This independent British singer-songwriter has created a striking piece of bubblegum pop that comes with heady doses of melancholy. Quite the sound, and I’m here for it!
New Music: Jess Spink
New Music: Knapsack
Knapsack is an alt-pop project from 19 year-old NYU student Gabriel O’Leary. Previously, his series of independent releases from 2016 – 2019 collectively accumulated over 10m streams on Spotify alone.
With that said, O’Leary felt that he he wanted to reinvent himself, so after a brief hiatus we now have a new LP titled ‘The buzz of a lifetime‘ and with it comes this track…
“The song is a realisation that you can only convince yourself it’s okay for so long. You gotta let go. Everybody breaks down.”
maxime. – ik it
Last year’s debut album from maxime. garnered 3.8m streams, and it’s great to see that the Canadian alt-pop wonder-kid hasn’t stopped working since.
This infectiously quirky release is taken from his next project, the upcoming 15-track album ‘cerulean’ which is due for release later this year.
New Music: Priya Ragu
RnB and soul marry together in a perfect harmony with this release by Tamil–Swiss musician Priya Ragu.
The whole song is a delight from start to finish; the longer you listen, the more you’ll be rewarded with some stunning infusions of Sri Lankan beats.
It’s just pure joy to experience, and a song that projects Ragu’s concept of an idealistic first love…
“Beyond religion, beyond cast, beyond colour. It’s the feeling nothing can tear you apart because it’s so strong.”
New Music: BEKA
In these strange times we live in, London-based BEKA has crafted a song that is as charming and beautiful as her voice; this track is an uplifting fusion of soul and pop which sends out a hug to anyone who hears it.
“‘I’ll Be There’ was written for my husband following some tough seasons with depression and anxiety. It was a promise to say I see you… I see you during your highs… I see you during your lows… It’s about that human desire we all have for someone to show up for us when we need it most. Whether that person is someone we love, a stranger who gives us a knowing look or even just as a statement of self care – the song is a nod to the reality that part of being human is giving yourself permission to not have it all together. ‘I’ll Be There’ is the message you send to a friend when you don’t know what to say.”
New Music: Elise Go
Here’s a distinctive sound that mixes RnB with a darker pop undertone. Emerging from San Francisco, Elise Go has already made strides in her music; she’s been awarded the Spirit Award by Distinguished Young Women of California, and even came in 7th place on Million Star, a reality TV show in Taiwan. On the song, she says:
“Often, we get so caught up in wanting to be with someone, we don’t realise that when we’re with them, they actually make us feel more lonely than we were in the first place.”
New Music: Layla Kardan
We’ve got some truly international talent here; Layla Kardan was born in Belgium with Persian roots and Australian nationality, while currently living in Dubai. Her bold take on dark pop fuses a strong RnB essence, and is both intense and captivating. On the song, she says:
“It’s about the constant struggle of remaining independent and yet always falling into the arms of possessive men incapable of handling my strength. The constant pull to retain a position of power ultimately sees the relationship fail and overturn for the last time.”
New Music: Cam Thomas
New Music: Sianon
If you’re looking for some massive pop bangers for the weekend then you’ll be hard-pressed to find something as fantastic as this release by the refreshingly honest, Brighton-based talent Sianon.
“I’m about as edgy as an orange. I grew up listening to Westlife and Avril Lavigne and singing along to Take That at weddings.”
Rosa Raye – When We Were Good
Danish soul-pop songstress Rosa Raye is back with another slice of musical perfection.
This song reminisces of the good times from a relationship that has ended; it takes the pain and serves it in a beautifully blissful way.
“We actually kept the demo vocal on the track, so what you hear is just what I wrote and recorded that day. I wasn’t trying to say the right, correct things – I was just expressing a feeling. I don’t sugarcoat it because stuff like that hurts. But sometimes when the truth hurts, you just want to escape and make yourself feel good by thinking about the good memories and ignoring the bad, so the song is not too serious. There are some fun lines in there.”
SUPER-Hi + NEEKA – Following The Sun
A dreamy, hazy and wonderfully reflective piece of music that shimmers between pop, indie and folk. The song itself encapsulates optimism and describes a moment of escape and freedom, where you leave all your troubles behind.
“We wrote ‘Following The Sun’ with one ambition: to make people happy. If we can bring some light and positivity to the world right now, then we have succeeded.” – SUPER-Hi
Ed Prosek – Now and Then
I first featured Ed Prosek back in 2014, and I have yet to hear a release from this German-based Californian talent that doesn’t exude heartfelt emotion.
“’Now and Then’ is about man’s everlasting struggle against time. Life is a long road and the decisions we make early on sometimes have insurmountable consequences for better or worse. When we look back on life, regardless of the current crossroads, there is often a deep nostalgia for opportunities lost to decisions made long ago. The weight of this nostalgia clings to us, weighing us down like a ball and chain and only the forgiveness and acceptance of the past unburdens us.”
Mallrat – Rockstar
I have a lot of love for Mallrat. The Australian 21-year-old indie-pop talent has always been both fun and raw in equal measures. And this new release shows a clear evolution in her sound, and one which I am quite in love with.
“I feel like a lot of the songs I’ve been writing lately have been me realising my power. I wrote the chorus a year and a half ago and on its own that chorus has a completely different attitude. When I wrote the rest of the song a year later, I was feeling a lot more sure of myself. When you listen to that chorus in the context of the verses and the really aggressive guitar outro, it completely flips the perspective of everything. It’s interesting how time can reframe things that you still think and are still true but just give them a whole new house to sit in.”
Sval – Where Do We Go
Cold Coke Hogan + Aras Davis – Why Am I Like This?
New Music: Lucca Dohr
A uniquely captivating sound that feels powerfully intense, all the while still being minimal and raw.
Saint Bodhi – Blessed
New Music: CHATBOT
We don’t know who CHATBOT really is, other than a German talent who is the songwriting mastermind behind tracks that have collectively gathered over 33m streams online. I guess time might tell, but for now, this is one hell of a catchy bop.
“In some relationships you try for years to make it work, cry so many tears that’ll last for a lifetime. But you just don’t want to quit and lose the love of your life. Because you know it’s never over till it’s really over – so you keep on trying this one last time.”
New Music: Fana Hues
New Music: BELARO
In a bizarre contrast to the evils of the world taking over in 2020, this year has also seen the revival of disco-pop, and I for one am living for it. It’s the escapism we all need in our lives right now.
With that said, if you’re going through a toxic relationship with your significant other right now, then this is definitely the anthem for you!