With over 280k followers on TikTok alone and 40 million streams across her Spotify catalogue, 20-year old Londoner PinkPantheress is already garnering significant traction thanks to her distinctive approach of creating sounds that have a nostalgic yet future-forward flair to them.
No matter what Nonô seems to release these days, I am absolutely hooked on. She’s back again with another perfected slice of pop that further solidifies her position as one artist to watch out for.
“‘Honest’ is about feeling controlled in a relationship and then confronting the person that is making you feel this way. It’s about the feeling of not being able to do anything without the other person feeling jealous, which leads to a lack of honesty just to avoid having an argument. The song is about taking your power and your freedom back.”
Taken from the debut EP ‘Midnight Mimosas’ which is out now.
Californian songstress Dasha releases a gorgeously intimate piece of pop with new single ‘Nervous’, featuring minimalistic but powerful drums alongside hazy synths and vulnerable lyrics.
“‘Nervous’ is about my first intimate experience, letting my guard down for the first time and letting someone know me better than I’ve ever let anyone.”
This may be the debut release from Argentinian-American vocal dynamo Just Stef, but this talent has already successfully built an audience of millions across social media and garnered streams in the hundreds of millions.
After dominating TikTok, she’s primed for stardom this year; so make sure you don’t ‘miss’ her in 2021!
Track of the week. Captivating lyricism takes centre stage on Kay Young’s latest release, ‘White Teeth’. This Londoner is not only a rapper and singer but also a producer, and in my view one of the UK’s most promising up and coming talents.
This is Hauskey’s first collaborative effort, and it’s a good one! ‘Fake Friends’ calls out all the so-called ‘new friends’ who are caught making false promises, and jumping clear before they’ve barely managed to introduce themselves.
“Fake, fair-weather friends. Seems to be plenty, especially in the music industry. Being from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, I don’t handle bullshit all that well, and can’t stand people who aren’t genuine. This song wrote itself, but I’m pretty proud of the ‘friend to finished in one minute’ line. It says everything.” – Hauskey
A gorgeously dreamy fusion of pop and alt-RnB, with finessed vocals and a smooth melodic flow.
Tokyo-based Robert Taira Wilson is an English singer and songwriter whose style of music-making brings a modern approach to folk. Emotive soundscapes and thoughtful lyricism come together to create a sound that is as timeless as it is beautiful. On the production of the video to ‘Blackbird’ he says:
“When lockdown came around last year, I sat down at my desk and started drawing. Then I couldn’t stop. Hours and hours each day I drew, and the pictures stacked up. Finally, after a year, I had made enough pictures to make a 3 minute animation.”
Undoubtedly one of country music’s new trailblazers, Evil does not hold back in their approach to the genre.
Latest release ‘Wrecked’ comes across as a raw indie sound, yet still carries a nostalgic essence of soul, fused with some country tones. It’s pure genius, and really quite beautiful to experience.
The almighty re-emergence of punk-pop continues! It seems that the genre is on it’s way to making a comeback in epic fashion, and if Shai Skye’s approach is anything to go by, then I am here for it!
If you’re from London then you’ll instantly recognise the sample from this track. Shakota has taken a mundane voiceover from the Tube and turned it into a beautifully sweet track that is impossible not to enjoy.
On the surface, this song comes across as a sweet and nostalgic blend of soul and RnB. But listen closely to Shaolinn’s voice and you’ll discover deeply moving lyricism that looks into the fears and insecurities that many young people experience.
The 20-year-old Virginia Beach-based singer-songwriter creates music that is clearly beyond her years; these are songs that are smart, observant and powerful.
A story familiar to many of us, Danish artist Mattis never knew how to show or tell his feelings as a young man. His new single ‘Enough Of My Love’ marks the turning point in his life when he discovered the importance of being true to to his authentic self; and it’s a brilliantly rousing piece of Scandinavian power pop!
“‘Enough Of My Love’ is a love song that I feel I just now am ready to release. I have had a hard time expressing my feelings through life and lately I have taken some big steps towards becoming more authentic and brave enough to say ‘I love you’ to those I love. And what a perfect timing to release such a song going into the summer and with corona as a hopefully almost finished chapter in Denmark – and the World.”
If you loved the song then be sure to check out Mattis’ beautiful cover of ‘Everywhere‘ by Fleetwood Mac.
A fantastically chilled slice of summery pop from LA-based artist Ben Again. ‘My Baby Likes it! (On The Weekend)’ is the kind of track that is all about doing less, but still getting more from life. Perfect for the weekend ahead!
“This is all about doing less and getting more from life. I wrote this during the pandemic, while at home with my partner and 3 daughters (they are on the track too!).”
Faith Richards has a kind of expressive vocal that glides beautifully over soulful and dark indie notes. This is a sound that is effortlessly charming, all the while moving and captivating.
“I wrote ‘Same Language’ after falling in love with a man who was still learning the English language. Love itself sparked something new in me. Simultaneously, I felt free and safe, and words didn’t matter as much anymore – ‘We speak the same language in everything we’re not saying.'”
New York-bred Humble Braggers are back today with the electrifying and euphoric ‘Only’. Although infused with familiar old-school vibes, the song still retains an inordinate amount of modern pop sensibilities!
Whimsical pop-rock duo Rightfield are back today with a shimmering slice of hazy bliss, in the form of new single ‘Baby’.
“‘Baby’ is all about the slower parts of when Summer rolls around. It’s about being outside in the still of the night and feeling content with where you’re at and who you’re with. Enjoying the ordinary present and feeling gratitude for being alive in that moment.”
Hailing from London, pop talent Scott the Pisces is a songwriter and producer with a flair for creating bops that are infectiously catchy and near impossible not to love.
A perfect addition to your summer playlists, ‘Crazy About You’ took two months of producing, writing and mixing, and features vocals from Raene.
“I wanted to write a song about the experience we all have when we first get a taste of love. That magical feeling we embrace while we’re young, the simplicity of it all. How we begin to experience the excitement and all the little elements that come with it. I tried to create a summarising narrative of how I experienced my first love, the innocence of wearing your heart on your sleeve.”
Debut EP ‘Ocean Blue’ is out now.
Hyperpop comes in two forms: it’s either fantastic, or fantastically bad. Fortunately, Luke Black seems to be a master of the genre, crafting some of the finest blends tracks you could expect.
Hailing from the Serbian city of Čačak, this talent has been named by the media as ‘The Serbian Pop Alchemist’ for his songwriting style as well as his live performances, channeling modern mysticism through a uniquely distinctive sound. On ‘Amsterdam’, Luke says:
“It’s a coping mechanism, an escape from the real world into the smoke and mirrors of the beautiful city.”
Influenced by the likes of Frank Ocean, Brockhampton, D’Angelo, Kelis and Justin Timberlake, Phoenix-based Irish singer and producer Pop Wallace has created one of my favourite alt-RnB tracks this week.
A stripped-down and mellow affair, ‘Out Sick’ is a finessed and sleek sound that deals with self-sabotage, excess, and self-worth.
