Kwaku Asante – Angel

One of UK RnB’s most exciting talents of late, Kwaku Asante’s vocal is sublimely mesmerising. ‘Angel’ is an ambitious and gorgeous love song lyrically tells of a dark and toxic spiral.

“‘Angel’ is about how selfish I am leading to neglecting a partner, not because I don’t care about them but because I want to be successful in music. The toxicity in the song is that I hoped that she would stay around, regardless of my actions and carry on being my shoulder to cry on, the person I vent to. It’s ironic, given the song sounds positive.”  

Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘ODE’ which is out on 25th June 2021.

Kwaku Asante

Nonô – ROCKSTAR

If you’re a fan of early Max Martin pop productions then Brazilian-born artist Nonô’s latest single might just be your new anthem.

“My aspirations and plans have always been very big. In school I was surrounded by people that wanted to be engineers, doctors and lawyers. I always planned on being a Rockstar! I wrote it to remind myself and the little girl that made these wild plans that I’m still going for it and giving it all I got. Hopefully this song can serve as an inspiration to all the other dreamers and misfits out there!”

Taken from the upcoming EP ‘Midnight Mimosas’ which is out 2nd July 2021.

Nonô

New Music: Caleb Jacob

It wouldn’t be a normal week on Alfitude without featuring some outstanding Canadian talent. So I’m starting the week off with Toronto-based artist Caleb Jacob, who’s track ‘knock knock’ is a smooth and stripped-back fusion of hip hop and indie that is subtly moving while also being effortlessly sleek.

Caleb Jacob

Agnes – 24 Hours

Track of the week. To put it simply, Agnes is one of Swedish pop’s all time icons. Since her debut back in 2005, this phenomenal artist has been releasing hits that have not only become a part her country’s music history, but also achieving worldwide attention.

Now she’s back with a banger of a track that flirts with the classic disco concept, all the while injecting a heady dose of the future into it. It’s an exhilarating song that has been on loop all day.

Agnes

fijitrip – Kill The Game

Norwegian hyperpop wonder kid fijitrip returns with a fantastically warped and left of centre release in the shape of ‘Kill The Game‘. About the track, he says:

“This record is a personification of my conflicting feelings when it comes to my relationships vs my art. The song is kinda saying ‘sorry can’t hang, literally HAVE to go and make songs now’, and that sums up the person I was in my youth and still am. I was never a ‘cool’ person when growing up, I always found myself chasing a lot of stereotypes but never finding myself in a happy place, I didn’t go to parties, I wasn’t like that, I was at home learning how to write songs.”

fijitrip

New Music: Alexa Cappelli

Born and raised Southern California, Alexa Cappelli is a 21-year old artist and singer-songwriter who’s new single ‘Say Something’ garnered over 2.6 million TikTok views within a week after announcing it’s release.

Quite the achievement, and it’s easy to understand the attraction; this is a polished pop sound that is immensely easy to enjoy and connect with.

Alexa Cappelli

New Music: vaultboy

Be warned before you press play that this song is exceptionally catchy..! vaultboy is a singer-songwriter from Florida who’s track ‘everything sucks’ has started to pick up viral traction – having been used in over 90k videos on TikTok alone since January.

“It’s crazy to me how a song I wrote in my bedroom about looking on the bright side has connected to so many people all over the world. We’re all so similar in that way; we’re just looking for a reason to smile and be okay.” 

vaultboy

Danni Baylor – Previews

Hailing from Washington D.C. is singer, songwriter, and musician Danni Baylor. This self-taught artist began her career as a background singer, although the momentum really picked up after she gained national recognition for her series of YouTube covers.

Not only that, but Danni’s songwriting talents have seen her work with the likes of Fantasia, BTS, Tamela Mann, TWICE, Jason Nelson and BlackPink. Overall it’s fair to say this is one hugely gifted kid!

Danni Baylor

New Music: Talia Jackson

Not only is Talia Jackson a sensationally talented singer and songwriter, but she’s also an NAACP award-winning actress who plays Jade on Netflix’s ‘Family Reunion’.

‘You’ is a glorious fusion of alt-RnB and pop that feels and airy and ethereal; almost cosmic in it’s essence. And with Talia’s passionate vocals gliding over a beautiful melody, you’ll fall in love with this song instantly.

Talia Jackson

New Music: Teddy Fontana

A hauntingly mesmerising alt-pop sound from LA talent Teddy Fontana. The chorus to ‘Burn Bright’ in particular is immensely powerful. Today she releases a new record called ‘Paradise City’, in which she says:

“This EP was written and recorded during a time that felt like the whole world was experiencing a multitude of negative emotions. In writing these songs we really tried to inject the music with our day to day feelings and energy. We recorded the whole project at a music studio in Laurel Canyon with a vast musical history. We chose the title “Paradise City” because Los Angeles itself felt very pertinent to the creation of the record. Lyrically there are songs that I hope will be cathartic and relatable, and also songs that I hope will invigorate the listener with confidence and electricity. Sonically there’s a broad spectrum of ultra-modern pop moments and also retro-inspired cinematic elements of production.”

‘Paradise City’ is out now.

Teddy Fontana

New Music: Logan Prescott

LA-based indie-pop artist Logan Prescott is one of the most exciting talents that I have come across all week.

Already a songwriter who’s worked for the likes of Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records (Carly Rae Jepsen, and Mathew V), Logan also creates some gems for himself too.

‘tongue’ is one of those songs that sticks with you for the rest of the day, thanks to it’s 80’s vibes, smooth vocals and very catchy melody.

Logan Prescott

New Music: Kendall Bowser

Listening to Kendall Bowser’s new single ‘Never Had’ is one of those moments that reminds you how lucky you are to have a passion for discovering new music.

The lyrics on this track are just sublime, and to hear Kendall’s voice perform them is an even further delight. Such an emotive piece of music; I hope it moves you as much as it did me.

“Have you ever lost a life that you haven’t lived? Or a dream that you dreamed so vividly but it never came true? That’s what this song captures. ‘Never Had’ is about missing the life that you never got to live because someone else couldn’t see themselves living that same life with you. It’s about missing the love that’s lost, the security that’s no longer there and the children you’ll never have. It’s grief, and sadness, and heartbreak.”

Kendall Bowser

Watch: Fionn – Hold Off

Canadian outfit Fionn have released some serious bops this year. This is unashamedly joyful pop music that guarantees a smile on your face; something I think we could all do with right now!

“‘Hold Off’ is an upbeat and lighthearted song about letting go of a toxic relationship and finding the joy and strength in being alone. The song doesn’t take itself too seriously, and we wanted the video to follow suit. It’s fun and colourful with outfits inspired by the early 2000s. We wanted the video to portray us living our best lives despite what the person we are singing about may have done.”

Taken from the new EP ‘Candid Constellations’ which is out now.

Fionn

4 Minutes Later – Grace

A deeply emotive ballad from a group who initially burst onto the scene back in 2018, when their illusive #whois4ml campaign went viral across the globe. This eventually led to the release of their debut EP garnering over a million streams, and a solid fan base ever since.

“Each of us has a Grandmother whose mind is giving away to dementia and that’s where the song comes in. ‘You talk about places that you used to go, the people and faces you no longer know’.”

4 Minutes Later