold Me, lyrically, is about the cycle of love and death. I’ve lost loved ones, and I’ve seen other people lose their loved ones (most of us have)—it’s always had a grip on me how we never know how long we’ll 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.”
“’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.”
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.
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 – 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!
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 – 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.”
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:
“It 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 I’ve had simultaneously for one person, which was turning out to be a common theme in a lot of my songs.”
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!
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.
‘Yesterday’s 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 – a fictitious band singer from the 80s.
“In 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 ‘tomorrow’s another day.’” – Mobley
