Track of the week. Eden Rain is back with a stunning new single called ‘Crashmat’. Co-written by fellow rising starletSOFY,this track looks at how some people will care so much for others that they end up neglecting their own needs and feelings.
Aside from its thoughtful lyricism, this song’s production really showcases some of the best of what the UK alt-pop scene offers right now. Elaborating on the inspiration behind ‘Crashmat’, Eden says:
“I think it really hits on that feeling of being stretched too thin, right? It’s like you’re always on call, trying to be everything for everyone, and somewhere along the way, you forget to take care of yourself. Its about how you can love someone and want to help but also not really knowing how to.”
Eden’s music has been streamed more than 700k times since April this year and has received praise from the likes of FLEX and Far Out. You can catch the artist performing at London’s Moth Club on the 12th Novemberâtickets here.
Every now and then we come across a talent who instantly stands out, just like New York’s Germano.
From listening to his songs, you get a sense that this singer, songwriter, and producer possesses something truly unique in his artistry. And we’re not the only ones who think so – Germano’s momentum is already on the rise thanks to the thousands of online followers he’s recently won over.
‘panic!’ presents us with a haunting alternative pop production that is both refreshingly experimental and intriguing in character, while the song’s lyrics address the artist’s self-imposed pressures to succeed in the music industry.
“I used to put so much pressure on myself to succeed that when my plans didnât turn out exactly the way I hoped, Iâd get terrible anxiety to the point that it was paralyzing â I didnât know how to continue moving forward. It can be hard keeping the spark on in a career like this especially when youâre not yet where you want to be. So now I create music and art for my inner child and for my liking only, which brings me content and confidence in my work. This song is a reminder to myself that I have what it takes to accomplish my goals. I stumbled upon this blatantly self-assured character while writing this song and it has helped me deal with self-doubt in a lot of ways. Thatâs what this song represents to me â itâs a reminder to myself that I have what it takes to accomplish my goals and become the artist Iâve always dreamed of being.â
Germano’s work has received the seal of approval from the likes of EARMILK, PopDust, and LeFutureWave, and his catalogue of songs (of which there are only three so far) has achieved more than 200k streams.
Summer might be over in Natalie Clark’s native Scotland, but it’s always sunny in LA where the much-hyped newcomer has just landed an exciting record deal.
Playing her blissful new single ‘Iced Tea’ will give you warm vibes wherever you are in the world. This shimmering slice of melodic pop exudes finesse, and proves why this rising starlet is garnering so much attention across the industry.
âI wrote the song as summer was approaching, and I wanted to create a dreamy, summery world for people to escape to when they listened to the song. I wanted the listener to feel that soothing, comforting, warm feeling on a summerâs day – laying on a beach or by a pool, sipping cold iced tea. Even if you canât physically experience that, I wanted the song to still offer that feeling to you! To bring you some sunshine!â
Clark’s induction into the world of music began as a result of a spontaneous singing request from none other than Sir Richard Branson, who chose her to perform while she was at the BBC Radio 1 Academy.
Since moving Stateside, her work has caught the attention of global names like Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton, marking her status as an artist to watch.
Hailing from the city of Boca Raton in Florida is 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and health advocate Sophia Gonzon.
This artist has caught our attention thanks to her captivating voice as well as memorable melodies and interesting productions. The new single ‘A1A’ is stripped-back in its style of sound but is still highly charged emotionally.
Gonzon’s work has achieved streams of over 4 million on Spotify while also garnering the top spot on ReverbNation’s regional pop rankings.
Alongside her music career, Sophia is also a passionate advocate for people who suffer from invisible illnesses, contributing to causes like the Association of Migraine Disorders and Music Beats Cancer.
Two of the UK’s brightest alt talents have teamed up to create one of the autumn’s biggest bangers, and we’re excited to be sharing it with you today.
‘Sad’ is a collaborative effort between Antoni Franco and Gorran, who initially crossed paths as classmates at the world-famous BRIT school. They’ve been working together since 2019 while also developing their own solo careers, respectively.
‘Sad’ is bold, captivating, and beautifully raw. And we’re not the only ones who love it, as the song has already surpassed 10k streams on Spotify.
“The track is about what happens when you can’t speak up about your mental health, and the long term negative effects of suppressing your thoughts and feelings. The idea that you may put your faith in certain people to help you feel less sad, but the sadness comes from such a deep place that they can’t necessarily fix the problem.”
There’s no doubt in our minds that both of these artists will hit the UK mainstream over the next year, so be sure to keep them on your radars!
Track of the week. UK singer Ruti possesses one of the most distinctive vocals of any artist that we’ve come across for many years.
The acclaimed singer and songwriter returns today with one of their most heartfelt releases, titled ‘Break My Own Heart’. The soundscape is rich in texture, while the relatable lyrics are certain to strike a chord with many listeners.
The song focusses on the destructiveness that comes from overthinking. The musician elaborates:
“Itâs a conversation with myself. Giving myself grace but also confronting myself about my tendencies to think too far in the future and not live in the present. I’m the kind of person that just gets either too excited or too anxious about things that havenât even happened and it leads to me spiralling. It can lead to disappointment but most importantly it takes me out of the moment.â
This single follows on from Ruti’s incredible ‘Lungs‘ EP, which garnered widespread praise globally and has so far amassed more than 700k collective streams on Spotify.
Canadian starlet margĂž is back with a huge new single called ‘love me ugly’, and it really is a sonic experience that deserves your attention.
Aside from it’s anthemic melody and punchy chorus, this track is deliciously dark in its approach to alternative pop.
“The best feeling ever is being unapologetically yourself in spite of it all.”
This is a sound that is both intriguing and arresting at the same time, and leaves the listener wanting more.
It won’t come as a surprise to learn that margĂž’s quest for global domination has continued to strengthen over the past year, with the artist amassing more than 2.5 million streams from her recent ‘love me ugly’ collection of songs (listen here).
Award-winning Icelandic singer Luthersson returns with an interesting new single to celebrate the end of his recent successful tour.
‘Reel In’ is one of the artists’s most honest releases and presents listeners with a haunting fusion of R&B and alternative pop.
Despite its sparse and eerie style of sound, the track flows in melancholy through it’s introspective and raw lyricism.
“This deeply personal track explores the theme of detachment as a defensive response to a breakup.”
If this is your first time hearing of Luthersson then you can enjoy another song that he released earlier this year called ‘I Can Always Picture You’âlisten here.
One of our favourite newcomers this year is Negative Shawdy, and today’s release of ‘Heartbeat’ only further adds to our obsession with this rising starlet (who, by the way, happens to be none other than Janelle MonĂĄe’s cousin).
Inspired by the age-old dilemma of unrequited love, this song fuses drum and bass with hyperpop and R&B to create a piece of music that is both emotive yet energising. It’s fresh and intriguing, while still managing to feel human and relatable.
The artist’s upcoming album, titled ‘Dancing with the Lights Out’ is due on the 18th of October. Keep this talent on your radars; we think she’s going to take 2025 by storm!
Rising Australian trio PEPTALK have teamed up with pop legend Montaigne to create one of the biggest bops of the week – and we’re so excited to be sharing it with you.
‘Your World’ is both nostalgic and current in its style of sound. It’s a finessed piece of indie-pop perfection, with captivating lyrics and an anthemic melody.
And despite its melancholic lyrics, which were inspired by ‘the pointlessness of trying to please someone who isnât listening’, the song still treats listeners to some playful sensibilities.
Interestingly, PEPTALK and Montaigne collaborated on the song as a result of their involvement in a Pride songwriting camp, which was curated by Troye Sivan.
London has a promising new R&B-pop star in the making, and he goes by the name of July.
Already an emerging talent with more than a million streams under his belt (and that’s just on Spotify), we feel as though it won’t be long before this singer and songwriter hits the mainstream.
July has developed a name for himself as an artist who is unafraid to experiment with different styles of sound, thanks to his diverse tastes in music and an open mind to genres. He cites icons like P. Diddy, Lionel Richie, and Phil Collins as some of his influences.
Melodic new single ‘Trip’ treats listeners to a finessed blend of alternative R&B and electronic pop, and is matched beautifully by July’s soulful vocals and honest lyrics.
“I hope it connects with listeners on a profound level.”
We are excited to share with you one of the most original and unique talents to come across our radars in quite some time.
Lisa Sereno is a rising Portuguese talent who creates cinematic pieces of indie-pop that are not only sonically interesting – but also tell a story.
The musician’s new single is called ‘Mystery’, and it really is something to behold. The song’s production reflects Lisa’s artistic background, which is rooted in classical music and folk.
In the space of just two days, the video to this track has already amassed almost 7k views on YouTube alone. Fans in Portugal can watch Sereno performing live on tour next month, with stops in Leiria, Coimbra, Porto, and Lisbon.
Jordan Massey is a promising Canadian-American talent who is not only picking up considerable traction through Spotify but is also winning awards along the way. As well as being a singer, Massey is a songwriter, actor, and artist.
New single ‘Heartless (NSA)’ was released recently and treats listeners to a melancholic blend of pop and R&B, while the lyrics were inspired by hurtful romances and heartbreaks.
“The inspiration for this track stemmed from a desire to continue the journey begun with my first EP, Human, which explored the complexities of new emotions and how they shape our lives. This second chapter delves deeper, focusing on how some people can take advantage of those vulnerabilities. I wanted this EP to have a more upbeat and fun vibe while still conveying these deeper themes. Thankfully, I was able to strike that balance, continuing the story in a way that feels both authentic and engaging.”
Massey’s work has been streamed well over a million times to date, with that number set to increase over the next year. You can check out more of the artist’s music right here.
Track of the week. Rising Manchester artist Dan Fable returns with an impressive new single that has blown us away.
Through its unique drum and bass production, ‘Sideways’ is both emotive and energising in equal measures. The sound is melancholic and almost pensive in tone, yet somehow still manages to inject an essence of euphoria. On the song, Dan says:
ââSidewaysâ is a song about putting up walls. Being scared to let your guard down and allow feelings to grow due to previous bad relationships. Saying youâll never fall in love can often make you miss something special right in front of you leaving you unprepared for new feelings and what that can do to you. I wrote the song just me and my guitar but felt it needed some additional flavour to tap into the euphoric and tense feelings associated with falling in love.â
With 300k monthly listeners on Spotify and more than fifty million streams already under his belt (thanks to his acclaimed collaboration with Venbee), it’s safe to say that Dan Fable has proven himself as one of the UK’s biggest newcomers.
JEMS! is a collaborative project consisting of Oakland singer, rapper, and songwriter Elujay and Baltimore producer J.Robb.
Together, this duo creates a distinct sound that seamlessly fuses alternative R&B with hip-hop, pop, and even dancehall.
Their new single âCREEPINâ could have easily come from 90âs British radio, but alas, itâs a fresh slice of musical brilliance that deserves to be on everyoneâs playlists this weekend.
“One of my favorite songs Iâve made to date. ‘CREEPIN’ was me trying to write a pop song for a big artist . I realized that I should keep it when I showed J.Robb because he reacted so viscerally. We got together with some of my bandmates and put our spin on it . Later on I realized it was kind of like a sister track to my song ‘Ratrace,’ With the uk street soul bounce .â – Elujay, JEMS!
The track teases the duoâs upcoming âGEMS IN THE CORNERSTORE IIâ album, which is scheduled for release on 20th September. The record will feature icons as noted as Amaria, Chase Shakur, and Louis Culture. Until then, stream more JEMS! bops right here.
One of the most exciting discoveries of the week is Vienna-based singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer Thoughty.
‘Outta My Head’ is the artist’s debut single and presents us with an energising fusion of pop and rap. Alongside the catchy lyrics, the melody will be repeating all day in your minds.
The song is fresh and playful while also maintaining a sense of relatability, which is sure to resonate with many listeners. Elaborating on the song’s meaning, Thoughty says:
“I think one of the most beautiful feelings is when you first meet someone and canât stop thinking about them. You get butterflies, canât stop smiling, and feel like youâre living in a movie. We chase that rush like itâs adrenaline, but we forget that real, lasting love is something steadier. These days, people are so hooked on the thrill that they run away when love becomes more routine. Itâs a shame, and I believe itâs one of the main reasons so many relationships never get a fair chance. We crave a constant high and mistake the absence of it for the end of love when, in reality, love is just evolving into something deeper. I recently went through this and had to capture it in a song.”
Despite the track being Thoughty’s first release, this musician has been performing across Europe from as early as 2016. We’re quite certain that this is an artist who is likely to gain tonnes of traction across the continent over the next year!
Stockholm-based Londoner Orlando Hotopf is a rising singer and songwriter who has just unveiled an impressive new song that deserves to be heard by you all!
‘High Road’ is the first of two singles that the artist will release this year. The track fuses indie with folk in a way that almost feels timelessâin part thanks to clever production, which layers 22 different guitar parts that were recorded using 1936 Levin.
The production creates a captivating soundscape that perfectly complements the song’s nostalgic lyrics, which were inspired by Hotopf’s early adulthood.
“The song is about the nostalgia of my early 20’s, the endless nights and countless bad decisions (which I don’t regret) I made whilst searching for something I couldn’t quite find…”
Hotopf’s music has been championed by the likes of Mahogany and Indie Folk Central, while also receiving airplay on stations such as KX FM and 88.5 FM in the US and Radio Nord Norge.
If you’ve yet to experience Rufus Joseph’s music, then we’ve got a stunning track to share with you today that serves as a perfect introduction.
Hailing from the UK’s Stoke-on-Trent, Joseph’s sounds have gained momentum recently. With a natural flair for crafting beautiful compositions that are loaded with raw lyricism, the artist manages to expose his innermost thoughts and feelings in a way that is universally accessible and relatable to most listeners.
The new single ‘Dance With Darkness’ is a prime example. The track was written as a way to inspire us to ‘get comfortable in the darkness of your emotions, and understand their value.”
Rufus currently draws in more than 11k monthly listeners on Spotify; you can explore more of the singer and songwriter’s work here.
Freddie Lewis has come quite the way since his debut in 2021. He’s not only amassed more than half a million catalogue streams to date, but he’s also become a critic favourite, with praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Wonderland, and The Line of Best Fit.
The singer and songwriter returns with a new single this week, called ‘Sundays’. Through its perfected fusion of indie and soul, the song tells of the feelings that follow on from a breakup. The artist elaborates:
âitâs about figuring out how to fill up my own life in the wake of a significant relationship ending. Iâd figured out all the fun things, the late nights and dancing and trips, but in the quiet time there was this space I couldnât seem to fill. Sundays were the hardest, because theyâd always been the highlight of my week. I realised that all the other things were easier because they were a distraction, and sitting at home alone was when the change really set in. Like âoh shit Iâm on my own now. Thatâs exciting! And scary.â Sonically, I wanted the song to reflect this, so I set out to make it sound like a Sunday, lazy and warm, and then the bridge bursts into this flurry of distraction and indulgence and emotion, before returning back, all bare and vulnerable, to the real feeling.”
“I wrote this song on my own at home last year, then took it to my trusted long time collaborator and dear friend Charlie T Smith to produce it. Funnily enough, all the sessions we had on the track, right up until the day we recorded final vocals, were on a Sunday. So the track itself actually helped me to solve itsâ own problem. I filled my empty Sundays with this song, and with friends, and with my own ambitions and creativity and all that good stuff.”
Starting next month, the artist will embark on his ‘Freddie Lewis Cabaret Tour.’ The show will feature live music as well as drag and burlesque performances. Tickets and locations can be found here.
Freshly signed to the iconic FADER Label, Brooklyn’s country girl might just be one of our favourite newcomers of the summer.
‘your favourite girl’ is a shimmering burst of joyful indie-pop and serves as a perfect introduction to this hugely promising talent.
Alongside its catchy melody, the song’s memorable lyrics (inspired by the notion of casting ourselves as the female lead in a movie) will likely stay with you all day.
While we don’t yet know much of this artist, we’re quite certain that you’ll likely hear a lot more of them in the coming months. Definitely a star to watch!
