ALFITUDE - New Music

New Music: DOTO

Representing Sweden’s next generation of music talent is DOTO, whose new single ‘Peace of Mind’ serves as a masterclass in melancholic soul-pop.

Thoughtfully constructed in both it’s lyricism and composition, the song looks at our need for calm in the troubled world that we live in.

While still a relative newcomer (‘Peace of Mind’ is only DOTO’s second release), this talent has her eyes set for global domination, and is collaborating alongside acclaimed songwriters Jade Ell and Joakim Buddee on new material.

DOTO

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Dasha – Wish That You Were Here

Singer and songwriter Dasha returns with one of the most moving releases of the week.

Co-written alongside Alfitude favourite Ben Kessler and produced by The Nicholas, new single ‘Wish That You Were Here’ serves as a taster to Dasha’s forthcoming debut ‘Dirty Blonde’ album (out 27 Jan 2023), of which she says:

“’Dirty Blonde’ is all about juxtaposition. The dark and the light. The screaming and the crying. Breaking up and falling in love. The seduction and the innocence. The dirty and the blonde. I wouldn’t pin it to one genre either, though it falls under the pop umbrella. You’ll hear country/ folk influences, punk rock influences, classical music influences, and more. But what holds it all together is that it was all written by me. All the stories are mine.”

Already garnering more than seven million career streams to date, this 22-year old starlet has received praise from the likes of EARMILK, Pop Matters and MTV.

Dasha

Joshua Thew – Sweetest Mistake

London-born singer, songwriter and former ballet dancer Joshua Thew has had an impressive career since the release of his 2019 debut, ‘Think You’re Getting Through’.

Joshua’s newest single is entitled ‘Sweetest Mistake’. Inspired by feelings of adjustment after a breakup, the song presents listeners with a gorgeously finessed blend of pop and soulful R&B.

“‘Sweetest Mistake’ is the reflection after the storm. I wanted to write about how even when we know it’s the right thing to move on in our heads, our hearts still miss the absence and yearn.”

Thew currently commands more than 22k monthly listeners on Spotify, and has amassed well over 700k career streams to date.

Joshua Thew

Seun Kuti + Black Thought – African Dreams (Remix)

Two global music heavyweights join forces in an epic fashion to close out the year.

‘African Dreams – Remix’ is lifted from Nigerian star Seun Kuti and US rapper Black Thought’s collaborative EP of the same name, which also includes two further remixes.

Showcasing a perfect marriage between Afrobeat and American hip hop genres, this is a melodic sound that is full of interesting sonic textures and impactful lyricism.

Seun Kuti | Black Thought

Mai Anna – Jupiter

Brooklyn-born artist Mai Anna is back with a finessed blend of soulful pop and R&B through her new single, ‘Jupiter’.

Inspired by unrequited love, the song’s sleek production delivers a sound that feels timelessly classic in style. Elaborating further on the lyrics, Mai Anna explains:

“This song romanticises the idea of loving someone who is in love with someone else.”

A starlet already on the rise, Mai Anna has so far received praise from respected tastemakers as diverse as Fashionably Early, Lyrical Lemonade and Early Rising.

Mai Anna

Watch: Kizz Daniel – Cough (Odo)

Acclaimed Nigerian singer, songwriter and musician Kizz Daniel unveils visuals to his latest single, ‘Cough (Odo)’.

Having already amassed more than 150 million streams in only two months, it comes as no surprise that the video itself has garnered two million views since its release just three days ago.

“For this song I wanted to highlight the feeling of new love. The song itself is energetic and celebratory, and it really captures what it’s like to fall for someone new.”

The impressive achievement further solidifies Kizz Daniel’s status as one of Africa’s biggest names. To date, this mega-talent has accumulated two billion career streams and commands twenty million fans across social media.

The song is included as part of EMPIRE’s new compilation, entitled ‘Where We Come From’ (out now). The collection of songs features 19 leading African artists, including Asake, Fireboy DML and Wande Coal.

Kizz Daniel

Brevin Kim – It Was Nice To See You

Track of the week. Massachusetts duo Brevin Kim (aka Cal and Bren) are back with one of the most emotive songs of the month… and probably the whole year too.

Co-produced alongside acclaimed musicians Johan Lenox and Andy Seltzer, dreamy new single ‘It Was Nice To See You’ carries with it a charming sense of nostalgia.

“This song’s about a trip back to our hometown in Massachusetts, and a conversation we had with our dad while we were there. Fun fact, around the 1:15-1:30 mark we sampled the audio from a high school football game of mine (Cal). This is our favourite song we’ve ever made.”

To date, Brevin Kim have accumulated more than ten million career streams on Spotify, while also commanding over 166k monthly listeners on the platform.

Brevin Kim

FLO – Losing You

As far as pop music goes in this Gen Z era, few emerging bands have managed to reach levels of stratospheric success as rapidly as BRIT Rising Star Award winners FLO.

And just to round off the year in true style, the trio have released another new single, entitled ‘Losing You’.

“It’s fitting that ‘Losing You’ is being released this time of the year as it’s all about going through a loss but somehow being comforted by it. It reminds you of how content you are by yourself and finding that cheerful spirit during a tough time.”

It seems a certainty at this stage that FLO will officially become the UK’s next big global musical export; and we can’t wait to see what lies ahead for this enormously talented group of ladies.

FLO

merrymount! – The State I’m In

merrymount! are a four-piece outfit hailing from Cesena in Italy. Originally formed in 2012, this group of musicians have so far released two EPs and a studio album, entitled ‘Heart of Universe’.

Today’s unveiling of melodic new single ‘The State I’m In’ showcases an impressive and energising fusion of indie, pop and rock.

“An essential element of our work is above all listening, in music as in life.”

Through its considered production, this is a sound that feels both classic and future-forward in equal measures. Keep an eye out for these chaps over the coming year!

merrymount!

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New Music: Cut The Kids In Half

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE

Cut The Kids In Half is the brand new musical project of teenage brothers Jack and Charlie Silver.

Fans of music royalty like Lou Reed, Thom Yorke and Leonard Cohen should also find a lot of love for this promising American duo, who today unveil their debut single, ‘The Quiet Life of August’.

“‘The Quiet Life of August’ is a raw display of distorted guitars and passionate vocals that captures the complexities of working class families. The song is written from the perspective of an aging parent reflecting on their life and the lives of their children.”

Crafting a distinct style of indie-rock that feels almost timeless in its sound, this outfit present songs that feel raw and powerfully moving, while still maintaining a sense of relatability.

Cut The Kids In Half

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Dance Yourself Clean – Losing Focus

American legends Dance Yourself Clean return with one of their most impressive releases to date.

‘Losing Focus’ is a dazzling piece of electronic music that feels alive and energising, while also carrying with it some vivid and captivating lyricism.

“This one was literally two years in the making y’all… We’ve never redone, rearranged, revamped or restarted a song more times in our lives. All the pain was worth it though, because we think this song is really special.”

If you’re based in Seattle or Los Angeles and have yet to make plans for New Year’s Eve, Dance Yourself Clean have organised parties in both cities – details can be found here.

Dance Yourself Clean

Miko – All I Have (feat. Kyle Dion)

Two emerging stars have joined forces to create one of the weekend’s biggest anthems.

‘All I Have’ is the collaborative effort between Canadian artist Miko and American singer Kyle Dion, and serves listeners with a bold and energising mix of indie, pop, punk and R&B.

Miko has garnered praise from the likes of Clash Magazine, Fashionably Early, Before The Data and Early Rising, while Dion currently commands more than 700k monthly listeners on Spotify.

Miko | Kyle Dion

young friend – little pieces

Rising Canadian alt-pop artist young friend (aka Drew Tarves) returns with an epic new release entitled ‘little pieces’.

Through Tarves’ sharp and honest lyricism, the song looks at the habits we continue to keep after a relationship ends.

“’little pieces’ is a grand and heartfelt song that reflects on past relationships and how even though that person is no longer around, you still find yourself participating in their habits and mannerisms.”

The track heralds a new collection of work from young friend, who’s recent ‘HOW DID WE GET HERE?’ record (out now) was supported by SHEESH Media, Ones to Watch, The Luna Collective and many others.

young friend

Ally Hills – manipuLIES

LGBTQ+ entertainer, influencer and musician Ally Hills treats us all to a slice of premium electro-pop wth her new single, ‘manipuLIES’.

Ally’s girlfriend had written the original lyrics to the song when she was only ten years old. After uncovering them fourteen years later, Hills then turned the words into the supreme pop bop that you are currently enjoying.

“I never thought I would actually release ‘manipuLIES’ because it was made just for fun. After finding some childhood memorabilia, my girlfriend sent me a photo of lyrics she had written when she was ten and that night I turned them into a song to give to her on our third date the next day. As far as the meaning goes, the lyrics are pretty straight forward, but at the end of the day the song is simply a sentimental inside joke between her and I more than anything else.”

Since launching her YouTube channel back in 2012, Hills has worked her way to become one of the internet’s most influential and loved LGBTQ+ artists, amassing close to a million subscribers on YouTube and more than 320k followers on Instagram alone.

Ally Hills

New Music: Markella

As far as premium emerging Scandipop goes, you’ll struggle to find someone as impressive as Greek-Norwegian newcomer Markella.

‘Burn Again’ is a rousing and anthemic fusion of electronica and synth that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of melancholy which Norwegians portray so well in their music.

With more than half a million streams from just two singles, Markella will undoubtedly become one of the Nordic region’s biggest creative exports in the year ahead.

Markella

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Bloody Civilian – How To Kill A Man

It’s been a stellar year for genre-defying Nigerian newcomer Bloody Civilian, who’s hit debut ‘Wake Up’ not only featured African legend Rema, but also ended up garnering more than three million streams in the space of just weeks.

Now she returns with follow-up single, ‘How To Kill A Man’. Epic, bold, intense and utterly captivating in tone, the song only adds further confirmation that this is one global superstar in the making.

“I love writing stories and telling stories and sharing what is on my mind without consequences.”

If you’re obsessed with this song as much as we are, you’ll be pleased to know that Bloody Civilian has also recorded an acoustic edit – which can be found here.

Bloody Civilian

North Naim – S.O.M

Genre-bending extraordinaire North Naim returns with a sublime fusion of alternative R&B and indie-soul through his new single ‘S.O.M’.

Co-produced by the Naim himself, the song continues to showcase the Swiss-Angolan singer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist’s extraordinary musical craftsmanship.

While still on his third single, Naim has already accumulated more than half a million career streams to date.

North Naim

LCY – 0NLY 0NE

London-based creative LCY have unveiled a sensational new club anthem, entitled ‘0NLY 0NE’.

Lifted from their upcoming ‘/Y\’ EP (scheduled for release on 18th January 2023), the track presents listeners with an exhilarating up-tempo sound that leaves you yearning for a dance floor.

“Overall it’s just trying to be a song to shake your bum to non-abrasively in the club, or at home in your own little box.”

LCY has marked themselves as one of the UK’s most accomplished new talents, garnering high praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Mixmag, DJ Mag, The Line of Best Fit, Hunger Magazine and many more.

LCY

New Music: DARKOWA

Norwegian starlet DARKOWA crafts a style of electronic pop that is future-foward and experimental, but still feels accessible enough for any listener to form a connection with.

‘Aquarius’ is taken from the rising artist’s debut EP, ‘Time Machine’ (out now), and showcases a dreamy sound that is somehow both ethereal and playful at the same time.

Supported by tastemakers as prominent as Wonderland and 730 magazines, DARKOWA is one of the most exciting Nordic talents to keep on your radars in 2023.

DARKOWA

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Caleb Peters – HOLD

While still only 19-years of age, Detroit artist Caleb Peters already holds a number of hits under his belt – including recent release ‘Carousel Remix’, which has garnered more than 300k streams on Spotify alone.

Peters now returns with a perfectly constructed fusion of hyperpop and electronica through his new single, ‘HOLD’.

Energising as it is playful, the song further solidifies this talent as one of Michigan’s most promising newcomers.

Caleb Peters

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