A gorgeously finessed fusion of soul, hip hop and reggae from Dominican singer-songwriter Navy.
New Music: Navy
Call Me Karizma – Vacuum Boy
Never afraid to experiment with his sounds, alt-rapper, producer and songwriter Call Me Karizma is back today with a song that is truly like none other.
Hugely infectious and indescribably unique, ‘Vacuum Boy’ is just the kind of sound that reminds you why independent artists should be protected at all costs.
“In January 2020 I went and played park shows all across Europe for my international fans. I had a stop in Oslo, Norway, and a fan of mine (who later became an artist friend) asked me to stop by his studio after the event. We ended up making ‘Vacuum Boy’ and nearly 1.5 years later I am releasing it 100% independently.”
Oh… and while you’re here, head on over to his Instagram/ Twitter and wish him a happy birthday!
New Music: margø
Canadian born artist margø brings a confident and sharp approach towards her style of music-making, fusing elements of electro-pop with an almighty epic rock twist. Her latest release ‘fool’ is a powerful song that focuses on empowerment and self worth.
“‘fool’ is about not letting toxic people hold power over you. This song is written from the perspective of facing someone who has continually treated you poorly, and finally finding the courage to cut them out of your life. This song is meant to empower anyone who has ever been in a dynamic where they were taken for granted – and remind them that they are worth more than how that person made them feel.”
Jordan McGraw – HER
Co-written with Joe and Nick Jonas, Ross Golan, and The Space Primates, Jordan McGraw’s new single is an infectiously catchy slice of funky retro-pop that will stay in your head all day.
“During the process of recording the song, I was chasing my now-wife. While I was on tour, I was trying to figure out how to woo her. It was the perfect storm of the song growing with the actual process of she and I growing into what we are now. Everything worked out naturally.”
New Music: Siena Bella
Siena Bella is an 18-year old singer-songwriter from Cleveland in Ohio. Already making significant headway in her career, Bella has already garnered over 600k followers on TikTok in the last three months and 100k on Instagram alone.
And when you play ‘Carousel’ it’s easy to understand why; this is a talent who lays her emotions and vulnerabilities in a way that captivates you and makes you feel a connection almost instantly.
“This song is about battling with feeling stuck, as if life is a ‘Carousel'”.
Alexander Wesley – TO MYSELF
A beautifully delicate and melancholic pop release from Canadian talent Alexander Wesley. The track moves through a battle with one’s self as Wesley comes to realise that all of his doubts and worries are a result of his own doing.
“This song was written at a time in my life where I felt like I was questioning every step I made. When we first sat down to write it, I was talking about a romantic relationship and how I was overthinking everything about it. Over time, the song took on a double meaning and started to become about the relationship with myself as well.”
Hamzaa – IN BETWEEN (feat. Miraa May)
I have made no secret of just how much of a Hamzaa fan I am. This collaboration with the equally fabulous Miraa May is some of the finest British pop you’ll likely listen to so far this year; bold, powerful, and full of confidence.
“This record is about two powerful women coming together with a firm and unshakeable message. You can either be the peace, or the motion between the chaos and watch me grow cause we’re not stopping or changing for anyone!” – Hamzaa
Boo Seeka + Golding – Don’t Waste Your Love
One of the best collaborations of the week, Boo Seeka and Golding team up to create a powerful track that propels dark human sadness and holds it up to the light.
“Jay (Golding) and I were hanging out at his house one day and before we knew it, we were getting pretty deep and opening up about a lot of personal stuff that has happened in our separate lives over the last year. I guess for both of us the best way to deal with that stuff is to write about it – so that’s exactly what we did. The whole song was written in twenty minutes.” – Ben, Boo Seeka
New Music: Bucky Boudreau
A captivating fusion of electronica, indie and pop. A sound that feels raw and chaotic yet emotive and so easy to fall in love with.
Bucky Boudreau’s ‘‘History (Is Made At Night)’ is reminder of how special a night out in a room full of bodies all listening to the same sound can be.
“‘History (Is Made At Night)’ is a love letter to nightlife and the culture of music that is played at loud volumes for people in dark rooms. Written from that early perspective of a dance floor rookie at art school, there’s an almost academic/ bookish appreciation of the club – as for years I was only experiencing dance music on headphones whilst walking in the woods of suburban Boston. This is about the transition from wallflower to participant, from headphones to speaker.”
boski – fake flowers
boski’s new release ‘fake flowers’ is one of the best lo-fi pop cuts you’ll hear all week. With his unique spin on the genre, this Tennessee-based talent brings a refreshing approach to music-making that is both charming and relatable in equal measures.
“‘fake flowers’ is about giving love in a relationship that can’t grow.”
Medium Build – Rabbit
Alaskan talent Medium Build returns with a beautifully compelling slice of indie-pop that looks at complex emotional issues which are both compelling and moving.
“Have you ever had a person you can’t seem to forget about? Someone you feel entirely crushed by? ‘Rabbit’ started about someone who made me feel like that but as I wrote about the feeling of being crushed, I found a string running between romantic crushes and the crushing weight of family. This song is for anyone who has ever felt heavy in their own skin.”
Noomi – Free At Least
Sublimely mesmerising and dreamy vibes from Swedish newcomer Noomi. This is the second single to drop from her upcoming debut EP ‘Life Aqua’, which is set for release on 21st May 2021. On the song, Noomi says:
“It’s an emotional tug-of-war between letting in or pushing away, between wanting to but not daring to, of that very first time you really let down your guard for someone and you share those amazingly intense, but somewhat claustrophobic first 24 hours like inside a cocoon breathing the same air in and out until you’re all intertwined. In true self sabotage manner you open windows for your fires just to see how long someone can still breathe inside there or if they’re getting choked by the fumes. It’s not me being scared about getting hurt, but rather that I will be the one who hurts, which always has and still continues to worry me a lot.”
New Music: Matilda Cole
Matilda Cole crafts a kind of indie-pop that is so refreshingly honest and genuine at it’s core. ‘Afternoon Haze’ shines a light on a condition she’s been dealing with called dissociation, and how she deals with pushing herself to be present in the moment.
“’Afternoon Haze’ was written about a condition I’ve suffered with called disassociation, which is a disorder that causes extreme ‘spacing out’ or disconnect from your body and the world around you. The song is about dealing with that around other people, trying to feel present in situations you’re supposed to be having fun but being unable to connect to those experiences in the same way as your friends.”
Taken from the forthcoming EP ‘Milk Teeth’ which is out on 4th June 2021.
Shift K3Y – Love Line (feat. Tinashe)
New Music: Kristofer Greczula
Citing Prince and Bowie as two inspirations, Kristofer Greczula’s sound feels nostalgic yet future-forward in equal measures.
‘Leaving You For Another’ was a song written about and for his brother – the two had drifted apart for two years prior, but have since found their way back to each other.
“He cried the first time he heard it. That felt like a confirmation that I was on the right track. If I write songs that touch me, chances are they will also touch other people.”
Aziya – Heaven For Me
Track of the week. With a perfect fusion of melodic pop and hazy psychedelic indie-rock, British musician Aziya has crafted one of the most sensational releases that I have heard all month.
Effortlessly cool yet enticing, ‘Heaven For Me’ takes you on a fantastically dreamy and kaleidoscopic journey.
“‘Heaven For Me’ is a romanticised and fantasised version of a very toxic relationship – it relays the story of someone in love with a person plagued by narcissism and inner demons. I’ve tried to depict the ill fate it brings to the one in love with that person. It’s a fairytale description of a very real scenario that happens in front of us everyday.”
Collin Selman – bedhead
American talent Collin Selman returns with an eccentric yet chilled take on indie-pop with the release of ‘bedhead’. This is a sentimental piece of music that details the rough patches of being in a long relationship.
“‘bedhead’ is a song I wrote in one sitting after witnessing a fight between my parents. It made me ponder on the course of my parents relationship and how they have stayed together through so much and how perseverance and loyalty is required in a long relationship. It also made me realise the fragility of most relationships and that you should fight for the when they’re special. ‘bedhead’ is written from the point of view of a struggling newly wedded couple that’s in between breaking and persevering.”
New Music: IOVA
An infectiously catchy bop that balances between the charming and the melancholy, by emerging Romanian electro-pop artist IOVA. This is the kind of song you could play on loop all day and still want more.
New Music: aboynamedblu
A melodic and emotive approach to lo-fi pop from aboynamedblu. This is a song that starts with vulnerability and subtlety, only to shift gears and turn into a sound that feels chaotic, raw and refreshingly moving.
Taken from the project ‘ALONE ON MOST DAYS’ which is out now.
Yuki Dreams Again – Pretty Face
The 23-year-old Montreal-based mega-talent returns with a charming slice of RnB-pop (with hints of old-school soul) on ‘Pretty Face’, a song that serves a narrative about dismissing people who no longer hold purpose in your life.
“‘Pretty Face’ is a very personal song about a relationship I had a couple years ago. I made this song to inspire people to leave anyone that makes you feel bad about yourself. I came to the realisation that when you surround yourself with the right people and you let go of anyone that is toxic for you, you make room for better things to happen in your life.”
Taken from the upcoming debut EP ‘Together Alone’ which is out 23rd June 2021.