Punchy, ballsy electronic power-pop from Norway. It’s pure bubblegum, wildly infectious and fun.
New Music: Sofiloud
New Music: Indigo Eyes
If you’re a fan of AlunaGeorge and Disclosure then you’ll pretty much fall in love with this new London-based electronic talent.
At just 19 years old, Indigo Eyes has seemingly mastered a unique approach to chilled Balearic style house-pop. His talent even caught the attention of SG Lewis earlier this summer, who went on to showcase some early demos of his music to a live audience on Instagram.
“Lyrically, the track is an attempt to capture the feeling at the beginning of a relationship where you’re both starting to trust the other person but are still unsure about their intentions, leaving both of you hesitant to fully commit to one another.”
The debut EP ‘Close To You’ is due out shortly.
LISS – Leave me on the floor
I’ve lost count at the number of times I have featured Danish outfit Liss on Alfitude, and I don’t think it will slow down any time soon either.
This release fuses their trademark blend of melancholy indie with funky retro vibes. Make sure you play the song the whole way through, because it’s progression is too damn good to miss.
New Music: ellipsis
Sometimes you press play on a song and it immediately arrests your attention in a way very few new artists ever do. That was the case when it came to listening to this new release from a talent known as ellipsis.
Digging deeper into the background of the project, you learn that ellipsis is in fact Jeoff Harris; a producer and songwriter who has already amassed over 50,000,000 streams on Spotify alone through his works with the likes of Royal & the Serpent, JORDY and Grace Vanderwaal.
The sound itself is highly finessed while maintaining a sense of raw, dark energy that you so rarely find done as flawlessly as this in pop.
Taken from the debut EP ‘Preface’ which is out now.
Watch: Emanuel – Black Woman
This song genuinely gave me shivers of emotion; it’s a stunning piece of music and I really hope you give it time to play in full, because it’s nothing short of stunning.
The visuals are just as gorgeous, where the inspiration for the song opens the video as we hear Nikki Giovanni’s striking words from her 1971 conversation with fellow author, poet and activist James Baldwin: “I get least of you. I get the very minimum. And I’m saying, you know, fake it with me. Is that too much for the Black Woman to ask of the Black Man?”
“‘Black Woman’ is about reconciliation and also celebration – celebrating how strong our women are and how they hold us up. People might think this song was written as a response to the moment right now but it’s saying the exact same thing it was saying when it was written a year ago – ‘I see you, I recognise you, I appreciate you and I love you’.”
blanks – oh no
This track from Dutch YouTube star blanks is just pure pop joy… Something we all need right now.
“Hi, I’m Simon and Blanks is my artist project, and people call me the overexcited music boy. Finding the perfect melody, lyric or sound gives me the best feeling in the world, I get so excited! And strangely enough, people seem to like that!”
KennyHoopla – lost cause// (feat. Jesse)
A conceptually interesting blend of indie, soul and RnB. The melody feels emotive and melancholy while the production is characteristically minimal and raw.
Watch: Johnny Orlando – Adelaide
Taken from the sophomore EP ‘It’s Never Really Over’ which is out now via Island Records.
“I hope these songs can make you feel something and help you like they have helped me. These are the most genuine songs I’ve ever made… New era starts now.”
New Music: Weston Estate
Track of the week. This alt-pop outfit formed in 2017 out of North Carolina and haven’t looked back since, with 12 million accumulated streams and a major label deal with Arista Records/ Sony Music Entertainment.
The sound itself carries an emotive essence of youthful melancholy that still feels charming and playful… Weston Estate could be part of the next generation of boybands!
“Our band philosophy is optimistic nihilism. Straight-edged middle-aged women getting lit to our music is our aesthetic.”
The Kid LAROI – So Done
Still only 17-years old and already one of Australia’s biggest exports of late; his debut mixtape ‘F*ck Love’ debuted in the Billboard 200 Top 10 earlier this year, which is a phenomenal achievement to get from someone so young and not native to the country.
This track is the first release off a new project that is coming soon amidst a new partnership with Spotify, becoming their third U.S. RADAR Artist. Don’t be surprised if The Kid LAROI becomes a household name by 2021!
Hugo Helmig – Champagne Problems
Hugo Helmig has steadily become one of the biggest new pop names in his native Denmark. Could this track be the one to get him wider attention in Europe?
boon – You
Dark, bold, and wildly epic pop from this Nashville talent who continues to exceed expectations with his releases.
Niko Rose – Early Morning
Arizona talent Niko Rose returns with a lo-fi take on indie-pop and it’s madly infectious.
New Music: HIRA
This is the kind of talent that keeps my passion in finding new music alive after so many years.
London talent HIRA’s sound carefully balances a conceptual and innovative production with a strong sense of nostalgia that harks back to 90’s pop and new jack swing.
I don’t think you’ll have heard anything like this before, so get ready to listen to the future!
Watch: Hamond – HOTEL ZAZA
British readers will recognise that this release from American talent Hamond samples UK garage classic ‘Rewind’ by Artful Dodger.
Flawlessly done too, if I say so myself. This kid brings a refreshingly bold and original approach to RnB and pop, and I am living for it.
Taken from the new EP ‘Source Material’ which is out now.
New Music: LJ Benet
LJ Benet already has an interesting history; you may already recognise the name, but for the purposes of this feature, I’ll just focus on the music.
It’s a rousing blend of soul and pop that feels highly charged yet minimal and emotive. The vocal has a distinct uniqueness to it, and carries the lyrics throughout the song so beautifully.
“I just want to be the person that wrote songs that made you feel like you weren’t alone anymore. That you heard something, and for a moment, you paused and thought that for once there was another human that understood what you were going through. I don’t need to be famous to make music, I just know there’s people out there that don’t feel heard and understood and that’s enough.”
GRACEY – Don’t
I’ve yet to find a single GRACEY song that I dislike. Truly one of the UK’s most promising starlets.
Taken from the forthcoming mini-album ‘The Art Of Closure’ which will be out on 13th November via Polydor Records.
New Music: wiinter
Minnesota singer-songwriter wiinter crafts a sound that blends soft, electronic pop beats with emotive vocals to give a sense of melancholy that feels endearing and charming at the same time.
Emily Vu – Self Love
American talent Emily Vu returns with a self-assured slice of pop perfection that’s all about being true to yourself.
“‘Self Love’ is basically just about how I’m a confident person. You’ll never catch me being in my feelings over something someone said. I wrote this song because ever since I started doing music and it becoming a real thing, people who have no idea who I am always have something to say about me. They say I’ve changed and that I’m full of myself, but I honestly just love myself.”
Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘Found’ which is due in November 2020.
Josh Fudge – Summer Something
The Oklahoma kid returns with a mellow, psychedelic twist to indie-pop.
“Written about the bittersweet reality that two lovers will have to split after summer’s end, this track takes you on a journey sure to make you reminisce about losing love while swimming in its rich but simple harmony.”