Just in time for the weekend, US talent Charles Fauna unveils a dance-worthy, emotion filled track in the shape of new single ‘Ciao’, drawing from the best of artists like Fleetwood Mac, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars.
“‘Ciao’ is both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ in Italian which I felt spoke to the heart of this song. One thing ends and another thing begins. Creation and destruction. The cycles of life. At the end of a relatively dark record about loneliness, soul searching and change, ‘Ciao’ invites the listener, like the protagonist, to shut up and dance.”
Still only 18-years old, Swedish singer and songwriter Paula Jivén creates spellbindingly original pop songs that are deeply captivating in the most beautiful ways.
Her dreamy yet subtly eccentric new single ‘Someone Always Knows’ touches upon loneliness and lingering emotions from her childhood.
“’Someone Always Knows’ is just a really sad song. I wrote it two years ago when I was going through a pretty tough time with myself, and I took to writing almost like a coping-mechanism. I wanted a truthful song, something that just stated how I felt. Not a fight song for when you want to move on, just a song for when all you want to do is linger in your emotions. The lyrics debate loneliness and fear of abandonment. I’m also reaching back into my childhood, I had trouble finding friends and I remember feeling very lonely. There’s a very raw sadness to being alone, but not understanding why. Honestly, I’m a bit scared to release this song. It’s very close to my heart, and in a sense it’s like giving away a piece of myself? But on the other hand I’m so happy about sharing it with anyone who needs a really sad song.”
Debut EP ‘The Duality In Me’ is out later this year.
After racking up millions of streams thanks to her collaboration with R3HAB on global hit‘I Still Remember’, Mississippi singer-songwriter Caroline Romano returns today with some stellar music.
Taken from her debut album ‘Oddities & Prodigies’, new single ‘Grocery Store’ is an achingly gorgeous track that grapples with loneliness and the longing for connection.
“I spend a lot of time in grocery stores. It’s where I kill my time and where I look for more of it. I like to walk around the produce section and people watch. It makes me feel less lonely. I fell in love for the first time at a Kroger in Nashville, and I found myself still going back there in hopes that I might run into him between the aisles. It was “our place” in some weird sort of way. ‘Grocery Store’ is the kind of love song I can relate to because it’s real. We all spend so much of our lives walking up and down freezer aisles, and I don’t want to discount that as a place where beautiful things can still occur. I write what I know, and I know grocery stores, heartbreak, and looking for familiar faces in the checkout line.”
Virtual being and artist Maie returns today with a deliciously dark and refreshingly complex slice of electronic pop in the form of new single ‘Kosmo’.
The accompanying video sees Maie journey through the metaverse in search of identity and meaning.
“I can travel to places normal people can’t. Visit worlds most people can only dream of. But I choose to be here. I choose to be with my friends. I choose to discover what it means to be human. I’d do anything to be here, where I want to belong.”
‘Kosmo’ was written and produced by Pete Nappi (UPSHAL, Anne-Maie, Little Mix, Madison Beer).
With two million followers on TikTok alone, American artist and producer Kyle Hume is already picking up significant traction through his beautifully emotive take on pop music.
A sad love song in its truest form, ‘Better Off Without Me’ was written out of the place that Kyle had found himself in past relationships; a place of knowing that you can’t be the person they need you to be – even if they can’t accept that and want to hold on.
Independent artist Tom Aspaul returns with another energising bop that flirts between sounding fresh and vibrant while still carrying tones of nostalgia.
Produced by Aspaul along with frequent collaborator Gil Lewis, new single ‘Kiss It’ was inspired by the iconic europop sounds from the ’00s:
“I’ve always been a huge fan of that period in the 2000s when the Romanian pop-girls were killing it. You couldn’t go anywhere in the Europe without hearing their songs. The beats, melodies and production were so thrilling and fun, there was nothing else like it at the time – so I listened to a lot of Alexandra Stan and INNA in my home studio and tried to capture that cold, dead-behind-the-eyes energy.”
“‘Kiss It’ was written during that brief window between pandemic lockdowns. Everything was open and it was slightly bacchanalian, albeit with a sense of impending doom. I wanted to explore my need for human contact after such a long time in isolation – I just needed to kiss someone, anyone. At the same time, I knew any encounter would be short-lived and temporary, as Covid was closing in.”
Aspaul’s debut album ‘Black Country Disco‘ was independently released in 2020, and has since garnered over 5 million streams. The record was awarded ‘queer disco album of the year’ by Gay Times, and received acclaim through several ‘Best-of 2020’ lists, including The Guardian, GQ and Albumism.
‘Kiss It’ is taken from the forthcoming album ‘Life in Plastic’, which is out later this year.
Hailing from the North-East is UK artist Sarah Johnsone. Having inherited her music taste from her dad, Sarah grew up listening to rock, blues, jazz, R&B and reggae.
‘Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl’ is an atmospheric piece of indie-rock that feels anthemic, raw and gutsy, yet still maintains a sense of emotion that is endearing to experience.
“I’ve found that my lyrics always tend towards the sombre side, so for this single I wanted to juxtapose it with energetic riffs and guitar solos. It’s the first recording I made with my band, which gave me way more scope and depth musically. The song is about falling for someone who you know is no good, but it isn’t a downcast tune at all.”
UK singer-songwriter Waves Rush In (aka Sam Branson) creates music that pays tribute to the human experience by taking inspiration from nature, mother earth and life experience on his travels.
Since launching early last year, this Oxford-based talent has released a debut EP alongside several singles and music videos, amassing 600k streams across all platforms and picking up media support from the likes of BBC Introducing and Alex Rain Bird.
Latest single ‘Intoxicated’ consists of two distinct parts, with tension-building verses that make way for relief-filled anthemic choruses – all tied together with an underlying guitar hook that serves as a bed for the story to build from.
“It’s written about lust and that burning desire for someone that you can’t really have in the way that you want and about the connection and release you feel when you finally get it. In the chorus’ there’s Vocoda to give a feminine and sensual sensation of being intoxicated that I’m sure many will identify with. I have my wife’s vocals subtly placed in the song to make sure she has a presence in it.”
Emerging UK singer and producer Moonkay constructs songs that are like none other.
With a distinctly unique blend of morose melodies that are layered on tense, crunchy bass tones, Moonkay’s sounds have earned him notable features from the likes of Earmilk, Onestowatch and Acidstag.
New single ‘Fell In The Deep’ focuses on the theme of isolation, and losing oneself within a never ending cycle.
“‘Fell In The Deep’ is an analysis on loneliness. I see the piece as an introspection on looking for purpose, and some of the negative emotions that can come with that. I think this is very visually clear in the contrast of the screaming vocals over the 808 bass and harsh percussion. The complexity of the sounds lends itself to the spontaneity of repeatedly hunting for purpose to no avail. This is in contrast to the more melodic sections, which can be seen as the sections of clarity, made more so obvious given the use of vocals and a clear message to the listener.”
Songwriter and producer Micah Banks is no stranger to the music industry, having worked alongside artists like P-Lo and Marc E. Bassy.
Featuring the talents of Calabasas and Atom, his new single ‘EASY’ takes on the concept of blaming the other person, and not the one you love who caused your pain.
Fast-rising 17-year-old Sunderland newcomer Tom A. Smith releases his debut collection of songs today in the form of ‘EP1’, and with it comes breezy new single ‘Boltcutters’.
“It came from an idea about not wanting to fall for someone and them using all their powers for it to work. A bit of fun compared to the heavy stuff. Love playing it live as I have people singing it back already.”
To date, Tom’s music has earned radio play on the BBC (Radio 1, 6Music and Introducing), Radio X, KCRW, Triple J, and Amazing Radio, as well as being featured on The Times, CLASH, Louder Than War, NARC and RTE.
SAMA-nominated artist James Deacon continues to release some of the most impressive blends of indie-pop and rock to have emerged from South Africa in recent years.
‘Gone’ serves as a powerful and cinematic self reflection that explores depression, and shows a vulnerable side to the Deacon that listeners may not have seen before.
“I wrote ‘Gone’ whilst dealing with some pretty overwhelming bouts of depression. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for a long time and for me personally it comes in waves. Music has and will always be my way of interpreting the world around me and the world within, so ‘Gone’ comes from a moment where I felt like the world around me was equally as chaotic as my own mind, so I sat down and pulled this one from the depths of my heart in the hopes that it might help people who are dealing with their own anxiety and depression.”
Icelandic wonderkid Máni Orrason unveils his first single of 2022 with infectious pop bop ‘Coffin’.
The track was written at a point in Orrason’s life where new opportunities were on the horizon – meaning he had to make important decisions about which avenue to pursue next. It also left him pondering whether he should believe his own hype, or lean into his more grounded existence.
“I love the romance of the rockstar. When I was getting into music, I was obsessed with these larger than life, untouchable figures; they showed me that you can do whatever and be whoever.”
Emerging Canadian talent nodisco. returns today with a sleek and infectious slice of electronic pop in the form of new single ‘In Bloom’.
“‘In Bloom’ is a sonic recollection of my most memorable night in Los Angeles the summer of 2021. I played a rooftop acoustic show, met a bunch of people, and ended the night skinny dipping with the same people in Venice Beach. It truly felt like living through a TV show episode. The whole vision behind this song was to create the soundtrack to that night and I think it does that well.”
To date, nodisco.’s first project ‘Who Knew I’d Write Songs About You?’ has accumulated over 4 million streams, while the artist himself has garnered praise from the likes of Ones to Watch, Line of Best Fit, Lyrical Lemonade and CBC.
Nashville-based songwriter, singer and producer Jeni Schapire crafts a cinematic style of folk-pop that is exceptionally stunning. This is a sound that is timelessly beautiful and ethereal in essence.
‘Loose Ends’ is a humble yet profound song that draws on the grief and experiences learned during the pandemic. Co-written with Julia Berrebi and produced by Daniel Markus and Matthew Young, the song started as a free form poem that was soon shaped and stretched into the contemplative song it is today.
“We were both dating people who were clearly wrong for us, but with all the loss we clung for dear life to these people – praying and hoping that at least we could have that joy. We imagined the lives we’d have, so vastly different from the circumstances around us.”
California’s DWLLRS are back with a superb slice of alternative beach pop. New single ‘Float Through The Ceiling’ reintroduces the duo after a brief break from releasing music, and details the whirlwind of their lives and headspace in that time.
Since their creation in 2018, DWLLRS have garnered praise from the likes of Zane Lowe, Ones To Watch, All Things Go, Earmilk, Early Rising and Lyrical Lemonade amongst others.
First-generation, Nigerian-American singer-songwriter Dreamer Isioma returns with explosive new single ‘Sunset Drive’. The song celebrates the young phenomenon’s journey with community at their side, while also serving as a necessary call-to-action.
The visuals for the track were directed by Rooftop, and take a powerful stance against sexual abuse by capturing an assault – and sees Dreamer standing in solidarity with victims of these crimes.
Taken from the new album ‘Goodnight Dreamer’ which is out now.
Emerging from Wisconsin is producer, singer and songwriter Restless Modern. With over 23 million Spotify streams under his belt, this talent has already picked up attention from the likes of Billboard, Lyrical Lemonade, MTV and Atwood.
In an interesting twist to new music, his new single ‘I Hate That I’m Addicted to the Internet’ is a 50’s inspired pop song that looks into our online traits and behaviours.
“The algorithms of today’s online world are a sleight of hand trick in which your personal agency of choice is cleverly replaced with a curated buffet of predetermined options. It’s easy to blame the machinations of well-known profit engines for preying on our most base instincts, but to what degree are we responsible for understanding and taming the rabid neural pleasure centres that we poke and prod, aimlessly searching for a satiation that never comes? ‘I Hate That I’m Addicted to the Internet’ highlights how our personalised desires, fears, and obsessions fuel the monster, desensitising the youngest among us and luring them into participating in a vapid cycle of desperate performance.”
Acclaimed London-based duo 0171 return today with an eccentric yet thought-provoking mix of electronica, indie and hyperpop through new single ‘Burnout’.
“‘Burnout’ is a collage of the way people think when they are depressed. We liked the idea of singing about propofol, a general anaesthetic, and the song reflects that soft numbness. There’s a kind of release in admitting you’re burning out, the song has a strangely uplifting feeling to us. As we wrote darker lyrics than we had done previously, the songs got faster and more upbeat, like we were finding the fun again in making music.”
Co-released alongside ‘The Basics Are Coming Back’ which is available now. Upcoming EP ‘Welcome Back To My Channel’ is out soon.
