The entire album needs to be heard; this talent is by far one of Australia’s biggest electronic-pop names to watch out for.
Ukiyo – Friends (feat. JANEVA)
Violet Skies – Lonely (feat. Molly Hammar)
A beautifully simple yet highly-charged ballad featuring two gorgeous vocals that tells of that all too familiar feeling of heartbreak.
New Music: Kxurtnxy
Can we assume this is the best debut from any goth-pop newcomer so far this year? Flawlessly produced beats and a vocal that you are instantly gravitated to; this track is simply outstanding.
“I’m drawn to dark and moody music and I wanted create a song in my own style about how the lockdown must have affected people’s minds and mental health. ‘FUNHXUSE’ is about the rollercoaster of emotions which I felt being locked up inside for so long during that time.”
New Music: MONEYPHONE
Toronto-based creators MONEYPHONE have a musical aesthetic that is genuinely hard to describe, yet almost impossible not to feel connected with.
“We feel it is important to approach production and writing with a sense of levity. Being mature means not taking yourself too seriously. Growing into yourself means acting freely. Looking back means sometimes the things that made you happy were a little sad, and the things that submerged you made you a little stronger. We’re interested in the haze that happens when memories get far away, and figuring out why some seem so saturated.”
Taken from the ‘Faith* MIXTAPE’ which is out now.
New Music: The Millennial Club
A SoCal outfit who fuse indie pop with RnB to create a sound that feels smooth, sleek, timeless and effortlessly cool.
Even better, if you love this track as much as I do then you’ll be pleased to know that it’s taken from the new EP ‘summer nights’, out now.
“Writing ‘summer nights’ felt cathartic in a lot of ways; the record as a whole feels like a release of emotions and tension within ourselves. I think for the longest time, I was obsessed with fitting into a self-described box and wanted so badly to ‘be like’ my musical inspirations, but with this record – perhaps unlike our previous releases – we really weren’t trying to be anything other than ourselves.” – Andres Owens, TMC
New Music: Ruth Koleva
It’s rare to come across an artist that is as well-rounded as Ruth Koleva. On one side, there’s the obvious talent she has in writing and performing pop songs with thought-provoking lyricism.
On the other, she’s a noted activist working with the likes of One Billion Rising, Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, and most recently as the Ambassador for All Out, a global movement fighting for LGBTQ+ rights.
On ‘All The Guys’, Koleva points out…
“Like many women, I’ve been shamed for my sexuality and have been the subject of gossip and criticism my whole life. But the truth is, we all have the strength to make our own life choices without the fear of judgement. I wrote ‘All The Guys’ to encourage women to stand-up for themselves in those moments of weakness – to know that they are strong and not alone.”
New Music: Victoria
Victoria is putting Bulgaria on the world pop map with this sensational release. A talent who initially shot to fame earlier in the year as the country’s representative for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest (which ended up being cancelled due to Corona), she is now back with a follow-up single that is one of the finest pieces of dark pop that I have listened to all month.
New Music: harrison cole
A finessed blend of disco, soul, RnB and indie-pop come together so seamlessly on harrison cole’s ‘eyelash’. Watch out for this kid; he’ll win you over very quickly indeed.
Watch: Tom Grennan – Something Better
Originally written in the aftermath of heartbreak, Tom Grennan’s newest single takes on a different meaning as we all look ahead to 2021.
“’When I wrote Something Better’, it was a song about me smiling on the outside but dealing with a whirlwind of dark thoughts and distractions on the inside. Since Covid-19 and lockdown, the tables have turned! I’m smiling on the inside, and I’m constantly distracted with thoughts of the exciting, crazy and better future that is coming, and it’s just around the corner!”
Taken from the upcoming album ‘Evering Road’, due for release 5th March 2021 via Insanity Records.
Harry Strange – I Like You
One of the sweetest songs you will probably listen to all weekend, London-based talent Harry Strange is back today with a song that encapsulates those feelings of uncertainty when you first meet someone you like.
“A song for a boy I like. ‘I Like You’ taps into tiny thoughts everyone has when they find someone great. I wrote it in early October a couple days after I’d met someone and I was in that sort of limbo of not knowing where their head was. ‘I Like You’ is a very honest retelling of all the thoughts I’ve had and whilst this honesty is pretty terrifying to put out, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited and proud to release a song.”
Scott Quinn – NIGHTMARE
This is my favourite style of pop; the kind that is so bold from the start that it just hooks you in and doesn’t let you go until the very end. Minimal, punchy yet immensely intense.
“This song is an amalgamation of times where you think you know someone, only to be quite suddenly proven very wrong. The subtle changes in a person’s personality or energy and how those small changes can have a devastating effect. Your worst nightmare.”
The debut EP ‘BETTER FOR ME’ due for release in 2021.
EEVA – Out Of You
Already a prolific songwriter and featured artist who has worked with the likes of Icona Pop, Kaiser Chiefs, Mike Perry and Becky G, EEVA has close to 100 million streams as it is.
Now with the release of her new banger ‘Out of You’, this Swede is well on her way to becoming one of the country’s most exciting new pop exports.
New Music: Bert Brett
A deeply provoking release from South London artist Bert Brett, who’s song ‘Shame’ looks into the stigma that surrounds male mental health that still exists today.
Bert is running a crowdfunding campaign around the video to raise money in support of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) to raise awareness and money in aid of male mental health.
CHINAH – Promise
Copenhagen trio CHINAH return today with a dark slice of alternative pop that is immediately captivating and intriguing.
“’Promise’ is about saying farewell and leaving something. Because it is not a tough and bitter farewell, it is a farewell with a consciousness of taking something with you. It is a love/hate relationship with nostalgia. On the one hand, it can be a loss of memory as you are forgetting how the past occurred. On the other hand, it can be a pleasant state of dreaming.”
New Music: Renée Loren
Sometimes there’s beauty in simplicity; and this release from British Singer-Songwriter and Pianist Renée Loren is just that.
Raw and vulnerable lyricism accompanies a melody that is carried through with just a piano. It’s a song that tells a story in a beautifully uncomplicated way.
“You are only as young as you feel… True beauty comes from within. Life is too short to be with someone who does not live in the present moment with you. Be with someone who makes you feel heard, feeds your soul and makes you feel alive! Life is too precious to be waiting around for someone to change or to recognise your worth.”
New Music: Ryk
Stockholm based recording artist Ryk has an interesting approach to indie-pop that incorporates dramatic and intricate musical textures with captivating lyricism. It’s a sound that is like none other, and an experience from start to finish.
Taken from the debut EP ‘PARASITE FUTURE’ which will be out on the 5th February 2021.
New Music: Jordan Xidas
LA-based talent Jordan Xidas has managed to encapsulate those emotions we all get when we feel the person we are interested in doesn’t like us as much as we do. The sound itself is a breezy and minimal approach to pop that feels warm and relatable.
“I wrote the chorus one night anxiously waiting for a text from a boy and finished it the next day with my friend Kyle. I’ve been in a few relationships where my partner’s attachment style opposes mine, so I’ve definitely had my fair share of nights sulking in feelings of non-reciprocation. This song is a playful snapshot of that moment.”
Mia Nicolai – Mutual Needs
A new release from Mia Nicolai that feels sassy and punchy (literally), all the while being sweet and touching at the same time.
RUSSELL! – Scarlett’s Weekend
“‘Scarlett’s Weekend’ is about a romantic rendezvous I had with a girl from out of town that came to visit me for a weekend. We understood that we didn’t have much time together, so we enjoyed it while it lasted.”
Watch: Evie Irie – Misfit
A song for anyone who feels out of place, seventeen-year-old Sydney-born talent Evie Irie unveils visuals for her new release, ‘Misfit’.
Evie is also launching her very own ‘Official Misfit Scholarship’ in partnership with Bold.org to support misfit high school students with a passion for arts and music. She will be involved with the interview and selection process, so check out more here.
Taken from the new EP ‘The Pessimist’ which is out now.