Swedish outfit Casper The Ghost return today with their punchy new single ‘Different’.
The acclaimed duo of Casper Brodin and Victor Hillbom have launched in to the new year with a sound that is more raw and intense than what we’ve heard before.
The song is all about finding the right person for you – which makes you want to be a better person.
“It’s about when you find that special someone, perhaps not the type of person you thought you’d end up with, but one who makes you a better version of yourself.”
Emerging London based singer-songwriter Eloise Viola unveils her new single ‘Begging’ today.
Featuring those distinctively powerful and bold vocals, the song serves as an emotive take on the modern ballad, fusing elements of R&B with synths to create a sound that feels intense and captivating.
“‘Begging’ is a song that addresses the ‘what if’ situation about women in positions of power, a comment on how women are treated particularly as referenced in male-led, ‘Bond’-esque films. The lyric ‘All nice guys go to heaven’ underpins the meaning of the song, that men seem to get away with bad behaviour but outspoken women are called out and criticised.”
To date, Viola has received acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Wonderland, Clash, Popdust and Euphoria magazines, as well as support from BBC Introducing and Fubar Radio.
Sweden might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of rock these days, but Malmö outfit Forgetting Yesterday are set to change that.
This is a sound that epitomises the definition of punk pop; delivering a nostalgic sound with a current twist.
’30’ touches upon the emotions of telling yourself that you are okay under the circumstances while neglecting how you truly feel.
“This modern take on our prior pop punk sound is something we are really proud of. When heading into the studio with producer Ludvig Ottosson (Noija) of Silver Sun Studios we wanted to elevate what we were already doing and that’s something we really think we achieved here.”
It’s an absolute privilege to bring you this quickfire interview with talented Nigerian wunderkid and certified Afropop icon Skales.
Garnering over 150 million cumulative streams to date, this multi-award winning star has collaborated with the likes of Major Lazer, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Davido and East African artiste Harmonize. His music has captured fans around the globe, including in the UK where he performed at the iconic Wembley Arena.
With the release of new single ‘Nobody 2 Somebody’ and the announcement of his highly anticipated forthcoming project dropping later this month, Skales took the time to answer some questions that offer us an insight into the mind of one of Africa’s biggest music heavyweights.
You recently released your new single ‘Nobody 2 Somebody’ – can you tell us what the song is about?
‘Nobody 2 Somebody’ is simply just myself reflecting about times I did not have and all I had on my side was hope, believe and time.
You are also about to drop your ‘Sweet Distractions’ album in February. Give us a lowdown of what we can expect?
Everyone should expect musical excellence with different genres infused together to gas you up because I got some of my faves featured on some of the records and also the productions on there was mostly my idea but it’s more comforting that everyone who worked on this album with me was as flexible as I am . In the end I believe and I know that this is my best work yet.
Who have your biggest inspirations been when writing music?
My biggest inspirations gotta be the people that listen to my music and also when writing music, I always imagine their faces with different expressions but yes life experiences in general gotta be the icing on the cake.
As someone who frequently creates hits with other artists, who would your ultimate dream collaboration be with, and why?
My ultimate dream collaboration has to be with Kanye West and honestly because he has been my musical hero for a long time now and it’s quite obvious that he is a musical genius.
In your opinion, which emerging artists from Africa should we keep an eye out for?
There’s Alota special artiste emerging from Africa but for I’ll say keep an eye on Jody he is coming for everything.
What do you have planned for the year ahead?
For the rest of the year I’m definitely touring the world and I’ll be putting out for music for sure.
American producer and multi-instrumentalist Hamond returns with yet another refreshingly bold release. ‘Angels’ sees the Houston hyphenate blending elements of R&B with pop to create something that feels futuristic and avant-garde, while still beautifully melodic and captivating.
“It’s about being watched over and protected by people around you… even when things are not perfect.”
Presenting a special remix by emerging Brightonian four-piece Yakul, ‘Beyond Borders’ is the latest release from Bulgarian-born New York City based singer-songwriter Ruth Koleva.
Featuring the talents of US artist Diggs Duke, the track offers a hazy and warm embrace that serves as a musical and lyrical catharsis about a utopian world.
“‘Beyond Borders’ is a project, which we started a few years ago with Diggs Duke and wanted to tell the story of how we could connect and feel close, even if we are far away apart. We started recording the song in the US and Amsterdam and ended up finishing it in a small Mexican village and filmed the video in Sofia, Bulgaria. It’s truly a song about the universal language of music and how art does not see any borders.” – Ruth Koleva
A charming approach to pop by Portland artist janiegiirl. With its early 00’s take on the genre, ‘Flip Phone’ is the kind of song that feels both nostalgic and future-forward in equal measures.
American artist Laura Elliott is a singer-songwriter who creates a beautifully organic blend of indie, pop and folk.
New single ‘Better Off Alone’ features an an emotive melody that perfectly sets the tone for Elliott’s vocals to shine through, and tell the story of a young broken heart.
“I wrote ‘Better Off Alone’ after my first heartbreak coming out of high school. It was a way for me to process and put words to my feelings, which kickstarted my love for songwriting. It’s basically me reflecting on the end of the relationship and cutting contact with that person, navigating life without them and missing them but knowing that chapter is closed. I think it’s easy to remember the good memories and idealise a person, but you have to remind yourself of the reality of the situation and why it’s healthier for you to be on your own. This one is extremely special to me since it was the first time I discovered how much I love writing music, it was one of the first songs I wrote.”
Ever the musical perfectionist, West London-based polymath Hope Tala returns with another stunning new single in the shape of ‘Party Sickness’.
“The concept of ‘Party Sickness’ is all about having fun and being a bit messy. A big part of my inspiration for the song was an astrology meme that categorised the different elements into their behavioural roles at parties; it said water signs were the best leading actors in a drama (I’m a Scorpio.) I wanted it to be an anthem for people who consider themselves to be the life and soul of the party”.
To date, the gifted artist has received acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Dazed, NME, Gal-Dem, Rolling Stone and The Guardian to name but a few; this could well be Hope Tala’s biggest year to date.
Independent artist Kyle Dion teams up with Australian powerhouse Tkay Maidza on the captivating new single ‘HAZY’.
Telling the complex story of the two people toeing the line between lovers and friends, the song marks a sultry return to Kyle’s R&B roots and features a fresh twist courtesy of his Australian counterpart Maidza.
Houston-based Indian American artist Shreea Kaul crafts an incredibly unique style of music that bounces from R&B to hyperpop seamlessly, with elements of Hindi blended in too.
This artistry sonically bridges the gap between her South Asian roots and Western upbringing seamlessly, and offers listeners refreshingly original bops to enjoy.
“‘Ol’ Dude’ is a R&B / hyperpop anthem that’s in a similar vein conceptually as ‘Ladke’. I wanted to create a fun, feel good song outside of my comfort zone”.
West London producer and DJ p-rallel shares his infectious new single ‘Get Down’, featuring rising talent Kasien.
Inspired by the rise of amapiano, the track presents a slick fusion of house and jazz, with wide baselines and airy synth pads that blend against Kaisen’s blissful vocals.
“Me and Kasien made this song when Boris put us into the first lockdown, it was a very depressing time, but we found a way to craft it into a song about feeling free.” – p-rallel
Racking up over a billion streams to date, gold-certified alt-pop outfit COIN release a brand new slice of dreamy disco in the form of new single ‘Cutie’.
“Three versions of us exist at all times – the actual, superficial, and digital. These identities are always changing, each one informing the other. How can we know which is even ‘real’? How can I expect to limit someone to the context of my own self-awareness? ‘Cutie’ zooms in on control, change, and confusion. On a lighter note, the song is about AI tasting a tangerine for the first time. Throw the ingredients in the musical blender.”
COIN joins 5 Seconds of Summer on their UK arena tour this spring, as well as a slew of festival performances including Bonnaroo, Governor’s Ball, Forecastle and Shaky Knees.
A true voice of the UK underground music scene, Bru-C has quickly become one of the most infamous figures across the worlds of UK Bass/ Bassline, UK Garage and Drum & Bass.
Today he shares his euphoric and emotive new single ‘Paradise’. Produced by the legendary Wilkinson, the song sees Bru-C speaking to his past self; lyrically discussing the emotional journey he’s been through, his love for family and friends and looking forward to his future and return to live performance.
Without a doubt one of the UK’s most exciting artists, Lava La Rue consistently breaks barriers with her future-forward approach to music-making and sharp lyrics. West London’s finestnow returns with another incredible song, produced by Courage and Saya Gray:
“I wrote ‘Vest & Boxers’ to be deeply relatable of what dating was like for myself and my teen lesbian / nblw friends growing up. I reference all the little moments we joke about – not knowing if you’re on a date or just meeting up as friends, walking into their bedroom for the first time and thinking how good it smells, not coming home for 2 days after the first night together and deciding to just move in. We were all guilty of it! Vest & Boxers is what we would refer to as our ‘dyke uniform’ – we’d wear it under our baggy denim/ oversized suits with the waist band showing as a little signal to all the other gays in the room.”
A beautifully introspective release from Berlin based alt-pop singer-songwriter Novaa.
On new single ‘The World’s Thing’, the artist lets the emotion do the talking through an offbeat and unfiltered melody – setting the tone for her refreshingly honest lyricism to shine through.
“‘The World’s Thing’ is an ode to the indifference and the apathy caused by the overload this world lays on me sometimes. Shit things happen all around and all the time and they eat me up at times. I needed a song to help me find a lightness and ease in all that, something that turns the drama into a comedy for a short while to make it bearable. This song comforts me and makes me smile even during shit times, and I hope that it does that for others too.”
Track of the week. Hamburg born and London based singer-songwriter Celine Love shares her stunning new single ‘Good Girl’. This is a melodic piece of indie-R&B perfection that is nothing short of pure bliss to experience.
Celine recorded the vocals at home in her closet and her dad recorded the bass virtually, giving the track an endearing charm thats perfectly compliments the lyrics.
“The inspiration behind this song was my desire to shed the ‘Good Girl’ image that has been almost imposed on me by my family, and in turn I always felt that’s the way I needed to be in order to be accepted. I’ve always been afraid of being judged, but this year has been a huge journey of self-love and growth and coming to terms with the fact that sometimes I’m not at my best – and that’s ok. I am an overthinking, people-pleasing, stubborn, either emotionally unavailable or far too available Aquarius and needed to own that!”
Taken from the upcoming debut EP ‘Aquarius SZN’ which is out on 16th February 2022.
International afrobeats artist and award-winning Nigerian music star Reekado Banks teams up with emerging Nigerian crooner Fireboy DML for an impressive new remix of ‘Ozumba Mbadiwe’.
The song was titled after the expressway that leads to Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, where peaceful protesters were massacred for protesting against police brutality in October 2020.
“‘Ozumba Mbadiwe’ captures a few different subject matters, but the most important is me paying homage to the victims of the #EndSars protest massacre. I was one of the protesters at Lekki Toll Gate before I had to travel, so the massacre at the Toll Gate cut deep for me, because it happened less than 48 hours after I left, and I just can’t shake that feeling. With the remix, I wanted someone that could add a different perspective to the record. Fireboy has been one of my favourite artists for a while now and he has made his love for this record public, so I thought he’ll be a good fit for a remix, and he smoked it.” – Reekado Banks
