Canadian singer, songwriter, producer and DJ Prince Josh (aka Josh McIntyre) is back after a two-year hiatus, and boy has it been worth the wait.
Epic new single ‘The Glory (Reprise)’ features vocals from Lauren Armstrong, and treats listeners to an immersive and emotive electronica sound.
The track follows on from Josh’s critically acclaimed 2020 debut album, ‘The Joy’ (available here), and serves as a taster to his upcoming project (scheduled for release later this year).
Aside from his work as Prince Josh, McIntyre is also part of electro-pop outfit Prince Innocence, who are known for hit songs like‘Noches’and‘Golden Hour’.
If you’re feeling the midweek blues and need some sonic comfort then we’ve got a gorgeous new single for you, courtesy of singer-songwriter Lontalius.
‘Tangerine’ was created alongside acclaimed producer Jeff Kleinman (who has also worked with the likes of Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and FKA Twigs), and is inspired by the human need for escapism.
“I wrote this in a particularly dark period of the COVID lockdowns – it was winter and I’d been living in a freezing, uninsulated flat. I was dreaming of just running away to somewhere warm and picturesque. There is a feeling that I often touch on – the feeling of not quite being comfortable or satisfied with what’s around me. The idea of escaping to some paradise far away is always present and alluring.”
Lontalius has long been one of New Zealand’s most successful alt-pop talents, accumulating more than 110 million career streams to date, while also picking up tastemaker praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and Dummy Magazine.
“For me, listening to music, it’s always been something where I want to hear a song randomly one day and think, Oh, they’re talking about me. That feeling that someone’s written something specifically for you.”
California-based singer and songwriter Novul is one of those larger than life talents who is capable of crafting eccentric pop songs that are not only sonically uplifting, but also feature lyricism that is vivid and entertaining.
New single ‘Big & Rich’ is a slice of pure, playful fun. Incorporating elements of ‘Glam Country’ with ‘Old Hollywood’, the track’s lyrics contrast the two places in which the artist has lived in – the humble hometown of Saskatchewan, and her current life in LA.
“In the modern Wild West, there are not many cowboys or horses, but if you’re Big & Rich people seem to gravitate towards you. I’m just a small town prairie girl who wants to incorporate how I grew up and loves making high energy pop music about the things I’ve experienced since moving to such a big city.”
As a proudly independent artist, Novul’s work has racked up more than 5.5 million views on TikTok alone, while her songs have amassed over two million catalogue streams. Fans in LA can catch Novul at EVITA on the 28th April.
Rising London talents Dabieh and TS Graye join forces on a stunning new single, entitled ‘gracie’s therapy’.
Applying the ‘less is more’ theory, the track layers powerfully emotive vocals over a sparse yet thoughtfully-constructed production – resulting in a sound that is mesmerising as it is arresting in tone.
This is a song that invites listeners into a beautifully atmospheric soundscape, and sets an exciting precedent for what to expect from these two hugely promising artists.
“An unedited, uninterrupted recording. We captured the moment of getting thoughts out of your head through melody and feeling.”
Aside from his own music projects, Dabieh is also the Founder and Executive Producer of acclaimed creative company Cloud X, as well as the Cloud X Festival.
Transatlantic punk duo Shelf Lives (aka Sabrina Di Giulio and Jonny Hillyard) are one of the most exciting finds of the week. Based in London, these two musicians create an energising style of sound that is refreshingly raw and captivating.
New single ‘All The Problems’ addresses themes of masculinity, and how society can coerce us into hiding or neglecting our true feelings and emotions.
“To be vague about it, ‘All the Problems’ is a casual chat about the suppression of emotions, specifically among those who identify as males and what it could lead to as a result. The track goes through the motions of seeking a reason behind the resulting rage and offsets extreme, sometimes violent, acts with the World’s passive and unsettling way of dealing with them. There’s nothing casual about the topic and events itself, yet, socially we’ve reached a ridiculous, dangerous place where we feel like in order to survive we need to be. Essentially, so we can… “get on with our day”.
To date, Shelf Lives have received praise from the likes of BBC Radio 1, Introducing and 6 Music, as well asNME, The Line of Best Fit,Notion Magazine and The Independent. Be sure to catch this emerging duo live in a city near you – tour dates are listed below.
Hotly-tipped Indian-American newcomer Shuba continues on her ascent to stardom with the release of a brand new single today.
Written as an anthem for female empowerment, ‘Hot Girls’ presents listeners with an Indian-inspired style of pop that is bold and punchy, but also beautifully melodic in character.
Aside from amassing millions of followers across social media, Shuba has also captured the attention of global artists as iconic as Shakira, Brian May and Celine Dion.
With more than ten million streams already under belt, Shuba looks set to become one of mainstream pop’s newest global stars.
At some point over the next few months, British pop-punk outfit The Tyne will become a household name.
Following a successful year that saw them garner thousands of new fans and achieve tastemaker praise from outlets as influential as BBC Radio 1, Rock Sound and Upset Magazine, the trio are back today with some new music.
Anthemic and bold in its sound, ‘TOO MANY LIGHTS’ is taken from the band’s freshly released sophomore EP, called ‘COMPLAINING. (BUT THERE IS MUSIC)’ (out now). Elaborating on their new collection of songs, the group says:
“Our second EP aptly titled ‘COMPLAINING. (BUT THERE’S MUSIC)’ is just that. We obviously love complaining because that’s all we could think of writing about. We have been working on this EP for a while with one of the songs being written well over a year ago. As our music grows it seems to become more guitar heavy each song we put out and i think this is shown by each track on this EP. It’s without a doubt our favourite music we’ve put out so far. Alongside some of our more fun and uplifting songs, we also touch more on our individual mental health issues lyrically which we haven’t written about tonnes before in previous music.“
The Tyne are currently preparing to embark on a huge tour that starts with the Slam Dunk Festival in May, before joining iconic British group Busted on their arena shows. Dates are listed below, and tickets can be found here.
UK artist Ellie Evans might be a new name to some of you, but this singer-songwriter is already a talent on the rise, and currently commands more than 78k monthly listeners on Spotify alone from only a handful of singles.
Evans unveils a brand new track today, called ‘Breakfast On The Roof’. Lyrically, the song was inspired by the different (and often conflicting) emotions that young people experience during their teens and early adulthood.
Impressively, ‘Breakfast On The Roof’ has picked up more than 370k views on TikTok so far, and looks set to become one of the artist’s strongest releases to date. Could this be the start of something very big and special for Ellie Evans? We think so!
Track of the week. Rising newcomer Jordeaux is rapidly marking his name as one of the UK’s most exciting hip hop prospects – and pressing play on new single ‘OK THEN’ will show you why.
This is a talent who creates a bold style of sound that is fresh, finessed and thoughtfully constructed. His work is distinct in character, but still maintains some mainstream appeal that makes it easy to listen to and form a connection with.
Born in Nuneaton and now based in London, we anticipate that Jordeaux will become a household name within the UK very soon. Keep this artist on your radars – he is most certainly one to watch.
We are starting the week with a huge slice of Afro-Pop, courtesy of Toronto-based singer, songwriter and actor Aiza.
New single ‘Cocoa Butter’ is the kind of bop that’s impossible not to enjoy, thanks to its infectious melody, playful production and memorable lyrics.
To date, Aiza has accumulated more than 1.5 million career streams and picked up support from tastemakers as prominent as Wonderland Magazine. This is one Canadian talent on the rise!
Derby-based outfit Electric Pets have been building steady momentum since their debut just a year ago.
With two EP’s and four singles released so far, this four-piece have already amassed more than 50k streams online while also garnering praise from national outlets like BBC Introducing and Radio X.
New single ‘Elephants Can Swim’ presents listeners with an anthemic and energising mix of indie, garage and rock. Lyrically, the track encourages us all to accept and celebrate our true selves unreservedly:
“It’s about embracing your individuality, accepting you’ll never please everyone and taking a risk no matter the outcome… because if elephants can swim then surely anything is possible?” – Emma Buckley, Electric Pets
The band will perform at Y Not Festival on 28th July 2023 – tickets can be found here.
Floyd Zion is no stranger to acclaim. Formerly known as Artist Unknown, this rising talent has made a name for himself thanks to a genre-bending style of sound that pushes the boundaries of music to the extreme – without sounding obscure.
Zion’s new single ‘Boiling’ is a perfect example of the artist’s creativity. Bold, playful and intriguing in character, the track makes an immediate impact on the listener.
Having recently signed to Benji & Joel Madden’s MDDN Records, it seems likely that Floyd Zion’s momentum will continue to grow this year.
Sometimes, a debut song from a new project stands out more when there’s a little mystery involved.
This is certainly the case with creative collective Roadrunner, who have just introduced themselves to the world with a stunningly beautiful self-titled single.
Lifted from a forthcoming EP – intriguingly entitled “༽◌◌ৣ ◌◌ৢ ؞༽இ-)̛ ◌ྀ◞ ༎y ༽؞ ৢ◌؞ ლ⣎”, this stripped-down track showcases a sound which is almost ethereal in tone, and blends elements of alternative R&B with mellow pop and indie.
Amassing more than 200 million total streams under their own solo work, we can be sure that whoever is behind Roadrunner will know exactly how to create premium sounds.
Hailing from the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland, Pa Sheehy is a singer and songwriter who was formerly known as the frontman with rock group Walking On Cars.
Sheehy’s momentum grew following the release of his 2021 solo debut, ‘The Art of Disappearing’, garnering millions of streams and critical acclaim from tastemakers across the world.
The musician returns today with a new single that serves as a taster for his forthcoming ‘Lost In A ‘90s Arcade’ EP, which will be released in the summer.
Nostalgic and beautifully sentimental in tone, ‘Meet Me At The Record Store’ is a moving piece of pop that recalls the artist’s visits to his local record shop as a teenager.
“‘Meet Me At The Record Store’ is the idea of going back in time and meeting my younger self to see what he’s like. I wonder if that eureka moment hearing Bowie in that old record store never happened, who would I be?”
You can catch Sheehy on tour this month – dates and venues can be found here.
One the most acclaimed British outfits to have emerged so far this year has been indie duo KIDS (aka Beau Blaise and Alex Harvey).
Today sees their return with another impressive new single, called ‘253’. Taking its name from a bus route that drives through the London boroughs of Camden and Hackney, the track’s lyrics are inspired by the feelings that arise when someone starts to fall for a friend.
The song is taken from KIDS’ freshly-released‘Love and the City 1’debut EP (out now), of which Blaise says:
“Our self-produced debut EP ‘Love and the City 1’ was born out of heartbreak. While working long term in a studio in Wales, I broke up with my girlfriend due to the distance. Then moved back to my hometown, London, reconnected with my childhood friend Alex, we wrote these songs and formed KIDS. The EP tells a story of growth and explores why some early relationships don’t last.
Alongside the release of their new record, KIDS have also announced a series of shows across the UK, starting this month in Manchester – dates and venues are below.
Welsh musician Rye Milligan is already a familiar face within the British indie-rock scene as a member of hugely popular outfit Luna Bay.
Aside from his work with the group, Rye is also an emerging singer, songwriter and producer who releases music with his best friend and dummer, Ceri Bain.
New single ‘Run Honey’ showcases a production that fuses alternative pop with indie in a refreshingly unique way, and is lyrically inspired by the monotony of life. Elaborating further on the song’s creation, Rye explains:
“I wrote the second verse for this while waiting for the Easy Life boys and their crew to arrive at their rehearsal studios in Leicester. I had this instrumental that I’d made and was just playing it on loop over my headphones, using any opportunity and free time to write.”
To date, Milligan’s work has picked up coverage on outlets as noted as BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio and Clash Magazine. An upcoming EP is scheduled for release soon.
Acclaimed singer, songwriter and producer Romy Dya is back today with a stunning new collection of songs to enrich our lives.
Dya’s ‘Transformation’ project (out now) is more than just a record – it’s a sonic experience that covers themes of healing, meditation, emotions and reflection.
“I wanted to create something that would resonate with listeners on an emotional level and offer comfort and support in these uncertain times. With ‘Transformation,’ I aim to inspire the audience to take a moment to reflect, connect with emotions and find peace within themselves so they can find their authentic self.”
Lifted from the EP is new single ‘Let Love Heal’, which is lyrically inspired by the awesome healing power that love brings.
“This song is a powerful reminder that love is the most transformative force in the world, and that by opening our hearts, we can heal from the inside out. Whether it’s self-love or the love we receive from others, love is the key to transformation.”
To date, Dya has amassed more than two million catalogue streams on Spotify, and worked with the likes of Martin Garrix, Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes and many more internationally-recognised icons.
Guess what… it’s time for your weekend anthem! Our favourite pop bop today comes courtesy of LA-based starlet REYSHA RAMI.
New single ‘PL4Y’ perfectly balances experimental electronica with mainstream pop, resulting in a sound that is infectiously catchy and hugely uplifting. Make sure you crank up the dial to full volume before you press play on this track.
“‘PL4Y’ is an anthem of owning your own sexuality and leaning into the art of playful flirting. Lyrically, it’s getting at the idea that you know someone is attracted to you and you want them to do something about it, or else you will. As I enter into a more electronic sound with mixes of industrial dance and techno house, my aim is to simply get people moving. I’m very inspired by the dance sound of the 2008-2012 era that is currently making a huge comeback, and PL4Y is the first of many electropop tracks that prescribes to the notion that life may feel really heavy, but we can escape for a few moments to disconnect and have fun.”
The song serves as a taster to RAMI’s ‘CYB3RP0P’ project, of which she says:
“I would describe the sound of CYB3RP0P as a combination of Sl*t Pop meets M.I.A. The music is created for the club and stadium scenes. You’ll hear a theme of heavy synth bass lines that drive the tracks, industrial & metallic sound design, and vocals dripping in high-attitude delivery of poetic nonsensical lyrics. If you listen to COBRAH, Slayyyter, Ashnikko, or Kim Petras, you will resonate with this project.”
With so much exciting music on the horizon, we think RAMI is one talent to watch for this year.
California-based metastar angelbaby is one of the most interesting artists that we have come across in quite some time.
Signed to ground-breaking record label Hume Collective, angelbaby pushes the boundaries of what we have come to expect from pop artists – both in the way that music is created, and how we, as listeners, consume it.
‘View from the Moon’ is angelbaby’s second single to date, and features songwriter and producer Stolar (who has worked alongside the likes of Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Aloe Blacc).
Inspired by angelbaby’s move to Los Angeles, the song’s beautifully sparse production mirrors it’s highly emotive lyrics, which centre around feelings of loneliness and isolation.
One of the most exciting discoveries to emerge from Scotland this month has been alt-pop outfit WUKASA.
The band release a new single today, entitled ‘California’. Through its shimmering blend of lo-fi pop and mellow indie, the track encapsulates our desire to escape from the mundane.
While still early in their career, this Edinburgh-based group have already collaborated on songs with personnel as noted as Adam Haggar (Childish Gambino, Kanye West), BuzzKiller (Robbie Williams, Olly Murs) and Dave Lloyd (Stillhound).
Be sure to keep these chaps on your radar – they might just turn out to be one of the UK’s next big global exports.
