A gorgeously smooth fusion of RnB and soul, with a hint of Spanish rap to keep things interesting.
If the next series of tracks by Santi Forget flow as beautifully as ‘All My Life’, then it’s safe to say that this is a massively exciting prospect to emerge from Canada.
Taken from the upcoming debut EP ‘Dear New Love’ which is out soon.
The Danish/ Japanese pop starlet returns today with a sublime piece of pop that shimmers with summery vibes and smooth vocal tones.
Listening to Mina Okabe gives you that sense of reassurance that something better is coming on the horizon – even if her love is bittersweet.
“I wrote ‘Walk Away’ about the feeling of not knowing if the guy that I was seeing was as interested in me as I was in him. I was asking myself, if I should walk away from what we had or keep giving him chances to prove me wrong.”
One of the standout indie-RnB talents to emerge out of Toronto in recent years, Olive B returns today with ‘Conversations’, her first single from a new upcoming EP.
True to the song’s title, the lyrics remind us all that just because someone is having a conversation with or about you doesn’t mean you have to engage with them.
With over a million cumulative plays on Spotify alone from her first two records, Olive B has developed a solid fan base that looks set to grow even further with this new chapter in her musical journey.
A beautifully hazy mix of dreamy psychedelic indie and rock. Karaboudjan is the alias of Billy Kim’s solo project. The multi-instrumentalist has been a touring member of Tycho since 2016, and dedicates his name to his dad, the nostalgia of youth, and the expression of his musical pursuit.
“‘Seems Like’ is an attempt to shout out loud into the abyss. To wear my heart on my sleeve for once. To vocalise my frustrations of losing my dad twice; Alzheimer’s first, death second.”
Can you believe that the artist behind this vocal is just 16-years old? There’s so much emotion gliding through those lyrics, delivered with an effortless sense of coolness. ‘chestnut street’ reminisces on the beginning of CUBE’s relationship with his girlfriend and their first date.
Born and raised in Ontario, CUBE is a fresh new face in the Canadian music scene, and has been playing the piano since the age of five. His style of sound is heavily influenced by the jazz and RnB songs that his parents would play around the house.
At the beginning of 2020, he decided to devote all his time into crafting music, and released his debut instrumental EP ‘kinda quiet‘, in which he plays all of the instruments by himself from the basement of his family home.
A 19-year old talent hailing from Charlotte in North Carolina, Alex PGSV crafts a refreshingly playful style of cloud hop that is instantly likeable.
Toronto-based (by way of Kosovo), Kadiri delivers a finessed approach to neo-soul that also subtly fuses hints of RnB and pop together, to create a sound that feels dark and intense yet sleek and beautifully emotive.
“This song represents a phase in my life where I no longer need to prove myself to anyone. After being in a toxic relationship, I’ve realised how important it is to love yourself first in a relationship and realise when someone is trying to change you to fit their image of who they want you to be. After realising it, I told this person that either they like me for who I am, or it’s just not going to work out.”
A charming fusion of indie, pop and jazz from British talent Harry Gardner. This song symbolises the liberating feeling of freedom that you get when you finally recover from the effects of a former relationship that was toxic at it’s core.
Gardner has had an impressive surge in popularity since the release of his debut EP ‘Younger’ back in 2018, which has since accumulated over four million streams on Spotify alone.
Bangers don’t get any bigger than what you’re about to hear when you press play! I am completely obsessed with this collaboration between Hijac and Kiry; one which takes hyperpop to a whole other level.
‘Open ur eyes’ is a tender love song told from queer perspectives. It’s been presented to us in the form of melodic vocals, elevated beats, and a bass that will leave you shaken with awe.
“Bonding over our shared angst of being trapped both from normality and our loved ones due to Covid-19, trans vocalist Kiry and I knew this is the story we had to tell because we knew it would resonate.” – Hijac
One of Australia’s most exciting electronic pop partnerships, Ninajirachi and Kota Banks return with the sensational ‘Slytherin’. This is a low-slung, off kilter rap number that’s as heavy on bass as it is on fun.
“’Slytherin’ is a track that we wrote at the same time as we were creating the original True North EP. I think we were on the Pottermore website seeing which houses we would be if we were in Harry Potter – essentially super delirious at the studio, one thing led to another and Slytherin was born! Our joint instagram handle was actually originally “dumbledoreisdaddy” as a subtle shout out to this song, so it’s a special one in our catalogue.”
Taken from ‘True North Deluxe’, a new 10-track set due on 16th April 2021.
Oregon-based outfit Novacane craft a uniquely charming style of psych-pop that immediately casts a spell on you and leaves you wanting so much more.
After forming in the early years of high school, the trio used the hardship and woes of their collective youthful disarray as inspiration to their songs. The result is a sound feels nostalgic yet fresh, while also being relatable and easy to connect with.
The massively talented Essex-based singer, rapper and songwriter that is tmdistant is back today with motivational new single ‘go get it’.
The track brings a melodic approach to rap, with a guitar progression, trap-infused drums and a motivational message that we could all do with hearing right now!
“I wrote ‘go get it’ when I was in a place in my life where I was thinking of change, I talk to my mum about how I’m going to make it and change her life. I want to make my family have a life they’ve always dreamed of, it is important to me to get it for the people around me, the people who support me, the people who look up to me. I want to show them that regardless of who you are what you look like or where you come from, if you want it you can go get it.”
A promising new name to watch out for in the UK hip hop scene, HART brings a stripped back yet finessed approach to the genre.
The North London talent hasn’t had the easiest childhood: he lost his mother at a young age, yet pushed through the hardship by channelling his resilience and determination into pursuing a career as an artist.
Now mastering his own style of music-making that combines synthetic drones and modern drums with a grounding in traditional RnB and rap, HART is well on his way to establishing a name for himself.
Swedish DJ Chris Tall returns today with his sixth release, ‘Dancin’ Alive’. Featuring the vocals of MLK, this is a perfected fusion of disco, electronica and pop that gives us an essence of empowered sensuality in the form of retro-futurism.
“‘Dancin’ Alive’s’ message is to never give up on that feeling of losing yourself to the music and dance yourself away into happiness.”
A quintessentially British take on the singer-songwriter genre, London-based artists Harry Bodley-Scott crafts a sound that uses his love of language to create melodies and lyrics that echo the triumphs and tragedies that people face every day.
If there’s one song that has really blown me away today, it has to be ‘Sweet Honey’ by Rotterdam-based singer and songwriter Nana M. Rose.
Beautifully cinematic and epic in it’s production, Rose’s haunting vocals glide over a sweeping orchestral arrangement that fuses together with dark indie-pop tones to create a sound that is just sublimely stunning.
“I’ve always wanted to write a song that captures the feeling of being in love and that’s what ‘Sweet Honey’ is all about.”
Working under the moniker of All The Queen’s Horses, Irish talent Sean Murphy is already causing a wave of excitement amongst the indie-folk scene.
He’s been nominated three times at this year’s International Songwriting Competition under the categories of Performance, Folk Singer-Songwriter and Best Song for Sync. And listening to ‘Raised By Wolves’ makes it clear why this artist is so well-received.
With a gorgeously dark approach to songwriting that blends haunting and sinister productions with deeply intense lyricism, packed full of metaphors and historical references, Murphy is steadily building a very loyal fanbase. When describing the the song, he explains:
“The song tells the story of a person who experiences constant misfortune in life (I live in fire and there’s no symmetry and there’s no winning here) and of the people who should never have abandoned him. Their indifference towards him (when the storms came I’d stay out in the snow) and his incomprehension of how they can accept this so easily (I held on to Jerusalem with my arrow and my bow). This man is on a warpath against all those who have abandoned him, but loses the strength to continue fighting them (and I will follow you and I will follow them) and his world begins to come apart at the seams. Embittered by his years of neglect, he believes that the misfortune and suffering of others is not equal to his (their virgin chests swim near and there’s no fitting in). The protagonist is portrayed as caustic, hostile and argumentative. His world collapses and he is poison to those around him.”
Featuring a spoken word appearance from 4-time Grammy nominee Phoebe Bridgers, today sees the return of multi-talented Swedish creative Luminous Kid (Olof Grind) with the release of new single ‘Mountain Crystals’.
The pair first became acquainted after Grind shot the cover to Bridgers’ 2020 record ‘Punisher‘. As master of many arts, Luminous Kid is not only a pop singer and songwriter but also a photographer and visual artist. Together with his self-directed music videos, he aims to create a complete body of queer art with his portfolio of work.
“I think the more role models and queer experiences that exist in popular culture, the better. If a song or a work of art can make a sad and trapped young queer person feel better about themselves, then it is a step in the right direction.”
Taken from the new album ‘at the end of the dream’ which is due 23rd April 2021.
With a sound that feels nostalgic and familiar yet refreshingly original, Angel Hotel are a Welsh trio crafting some of the most promising alt-pop to emerge out of the UK right now.
Their new single ‘Mourning Breeze’ is a shimmering modern classic that’s sure to both lift you up and hit you in the feels!
One of my favourite Swedish talents so far this year, Dear Sara returns with a guitar-driven pop bop in the form of ‘Do Better’.
Featuring those distinctive vocals that float so effortlessly over an infectiously catchy melody, you’ll have this song playing in your head all weekend.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve had a very vivid imagination. I’ve always enjoyed writing and coming up with stories. ‘Do Better’ is not about anything I’ve experienced personally, but more of a ‘what if’ kind of thought experiment.”
