Press play and guess how old American talent Nahoa Life is… Did you guess 12-years? I bet not, but that’s the age of this outstanding kid, who speaks beyond his years about the delicate dance of staying true to one’s self while chasing your dreams on ‘Just Truth’.
One of the most moving songs of the week comes from the hugely talented Brooklyn-based artist Yoke Lore. ‘Seeds’ will be heard on the critically acclaimed film ‘Pink Skies Ahead’ (premiering 8th May 2021 via MTV at 9pm ET).
‘Pink Skies Ahead’ sheds a light on the challenges of living with anxiety, and so this song evokes an exploratory voyage inward; reflecting the themes presented throughout the film.
“It’s about the struggle of trying to be there for someone who can’t be there for themselves and how that makes love complicated.”
Blurring the lines between hyperpop and emo-rap, this collaboration between Kyoto Black and Soshake brings two exciting emerging genres together in a perfectly balanced way.
LA-based singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Dylan Dunlap is back today with the beautiful ‘Serotonin’.
This is talent who I have featured in the past and still never tire of. Dunlap bravely wears his heart on his sleeve to create lyricism that is refreshingly honest, making his songs relatable and a source of comfort to absolutely everyone.
“‘Serotonin’ is a conversation about the realities of living with depression. It feels like a turning point for me as a writer because I’ve finally found the words to express it with confidence. The worst thing you can tell somebody is ‘you’re fine’. This song is a reminder to listen more to those in our life that could be hurting and hiding it. It’s liberating to talk this openly about learning to love my brain despite the insecurities.
A short, sweet, and totally infectious collaboration between artists Gun Boi Kaz and XINCLAIR.
This is one of those tracks that has a ton of potential to go viral; it’s a fun and fresh approach to hip hop that is so easy to vibe along with.
LA-based pop artist EMM releases the second instalment of a 3-part musical and visual experience today.
This video picks up from the character EMERALD (EMM) evolving into RUBY after slaying her first demon to take back her power. Talking about the video, EMM says:
“I’m not sure what people will have to say about it, but I can guarantee you won’t ever see another music video like this. Make sure you watch the whole thing; it only gets crazier as you go.”
Check out the precursor video ‘ACT 1: ADDERALL’ here.
Rightfield describe their songs as ‘intimate bangers’, and I for one think that’s a perfect definition of what you can expect to hear from this Arkansas pop-rock duo.
These two friends create a style music that is born from a wide range of tastes. Reed (Hoelscher) is a fan of late 80’s hair metal bands like Poison and Whitesnake, while Jack (Blocker) names The Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons as his first loves, with Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, and Tyler the Creator not far behind.
“The idea for the song took shape after sitting in my living room messing around with an ENGL e765 retro tube, and recording my old, beat up Seagull acoustic through my iPhone. The two paired really well together to give this familiar, clean vintage sound, with a modern retro touch. The track is insanely cool and I’m really proud of how it turned out. It was definitely outside my comfort zone in the best way.” Reed Hoelscher, Rightfield
Taken from ‘Rightfield, One (Deluxe)’ which is out now.
Izabel is a tremendously exciting new Montreal-based singer and songwriter. Having already amassed over a million streams on Spotify alone so far with her releases, this 19-year old talent crafts an alternative style of indie-pop that feels dark and vulnerable yet deeply captivating and engaging.
“’19’ is about ageing another year and reflecting on all that’s happened.”
Hailing from New Haven (Connecticut) comes Jake Simon, an artist and producer who seamlessly blends elements of alt-RnB with bedroom pop to create a sound that is refreshingly original and future-forward, all the while still feeling warm and familiar.
Watch out for the upcoming EP which comes out on 11th June 2021.
CHEL, the powerhouse vocalist and body positivity model returns today with new single ‘View From Down There’. This artist has had a truly meteoric rise to fame, garnering over a million followers on Facebook and a tribe of over 100,000 on Instagram to date.
Initially dismissed and told she didn’t have the looks or the body type to succeed in music, CHEL never gave up. Fast forward to 2021 and the results speak for themselves; her music videos alone have amassed around 30 million views. So watch out for this kid – she’s set on global world domination!
“This song is about someone who has fought really hard to achieve their goals and has now achieved a lot of them. Through this process, they had support from close family and friends, but not from everyone. Fast forward to now, when this person is doing well, all the people who neglected to support them in the past, are now trying to be a part of the momentum.”
There’s no doubt that Danish talent RoseeLu is shaping up to become one of the biggest pop exports to emerge from the Scandinavian nation. Previous release ‘Playing Alone’ ended up getting featured on more than 20 big tastemaker sites worldwide, including Billboard themselves.
Now she’s back with an equally fantastic follow-up, showcasing a style of music that blends alt-pop with hip hop, while adding a little 90’s nostalgia in there too for some extra goodness.
“‘F*** with my Feelings’ is about the insane state of mind you are in when you are in love – but also the addiction which I know way too well from past relationships
From her first live show in 2018, through to headlining the O2 Academy in her hometown of Bristol and being handpicked by Michael Eavis to play Glastonbury Festival, Chrissie Huntley has been making significant impact in a very quick space of time.
Even during lockdown, she transformed her closet into a home studio and began collaborating with musicians from across the globe. The result is a new collection of songs, one of which is the sensational ‘Supposed to Be’.
“‘Supposed to Be’ is one of the first songs I ever wrote when I was a teenager and I just got dumped by the guy who I thought was supposed to be ‘the one’. I think we’ve all been in that position where you know that it’s over, but you just want to hold on and pretend just a little while longer…”
Describing his own style as ‘melodic trap’, London-based musician Harrison Walker crafts a sound that feels effortlessly sleek yet emotive and moving. It’s a refreshing approach to music-making that leaves me to believe this talent is one to watch out for.
“‘Commitments’ is in the essence about love and the development of a relationship between two people authentically growing to love each other.”
Hailing from Liverpool, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Post Night Pictures (also known as Daniel Coughlin) releases his debut single ‘Get Down’ today; a song that offers a fresh take on themes of love, loss, regret and friendship.
With influences ranging from the likes of David Bowie and Brockhampton through to Billie Eilish and Tame Impala, this hugely promising talent blends elements of pop, RnB, soul and electronica together to create his sound.
“I’d say this track is mainly about a lack of commitment. It perfectly captures the moment of not wanting things to go any further or get serious with someone. A lot of people I think have been in situations like this where they want to take that next step with someone but they’re afraid of the outcome. This track is about taking a step back, playing it safe and not risking it.”
Gustaf has been one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Denmark so far this year, in my view.
If you’re a fan of LANY or LAUV then you’ll absolutely fall in love with this 26-year old musician, songwriter and producer. Scandinavian alt-pop at it’s finest, ‘lose u.’ is a sound that is infectiously catchy yet understated in a very cool way.
“‘lose u.’ originates from a fight I had with my girlfriend. In the heat of the moment I said something that I instantly regretted. In the time after the fight, she needed to think things through, it wasn’t really that dramatic looking back, but my feelings of losing her back then were nonetheless true for me. And as a coping mechanism I kinda told myself that what I said back then had some truth to it.”
The world may not yet be familiar with Norwegian outfit Whales & This Lake, but this group are one of the most popular electronic indie bands in their native homeland.
And after listening to ‘You Don’t Calm Me Down Anymore’ you too could very well become a fan; this is an emotional ballad which feels almost cosmic and transcendental in it’s style.
“‘You Don’t Calm Me Down Anymore’ is a song about being paranoid in a relationship. Being at a good place in life, but constantly fearing for it to end, for things to change. The mellow sonic mood, mixed with chaotic and desperate musical elements is trying to illustrate this emotional turbulence.”
Taken from their upcoming EP which is set for release on 28th May 2021.
Zurich-based talent MILLE brings a certain style of flair to pop music which is instantly mesmerising. This is a richly constructed sound with a strong gospel undertone; the moment when the choir is introduced to a dreamy soundscape is sensational.
As the title suggests, ‘Gently’ is a delicately balanced piece of music that incorporates orchestral elements into a pop setting; forming a song that is exquisitely produced and ever so moving.
Norwegian talent Mabi’s new release ‘We Are Best Friends’ is a slice of feel-good pop that is near impossible not to fall in love with. It won’t be long before this little-known talent starts to garner a big legion of fans!
British rapper, singer and producer Wesley Joseph’s ‘Ultramarine’ brings a sound like no other that I have heard all week.
A perfected blend of genres, this song delivers emotive and melancholic tones over a richly eclectic and dreamy soundscape that is mesmerisingly beautiful.
