After a two-year hiatus, Australian singer-songwriter Meg Mac returns in magnificent fashion with new single ‘Is It Worth Being Sad’.
Retreating to the stillness of the countryside in 2020, Meg began work on what would become her most personal and powerful songwriting to date.
The song was produced by The Donuts (Joji, H.E.R., Kendrick Lamar) and sets the tone for what fans can expect to hear from her upcoming releases this year.
Emerging from New York is recording artist Ayla D’lyla, who’s melodic and dramatic approach to dark pop is irresistibly captivating.
Bold and cinematic in essence, her new single ‘Money’ is a biting take on the struggles that afflict modern love. As Ayla explains:
“This song is exactly what you’d think it’s about. Many of the women in my life, including myself, seem to constantly feel emotionally unfulfilled by their relationships with men. Quite frankly, we just want your money.”
Ayla plays her debut headline show in NYC on 15th March at the Mercury Lounge. Tickets are available here.
Emerging from LA is songwriter BOYU, who’s latest release blends indie-pop with rap in a refreshingly conceptual way. If you’re a fan of Dominic Fike, Jeremy Zucker or blackbear then chances are you’ll love this talent too.
‘Miata Trip’ was inspired by the highs and lows of a psychedelic trip – specifically by the globally acclaimed HBO hit show Euphoria.
“Akin to the euphoric peaks of a trip, the verses and bridge represents liberation of the soul, uplifting and carefree, paired with bright happy chords and melody. In contrast, the chorus and outro symbolise the dark downward spiral when stuck in a self-deprecating headspace, with minor chords, angsty flow/ production, and slowed BPM.”
BOYU performs at Spring Fest on 19th March 2022 with Tessa Rae, Banana Club, and Halo Kitsch.
One of the catchiest releases this week comes courtesy of rising US artist, producer and musician Joshoo.
With its superb blend of indie and bedroom-pop, ‘Obsession’ carries lyricism about a situation in love that many of us will be able to connect with.
“This is a song about getting stuck in toxic relationships, and confusing stress or anxiety with the excitement of love!”
Hamilton singer and songwriter James Alphonse crafts a style of sound that is not easy to describe. This artist bravely fuses elements of electro pop, pop-rock and chill R&B to form songs that feel original yet relatable.
New single ‘i dont need to choose’ is all about the relationship insecurities faced by his long-term and long-distance partner.
“People have described my music as diverse pop with a touch of guitar and R&B melodies… It’s tough to pin me down, but I’m hoping it’s more like opening a cookbook and seeing all the amazing things you can eat, rather than going to a pierogi shop for your favourite, standard pierogi and finding they’ve changed the menu (if you love pierogi as much as I do, that example will stick the landing, otherwise, fill in your own addictive food for effect).”
Alphonse’s upcoming debut solo EP will feature production from the likes of Andre Kaden Black (Fefe Dobson, Francesco Yates) and Tal Vaisman (21 Pilots, Imagine Dragons).
The boldest release of the week also happens to be one of the shortest. At just over two minutes in length, ‘Never silent.’ is a monumental collaboration between stevexcooper and LIFEOFTHOM – featuring a captivating soundscape that will grip you from the moment you press play.
Hailing from Los Angeles, All Things Blue craft a mesmerising blend of lo-fi pop and indie that feels nostalgic and charming in equal measures.
The musical phenomenon that is ericdoa shares his latest single ‘fool4love’, showcasing an experimental approach to pop that is not only bold and daring, but also features refreshingly candid lyricism.
“‘fool4love’ was probably my favourite experience making a song I’ve had, it was all of my close friends on the floor of my bedroom hearing me annoyingly hum a guitar melody into the amazing fortuneswan’s ear until 6 AM rolled around and the finished product was what your hearing now. A classic tale of my awkward stages of figuring out what being committed to a human being is all about.”
ericdoa embarks on his ‘Things With Wings’ headline tour soon, which will touch on major US cities including Atlanta, New York, Toronto and Los Angeles.
Described by Music Week as ‘a non-conformist creating his own lane in the world of pop music‘, Swedish pop royalty Brother Leo has finally unveiled the first part of new album ‘PoP Poetry’ – and with it the release of ‘Hello Life’.
“In a way I’d say ’Hello Life’ is about me searching for answers, both inside and outside of my body. A search that in many ways became the start of Brother Leo and a more unafraid, playful, creative freedom. So it just felt right to open the album with that song. Some songs just come to you in an almost magical way. ‘Hello Life’ is definitely one of them.”
The album introduces star-studded collaborations with the likes of Neiked, Fat Boy Slim, Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John), Fred Gibson (Fred again…), London Community Gospel Choir and Steve Mac.
‘PoP Poetry’ [pt.1] is out now.
🎵 Follow the Scandinavia Sound Playlist
Singer-songwriter gglum unveils her latest track ‘Tangled’, featuring production from modern-day legends Mura Masa and Karma Kid.
The emotionally charged track was written during a period of extreme writer’s block and insecurity, as gglum states:
“It’s all about feeling frustrated when you feel like you’re not being treated fairly and how it can affect seemingly unrelated aspects of your life. I was almost looking at how one thing can cause a chain reaction that spreads into weird corners of your thoughts and behaviour. I think there was a little bit of venting of old anger involved when I was writing it.”
Dublin-based rising star Aby Coulibaly unveils one of the stand-out releases of the week in the form of new single ‘On My Ones’.
With its 90’s inspired R&B sound, the track finds Coulibaly embracing the importance of space and time alone, and speaking openly about mental health.
“‘On My Ones’ is about enjoying my own company and being by myself. I’ve always been that person to leave functions/ parties early because I’m tryna go home to my bed. It’s also about disconnecting myself from everything like social media, even friends sometimes, because I just need to sit with my own thoughts and emotions and be in my own company for a while.”
Track of the week. One of the most exciting newcomers to emerge from the UK over the last few months, London-based singer, songwriter and musician Erica Manzoli crafts beautifully melodic pop sounds that carry honest and raw lyricism.
‘My Best Friend Is My Therapist’ was written during lockdown, and narrates the feelings of disconnect that were suffered during the pandemic.
“This song explores feelings of loneliness and the irony that connecting virtually disconnects you from reality. I’d lost all contact with my friends during lockdown and the only person I was speaking to on a regular basis was my therapist via Zoom. Being in your house for months and trying to navigate things like love and friendships entirely through our phones is extremely difficult and tiring. You can’t ‘read the room’ when you’re not physically in the room and although screen time often makes you feel worse, if you stop using them then it’s easy to lose contact with the outside world completely.”
New Orleans-native and R&B powerhouse Lucky Daye releases new single ‘NWA’ alongside OTF Chicago rapper Lil Durk.
With its mesmerising blend of trap, synth and bossa nova tones, the song further continues to showcase Daye as one of the most unique R&B talents to emerge from the US in recent years.
Taken from the upcoming album ‘Candydrip’ which is out 10th March 2022 via Keep Cool/ RCA Records.
As one of the most refreshing newcomers to emerge from California in recent times, LA-based artist SEB consistently treats listeners to superb cuts of indie and lo-fi pop.
His latest single ‘f**k it, i’m the man’ is an anthem for empowerment, and opens the door to the next chapter of his music, with a new body of work expected in the coming months.
“This song is about standing on your own and living your life according to you and only you. After a blowout argument, I ended up having to permanently cut off family members who did nothing but tell me how much of a disappointment I was. In the chorus I’m trying to be exuberant and confident but that’s only to mask the pain I’m feeling in the verses. From talking to people around me, I know I’m definitely not the only one who’s gone through this. I want fans who are living through that, to feel empowered to do them, regardless of what anybody has to say.”
Seattle-based artist Barrett Staples creates sounds that seamlessly fuse different genres together – from indie and alternative hip-hop through to pop, soul, R&B and funk.
In honour of Year of the Tiger, melodic new single ‘Evergreen’ is first to kick off monthly releases from Staples, and features background vocals from Vinslo.
Undoubtedly one of the stand-out releases of the week comes courtesy of Grammy-nominated songwriter Aldae.
‘Long Way From Texas’ is the artist’s stunningly raw debut, and it’s no wonder just how beautiful the track is when you consider that Aldae has also written songs for the likes of Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Machine Gun Kelly and Selena Gomez to name but a few.
“I wrote ‘Long Way From Texas’ during the beginning of the pandemic. I was living in Arizona at a friend’s guest house, trying to escape how wild LA was becoming. The song is a pure reflection of the world I was living in, and how I was experiencing it.”
Self-titled EP ‘Aldae Vol. 1’ is due to be released in later this year.
After spending the last year co-writing viral songs like ‘Somebody I F*cked Once’ for Zolita and producing for the likes of Dorian Electra, Nashville-based artist and writer Myylo unveils some exciting new solo material.
‘Being Born Kinda Sucks’ evokes the sounds of Y2K, as Myylo’s nostalgist lens reconsiders the aesthetics of Weezer and Sugar Ray to investigate problems plaguing us in 2022.
Taken from the debut album, which is out later this year.
Emerging form Nashville is newcomer FRONDE. Crafting music since the age of 12, this talent draws his inspiration from a variety of genres – ranging from lo-fi bedroom pop and indie, through to hip-hop and R&B.
Impressively, new single ‘Letters’ was written, recorded, produced and mixed by FRONDE himself in his bedroom studio.
“I don’t normally get letters in the mail from people I care about. I typically get phone calls or texts like a normal person. But I got a letter from someone in the mail and it really got me thinking about how things were before phones and how different and hard that it might’ve been to get good or bad news. I wrote this song from the perspective of me being broken up with via letters and the news of that coming as a shock. That shock then sends me on an emotional rollercoaster which I tried to convey both lyrically and dynamically.”
Through a thoughtfully balanced blend of glitch-hop, electro-funk and futuristic R&B, Canadian singer, songwriter and producer Milk collaborates with acclaimed producer JIMMY EDGAR (Lady Gaga, SOPHIE, Danny Brown) on new single ‘What Are We’.
The song finds Milk depicting the uncertainty and instability of a budding relationship, shedding her vulnerability as she goes through the motions of casually dating someone she desperately wants to call her own.
Halifax alt-pop duo Neon Dreams return today with their new release ‘Little Dance’. Meditative, joyful and celebratory in tone, the song embodies everyone’s unique dance under the sun.
The track was inspired by vocalist Frank Kadillac’s shark diving experience in South Africa following the band’s recent tour there:
“After finishing our first tour of South Africa we decided to go shark diving. I had a phobia of drowning but felt it was time to face my fears.I jumped in the water and opened my eyes. There was a shark staring right at my face, my heart was pumping so I panicked. As I was collecting my breath I started hearing this melody my head that kept getting louder… I left the Ocean to grab my phone and record the melody which eventually become the chorus of ‘Little Dance’.
Days before while attending a meditation retreat, I was walking through the garden observing how life works through the birds and little annoying flies when I had a perspective shift. Those little annoying flies were not annoying, they were dancing. They were finding purpose. They were falling in love. they don’t live long. But they do their best to enjoy each moment from sun up to sundown. One of the observations I wrote down in my book was… everyone is doing their own dance through life and if you see someone dancing in your direction you have the choice to dance with them or let them pass by and continue your dance… It’s just a little dance under the sun. We completed the the song with the help of a local Cape Town musician named Majozi and an amazing producer from Potchefstroom named Dolfe. I played then my voice note from the shark trip and it was like we were all hypnotised into a transcendental state. We started 9 am and worked all the way until midnight. This moment is the reason why I’m still in South Africa… not because of the tour but because of the magic in this place.” – Frank Kadillac, Neon Dreams
